Dog Parks

Dog Parks are getting mixed reviews from canine caregivers. Some dog lovers enjoy taking their furry friend to the Dog Park for a good off-leash romp. Others are fearful of encounters with unfriendly dogs or of their own dog’s reaction in the setting.

You are the best judge of whether you and your dog are suited to the Dog Park scene. Dog Parks can be a good place to give a dog fun off-leash playtime with other dogs. Since Dog Parks are “neutral territory,” even dogs who have a strong instinct to guard your home are much less likely to be protective of the Park.

At home, Nota, my 17-year-old ten-pound mixed Maltese, rules and barks orders that are followed by my 140-pound Great Dane, but I do not take Nota to Dog Parks. A barking or running small dog can trigger prey drive for some dogs, and the result could be serious injury. Most veterinarians recommend not taking puppies out for public exposure until they are at least 4 months old and fully vaccinated. This includes not taking them to Dog Parks.

Some Dog Parks seem to be places for people who really want to exercise their dog and who are quite attentive to their dog whether they are interacting with each other or whether the dog is looking for a canine playmate. At some Parks you may find the humans gathered together socializing with each other and paying very little attention to what the dogs are doing. You may want to visit a few Dog Parks without your dog to get the feel for what kinds of dogs and caregivers use the park and how many dogs your dog may encounter.

Look for a Dog Park where the dogs seem content running and playing. Do not mistake noise and rough and tumble play between two dogs to be fighting. What is not play, and may be a reason for concern, is when one dog, a bully, may be going from dog to dog asserting dominance. For the dogs who cower and accept the bully’s dominance, there may never be a problem. If another dog challenges the bully, the result could be a dogfight. If you see a bully in the Dog Park, come back another day to play.

On your first Dog Park visit with your dog, it is good to identify yourself and your dog as a “first timer” to one of the “regulars.” They are usually very helpful in pointing out where supplies like water and plastic clean-up bags are located. They may also be able to tell you if any dogs come to the Park who typically create problems among the dogs.

Here are some Dog Parks on the Peninsula and in Silicon Valley where you might just find the perfect playtime place for you and your best friend:

Belmont, Cipriani Park Dog Run, 2525 Buena Vista Avenue at Monserat

Burlingame, Bayside Park on South Airport Blvd., south of the Burlingame/Broadway exit off Hwy. 101

Foster City Dog Run, Foster City Blvd. at Bounty Drive

Fremont, Fremont Central Park/Dog Park located off Stevenson Blvd.

Half Moon Bay, Coastside Dog Park, Wavecrest Road near Hwy 1

Palo Alto, Mitchell Park/Dog Run, 3800 Middlefield Road and East Meadow

Redwood Shores, Shore Dogs Park, Radio Road off Redwood Shores Parkway

San Bruno, Dog Exercise Area, at corner of Evergreen and Maywood Drives

San Carlos, Heather Park/Dog Run, 2700 block of Melendy Drive

San Jose, Hellyer Park/Dog Run, Hellyer Ave. off Hwy. 101

Sunnyvale, Las Palmas Park, 850 Russett Drive

Each Dog Park has its own setting and special features. For more details on the above Dog Parks and others throughout the U.S. and Canada, visit www.dogpark.com . There is also information at this site on how to start a Dog Park in your own community.

 
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Published in the San Mateo County Times, June 1, 2002