🐾 Dog Park Etiquette

Check your dog's readiness. Is your dog comfortable around other dogs? Up to date on vaccinations? If not, start with a quiet one-on-one playdate first.

Leave the treats at home. Treats can trigger resource guarding in other dogs. Even if your dog is polite, another dog might not be.

Pack the essentials. Water, leash, poop bags. That's it. No food, no favorite toys that might cause conflict.

Choose the right time. Weekday mornings are quiet. Saturday afternoons are chaos. For your first visit, go when it's calm.

Unclip the leash inside the double gate. A leashed dog in an off-leash area can feel trapped and become reactive. Unclip once you're safely inside.

Keep moving. Don't stand at the gate. It creates a bottleneck where dogs crowd and tension builds. Walk into the open area.

Watch your dog, not your phone. Dog parks require active supervision. You need to see play signals, spot tension early, and intervene if needed.

Pick up after your dog. Immediately. It's not just courtesy — it's health. Parasites spread through waste. Bring extra bags.

Know when to step in. Play bows are good. Stiff, high tails are not. If you see a dog being bullied, calmly separate them and move to a different area.

Leave while they're still happy. 20-30 minutes is plenty. Overstaying leads to overstimulation and cranky dogs. End on a good note.

Leash up calmly. Don't chase your dog around the park to leash them. Call them to you, reward with praise (not treats), and clip on.

Check for injuries. Quick once-over: paws, ears, mouth. Look for scratches, bites, or limping before you get in the car.