When I first got my dog, Grimm, several years ago, I made a habit of taking him to the dog park a few times a week. At the time it seemed like a great idea.

But if I could go back in time and give myself a piece of advice, I would have told myself to avoid dog parks altogether.

Grimm ended up developing a lot of dangerous behavioral issues from his interactions at dog parks, and now as a seasoned canine professional I can see how this habit of mine was linked to that.

However, a lot of dog owners don’t fully understand the pros and cons of dog parks, and why many dog trainers like myself recommend against them.

Are Dog Parks Good for Dogs?

While we definitely don’t recommend dog parks to our clients, there are definitely some benefits to them; if there weren’t, dog owners wouldn’t feel so inclined to take their dogs there in the first place!

Here’s why dog parks are good:

• They’re a place where elderly, disabled, physically unfit, etc people can get adequate exercise for their dogs
• They’re a fenced space for dogs to roam that may be appealing to city-dwellers and other people who don’t have access to a yard
• They give dogs a chance to be exposed to a lot of different types of dogs, humans, novel sights and smells, and surfaces
• Many dog parks provide free use of special features like agility courses, obstacles, and bodies of water that many dog owners may not have access to otherwise
• Many (not all) dog parks may have a small-dog only area that can provide a safer place for smaller dogs to run or play
• The areas around dog parks can be a good progression in a reactivity training program for “dog hunting” because there will be many different types of dogs coming and going

Are Dog Parks Dangerous?

At Lugaru K9 Training, we (and most of our colleagues) advise that dog parks are a bad idea for a number of reasons. At the end of the day, it boils down to “you can’t control other people,” and you can’t fully trust strangers. This is the common theme, but what his actually looks like can manifest in a number of ways.

Here’s some examples of why dog parks are bad:

• Dog parks are not supervised or regulated, and anyone can show up with any dog regardless of behavior of owner or dog; they also may choose to stay after inappropriate behavior, even if the park rules dictate that they leave, because there is no present authority to enforce those rules
• Play and other interactions is at the discretion of strangers, and it is often difficult to advocate for your dog and reinforce boundaries
• Supervising dog owners may not know what body language to look for and what kind of interactions are unacceptable
• Play can escalate into dog fights, even in dogs without previous issues with aggression; dog fights can be difficult and dangerous to break up, especially by people with physical limitations
• Humans may, and often do, act inappropriately towards your dog in one way or another.
• Dogs do not get their boundaries protected by their owners at dog parks, and often develop behavioral issues like reactivity, escape attempts, or even aggression
• Dogs get attacked.
• People behave according to the idea that their dog can do no wrong; it is all the other dogs at the park that are out of control
• Everyone at a dog park thinks they are a dog expert.
• Dog thieves or “dognappers” love dog parks because of how easy it is to pick up a dog when the owner is distracted, or in a moment of chaos
• Basically a “super-spreader” spot for diseases because dogs are not checked for vaccinations prior to entry; dogs come into contact with shared water, excrements, and interact with dozens of other dogs at a time, making dog parks a host for a number of contagious diseases, and especially dangerous for puppies.
• Often messy with poops, especially as dogs slink away to do their business; no enforcement of park rules means that many owners just leave excrement instead of disposing it safely even if they see it happen

Why to Avoid Dog Parks

Things that I have witnessed (some of which happened to me) at dog parks:

• A human picked up my dog and held them without consent.
• A dog fight broke out, skin was broken, and both owners decided to stay at the park. Neither checked on the other.
• A woman brought a Great Pyrenees into the small dog area because it was a “good place for him to start.” Left upset when other owners disapproved.
• Someone feeding other peoples’ dogs without consent.
• People who did not have a dog brought their children to the park to play with strangers’ dogs as entertainment for their kids.
• Someone picked up on my dog’s name and repeatedly tried to call them away from me.
• While luring my dog up an agility ramp, someone instructed their Ridgeback to do the ramp at the same time, nearly pushing him over.
• Dogs jumping on people, scratching, injuring them and sometimes knocking them down
• “Dog pile” play groups knocking into bystander dogs and humans, sometimes injuring them
• Dogs mouthing and biting humans, including children
• People cussing each other out over their dogs, or just because humans are jerks, sometimes
• Dogs harassing stranger humans for food, toys, or treats — sometimes quite forcefully or dangerously
• Dogs playing too rough and injuring each other
• Dogs running off and not recalling to leave because of the increase in distractions and competing motivators
• A fault in the fence leading to a dog escaping the park
• Rude puppy behavior going unchecked

And these are only ones that I have witnessed, in my short time attending dog parks (a period of maybe two months, years ago). Yes, all that was in a span of going to the dog park a couple times a week for two months.

