Dog Park Rules and Etiquette

One of life's simple joys is taking your pooch to the playground. Watching your dog running and playing with pure abandon can make your day, not to mention your pets enjoyment!
However, the dog park can also be a scary place, for humans and dogs alike. Imagine your pet is playing and having fun with another well socialized dog when all of the sudden, another dog jumps in with hackles raised and starts bullying your dog around.

There are some simple dog rules of etiquette to follow if you plan on bringing Fido to play.

• Your dog should be well socialized, friendly and outgoing without being pushy or overbearing. No one likes a pusher, including your pet. 
• Your dog should be confident and social. Overly fearful dogs are only scared more by new stimuli. Aggressive or reactive dogs can cause injury to humans and pets alike and are not well suited for this type of play. 
• Knowing basic commands such as come, leave it and sit are a must. This will allow you to have control and prevent your pet from harassing others.
• Please, make sure your pets are healthy before coming to the park. No one wants to spread illnesses. 
• Pick up after your pet. Not only is it the polite thing to do, it cuts down on the chance of communicable illnesses.
• Realize there are different types of play for different types of dog. What you may think of as aggressive, may be the breed type's usual style of play. Dogs are very good at picking up on this and if owners remain calm, situations are less likely to escalate into something worse. If you dog is prone to playing harder, please be respectful of others who may not. 
• Please don't bring small children to the park. Other dogs may accidentally run them down while playing or some dogs may not be used to kids. 
• Limit the use of toys/treats so as to not cause jealousy issues among others.

This is not an all inclusive list. Please check your local parks rules and obey them. They are in place for everyone's safety.

Area Dog Parks

Westerville Dog Park- 708 Park Meadow Rd. 

Westerville, OH 43081

Alum Creek Dog Park- 3992 Hollenback Road,
Lewis Center, Ohio 43035

Pooch Playground- Located in Pizzurro Park  

off Hamilton Rd. south of 270 in Gahanna.