Dog Parks Benefit More Than Man’s Best Friend
Playgrounds can provide great benefits to a community. Playgrounds allow children to socialize, exercise, and practice sharing and taking turns, while giving parents a ready place to talk with other adults, watch their kids have a great time, and maybe even join in the fun. By bringing people together and promoting recreation, playgrounds can strengthen our sense of community. Dog parks can offer these same benefits.
Since 1979, when the first dog park opened in Berkeley, California, there has been a dog park boom in the United States. And no wonder. Approximately 60% of U.S. households own a pet, and 38% of those pets are dogs. That makes for a lot of people looking to exercise and socialize their pets. Taking your little (or not so little) pup to the local dog park can be a great activity, for your pet and the entire family.
Pet owners and non-pet owners alike can benefit from a dog park in their community. By providing contained areas where dogs can be off leash, dog parks can reduce the likelihood of dogs roaming neighborhood sidewalks and streets. And because dog parks are usually equipped with dog waste stations, pick-up bags, and trash receptacles with signage and instructions for pet owners, they can make for cleaner grassy areas and sidewalks intended for people. (Nothing ruins a fun game of Frisbee faster than an unfortunate misstep.) A cleaner, friendlier neighborhood encourages people to come out of their houses and spend time with neighbors and local business owners. And a strong community presence can make for a much safer community and more aware community members.
Besides benefiting the community, dog parks are wonderful for the dogs themselves and promote a healthy and safe pet population. Proper exercise is just as important for dogs as it is for people. A good 30-minute run around the park a few times a week is a great way to help your pet maintain a healthy weight. Most dog parks require proof of a rabies vaccination, so you can ensure that your pet is not only staying healthy, but he is playing with other healthy dogs who visit their vet regularly. Taking your dog to play with other dogs and humans also enables you to socialize your pet. Proper socialization reduces the worry when you to take your dog around town, near strangers, children, and other animals. And, of course, it’s no secret that happy dogs make for happy dog owners.
Things to consider when planning a dog park:
When designing and planning a dog park installation, there are several important aspects to consider.
1. Available Space:
One of the first things a planner should determine is the amount of space to dedicate to the dog park. There should be enough room to allow dogs to run around and play in groups. Utilizing as much space as possible allows dogs to benefit from the park more fully. When determining the park size, consider how busy the park will get on a beautiful weekend day. Know the size of your community and plan accordingly. The more space the better, but there may be limitations based on cost, location, or government rules and regulations. Building a dog park that is too small or crowds easily can create an unsafe or undesirable environment for pets and pet owners. The more crowded the space, the more likely dogs will run into one another, and possibly people, when playing.
2. Dog Size:
Creating separate areas of the dog park for larger and smaller dogs is ideal. Dog sizes can range drastically, from two pounds to nearly 200 pounds. Allowing a two-pound dog to run around with 200-pound dogs could result in serious injury for the smaller dog. Providing a separate area for small dogs allows them to run and play “like the big dogs” but without the risk of being hurt, scared, or intimidated. You want dogs of all types to enjoy the park, so plan accordingly.
3. Safety While Entering and Exiting:
Entering and exiting a dog park is probably when people encounter the most confusion and stress. Making the transition into and out of the park as easy as possible can contribute greatly to a dog park’s success. By creating a separately fenced and gated area for entering and exiting, you can diffuse some of the stress, confusion, and excitement dogs experience when arriving at the park. Being able to unleash dogs in a fenced area separate from the main play space, where other animals would sniff and try to play, makes things easier for both the dog and dog owner. Such an area also allows owners to re-leash their dogs more easily when play time has ended. Using self-latching gates in these areas can ensure that gates are not left open.
4. Waste:
Waste stations are an important feature of any dog park. These stations should include signage reminding pet owners to clean up after their pets, bags for clean up, and a securely covered trash can to contain waste. Waste stations make clean up easy and more likely.
5. Furnishings & Fun:
Having fun is the primary reason pet owners take their pups to the dog park. There are a wide variety of features that can be permanently installed in your dog park to add interest, including jumping hoops, pet mirrors, decorative fire hydrants, and much more. But don’t forget the human companions when planning a dog park in your area. A few picnic tables and benches can make a big difference for pet owners.
The Eagle Play Structures team has installed dog parks all over the Mid-Atlantic region. If you are interested in installing a dog park in your community, contact an Eagle Play Structures representative today to see how we can create a fun place for dogs and dog owners alike. If you are outside of the Mid-Atlantic region, be sure to visit our online store at www.eagleplaycomponents.com.