So much nonsense happens at dog parks that you can’t realistically control. There’s disease, misbehaviors of other dogs, and even the ettiquitte of other humans to think about that is, unfortunately, outside of your control when you’re at a dog park.

Even with rock-solid boundaries and no qualms about speaking up for yourself (and, honestly, this is a rare skill in humans!) you just can’t control how people will respond to those boundaries.

I have literally had someone walk up to me with their dog while I was picking up a poop, and when I told them no thank you they responded with, “I think you’ll be okay.” Those kinds of people absolutely go to dog parks, and unfortunately you just can’t expect your boundaries to be respected in those settings.

The common-sense stuff (like, for example, “don’t bring a dog with known aggression issues to a dog park”) often escapes people, as well. You’d be surprised.

And when you can’t control or predict who ends up at the dog park and how they’re going to follow through with their dog and others, it is best to avoid dog parks altogether and instead look into a safer alternative.

Alternatives to Dog Parks

So what are the alternatives to dog parks? How do you keep your dog safe, but also allow them to run, get some good socialization time, and exercise them if you’re not quite on their energy level?

There’s a number of options, actually, and one to fit most lifestyles, budgets, and behaviors.

Sniffspots

Sniffspots are essentially dog parks you can rent. Self-described as “private dog park rentals,” Sniffspot is essentially the AirBnB for dogs.

Through the sniffspot app you can find property owners willing to rent out their space for your dog or a small group of dogs to come and play. Some hosts have very basic fenced-in plots of land, while others go all-in and create the private dog park of every dog owner’s dreams.

You schedule a time to come out to the dog park, and pay an hourly fee for your time there. For a small group splitting the cost, a day at the park for dogs you know and trust can come out to be pretty cheap.

Sniffspot is paid, but it’s a pretty small price to pay to let your dog loose safely without all the danger factors that come with regular dog parks.

Play Parks/Bars

Another paid option are private play parks. These are specialized businesses that function as supervised dog parks. There may be an indoor and outdoor area, and a space for dog owners to sit and enjoy a meal or a drink.

Private play parks may charge a monthly membership fee for park access or a one-time fee for admission.

They usually have rules that will be different for each business that you may need to read over before booking. For example, some parks do not allow dogs to wear buckled collars as a precaution to avoid dogs getting caught on each other. Others may not allow clothes, remote collars, or certain types of leashes. Because these are businesses, their rules are 100% what goes, so make sure you know their policies before booking.

What’s great about private play parks is that there is usually supervising employees that have some sort of experience with dogs. The staff is there to supervise play, look for anything getting out of hand, and give dogs a break or some alone time if needed.

You just won’t get that kind of help at a dog park.

Community Events

You can usually find communities and events online that check a lot of the boxes of things that people enjoy in dog parks.

I know dog owners that attend weekly or monthly breed-specific meetups hosted at a park or at a member/group leader’s home. I’ve seen rescues host dog-friendly events for their adopters for play or training sessions. You can even just find play groups online for your area that will allow you to connect with others and go to planned events with people that you get a chance to know and build a relationship with.

At Lugaru K9 Training, for example, we have started hosting pack walks to allow dog owners to get a change to come together in a way that is safe and supervised.

You can find community events near you on social media, local ads, or by checking out bulletin boards at your local businesses and community centers.

Training

Having a trained dog unlocks so many other options.

A trained dog has the reliability to go off-leash in areas that aren’t fully fenced in, if their owner chooses to do so. Trained dogs go on hikes, road trips, camping, weekend excursions, and more. They have access to a lot of the places their owners go because they’re reliable and consistent.

Take it from me as someone who has been down that road and never looked back: once your dog unlocks access to the whole world, dog parks become a lot less appealing.

The charm of a place where dogs are constantly teetering on the edge of a behavioral or health disaster suddenly becomes less charming when you can get all the good parts of a dog park by just going out into the world together, without the stresses and dangers.