Finding Dog-Friendly Parks (and secured runs)
Unless you have a large garden, it’s likely you want somewhere nice for your dog (or dogs) to enjoy fun and exercise. Obviously there are woods and beaches, if you live near them and dogs are allowed.
But with around half the population having dogs (and some councils banning dogs from parks or insisting they are on leads), it’s interesting to look at alternative ideas that are up-and-running.
Dog-friendly public parks
All councils ban dogs from children’s playgrounds, sports areas and fenced wildlife areas, and many require dogs to be on leads in specific areas. Others have limits on how many dogs can be walked by a single person.
The main reasons that dogs are sometimes banned from public parks are due to unsocial behaviour and guardians not picking up poop. These are easily solved with humane dog training and providing more dog bins with free bags (it’s human nature for people to sometimes forget).
The cost of installation is less than hiring staff to pick up poop, after the event. Some parks have overflowing poop bins, so the onus is on councils to employ people to empty them more often.
Many flowers (including all bulbs) are toxic to dogs. So town planners should learn about pet-friendly flowers, mulch and landscaping choices.
Keeping dogs safe in public areas
- Always follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe.
- Always check for dog beach bans, before visiting. Read how to keep dogs safe by the seaside.
- Read how to keep dogs safe in snowy weather.
- Don’t let dogs run for at least two hours before and after food (and car travel) to help prevent risk of bloat.
- Keep dogs away from ponds (usually banned anyway for their safety due to blue-green algae).
- If dogs roll in poo or have salty fur, learn how to give dogs baths.
One idea in some towns is to create separate ‘senior dog parks’. This enables older dogs who are nervous, slow, shy or even blind, to enjoy a potter without concern for more boisterous dogs. This enables all dogs to have fun, without one type accidentally scaring the other!
Secured dog runs (a good business idea?)
Secured dog runs are becoming more popular, as public parks in some areas are not as dog-friendly. These are good for people with lack of access to green space, and useful for dogs that are not social or have poor recall.
Most are double-gated with high fences (creosote is illegal to use now), and usually hire out spaces by the half-hour, with covered areas to shelter in poor weather. This enables dogs to have a good run without fear of bumping into other dogs if this is of concern, and not being near sheep or traffic.
Some of note to inspire include:
- The Dog Run (just outside London) only accepts wormed dogs with up-to-date vaccinations. XL bully owners need proof of exemption certifications and public liability insurance.
- The Londog offers reviews of local enclosed parks, used by ex-racing greyhounds to dogs freaked out by noise of other dogs.
- Terrific Bark Park (Buckinghamshire) is a paddock surrounded by woodland on a private estate.
- Foxes Farm Fields (Essex) has 12 outdoor locations and 1 indoor barn.
- British Dog Fields lists spaces for UK and Ireland. It also offers consultancy services (including farmers who wish to make income from unused land, away from barnyard animals).
