Park Etiquette

Outside the Park
For safety reasons, your dog should be on a leash when outside the fenced dog park. 

Educate yourself on dog behavior. 
Be aware that different dogs have different play styles.  Ask questions. A behavior that concerns you may simply be a rambunctious play style.  If you are ever uncomfortable about another dog's play style, talk nicely to the owner or leave the park.  Please respect other's peoples concerns. 

Don't bring dogs that are dog or people aggressive. 
If you are not sure about your dog but want it to be able to enjoy the dog park, don’t be afraid to muzzle it.  Muzzling your dog while it is in the Pooch Playground is not cruel; you are protecting your dog, the other dogs, and the privilege to use the Pooch Playground by doing this. 

Enter the double-gated transition area.
Wait to enter the double-gated transition area if someone is already in the area.  This will eliminate the possibility of both gates being open at the same time.  Please make sure the gates are securely shut behind you. 

Remove your dogs leash as soon as possible. 
Inside the double-gated area is a good place to do this.  Some dogs feel threatened if they are leashed in the presence of unleashed dogs. 

Move away from the entrance area. 
As soon as you enter the park, please move far away from the entrance.  This will help keep the dogs from congregating at the gate and overwhelming new dogs arriving at the park.  Try to keep your dog from rushing up to new arrivals at the gate.  This will help disperse the group of dogs that come to welcome your dog to the park. 

Keep Moving.
If you move, your dog will move too.  If you stay in one place talking with other park users, you’ll soon have a pack of dogs surrounding you.  When you get too many dogs in the same location, they will get too excited and the dog play could turn into a dog fight. 

Watch your dog.
Keep your head on a swivel so you can see where your dog is at all times.  Don’t get so engrossed in conversation that you lose track of your best friend.  Make sure your dog isn’t being overwhelmed by more aggressive dogs and make sure your dog isn’t engaging in “inappropriate” behavior.  If your dog is getting too excited, you may want to take your dog home for the day.  You can always come back another time.

Honor other pet owner's requests concerning their dogs. 
Please ask before feeding someone else's dogs treats.  Some dogs have food allergies.

Choke, prong, or spiked collars are not recommended within the park. 
 Although your dog should wear some type of collar, we recommend you remove choke, prong and pincher collars while in the park.  These can cause serious injury to your dog if they are caught by another dog or snag on a bench.  They can choke your dog if they get hung up on something while your dog is running throughout the park.   

Children must be very closely supervised while in the park.
Children should not approach animals they do not know.  This is a playground for dogs; not children.  The Pooch Playground is not a petting zoo or a place to get the child over his/her fear of dogs.  While most dogs are curious and friendly, not all dogs are child-friendly.  Some dogs have strong prey-chasing instincts and may mistake a baby for a small, injured creature.  A running, screaming child attracts attention and becomes a target for many dogs.  Herding breeds may nip children in an attempt to round them up.  Children are easily run over and knocked down by running or playful dogs.  Don’t bring more children and dogs than you can closely supervise.  Young children should be kept within “leash length,” and older children should be taught appropriate dog park behavior. 

Small-Dog Area
The small-dog area is only for dogs 25 pounds or less.  No larger dogs are allowed.  You may take your small dog into the large-dog area but be aware that this is dangerous for your small dog.  Small dogs have been severely injured or killed when playing with big dogs.

Use caution when using toys and other objects to play with your dog. 
 Don’t bring your dog’s favorite toy from home.  Your dog may not want to share this wonderful toy and could become possessive of it.  Don’t let your children bring their favorite toys, either.  Dominance issues may arise which could cause your pet to become unusually aggressive. 

Clean up after your dog.
You must cleanup after your dog.  You can help keep the dog park successful by picking up any trash or stray dog deposits that you find anywhere in the park.  Even though your dog may not be responsible for the pile this time, you can be sure that you have or will miss cleaning up after your dog on some occasion.  If you see someone else’s dog leaving a pile, let them know.  You’d want someone to do the same for you, and we all need to do our part to keep the park clean. There are bags at the park but these get depleted quickly.  If you have extra bags, please bring these and refill our bag containers.

Dog Treats
Small dog treats are permitted in the park; however, never give a treat to another dog without asking the owner.  Some dogs have very serious food allergies or may be on very strict diets.  Other dogs may become food aggressive.

Puppies
Puppies less than four months old usually should not be brought to the Pooch Playground because they usually have not yet received all of their vaccinations and could be exposed to canine diseases for which they have no immunization.  There are other safer ways to socialize your puppy until your veterinarian says it is okay to take your puppy to the Pooch Playground.

Water
Eventually, we will have a water fountain and dog washing area in the park.  Until then, be sure to bring drinking water for your dog.  Please remove any empty water jugs from the park.  

Smokers
Please don’t throw cigarette butts on the ground.  Some dogs will eat cigarette butts, and the nicotine is very bad for them.

Cleanup
Please pick up anything else you see on the ground that may end up in a dog’s mouth.  

Consider visiting at off-peak times. 
 Weekends and after-work periods are often very busy, and the large number of dogs may cause stress for your dog on its first visit.  It may take a few visits before your dog comes out of its shell.

Vaccinations
All dogs in Franklin County must have rabies vaccinations, but let your veterinarian know that your dog visits a dog park.  There are several vaccines specifically designed to protect dogs that are exposed to other dogs. You should talk with your veterinarian about heartworm protection, as well as bordetella, distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, adenovirus-2, leptospirosis, and parainfluenza vaccinations.  Some veterinarians may recommend other vaccines based on what diseases they know to be common to the area. Most vets think topical flea and tick products (like Frontline or Advantage) provide better protection than area spraying.   In all cases, work with your vet to determine what your dog needs. 

Spaying and Neutering

Dogs at the Pooch Playground are not required to be spayed or neutered.  However, unless you intend to breed or show your dog, we highly recommend you do so.  Spayed and neutered dogs are usually healthier and less aggressive.