I have begun work on a dog park that should take a few months to complete. Early on I got some helpful suggestions from Funlovin and  others and am seeking more suggestions. For those of you who have visited dog parks:

What are your favorite features?

So far I am incorporating benches for people and drinking fountains for both dogs and people. Trash cans of course and a pergola for shade as a cooling off area. The park will be ten acres with paths and plenty of room for the dogs to run( more toward the center of the field).

Has anyone been to one with fountains or an area for the dogs to play in water? I have to be careful of course since this will be open to the public and small children will be there also.

Suggestions?

thanks

Greg

What about some basic agility obstacles? 

A sand box for the dogs to dig might be fun.

Obviously, this is a large suggestion and may not be feasible, but a pond for the dogs to play??

Those are just some ideas I have right now.

Tam

Tammy, I will look into the obstacles. 

The city is going to get back with me on the feasability of a pond. I love the idea and it can be easily done but may be a liability issue if very large or deep. I have no such worries in private residences but when you open things up for the public you have to take care. I may be able to do something shallow enough for the dogs to get wet in and enjoy though and can do a fountain system in the center.

So far I have AA members from as far away as Kansas wanting to visit when it is completed. A few of them even own dogs I think.

Greg

Tammy was reading my mind.  I love her ideas; especially the obsticals.  The sand box was great also but could cause a problem if a child went to play in it and there were poo in it.  The typical agility course would be awesome.

I only had dogs as a child and we did not have a dog park.  We used to let them run out in a field.  If I come up with anything I will post again.

Karen

Greg, I love your pergola design. If you go with clematis check out the Golden Tiara. It is a  bright yellowish gold with a dark purple center. It really stands out and would look good against grey columns as well as the grey cross members as they age. I have three volunteers besides myself to help with  faux marbleizing when you are ready for us. Will the fence be going up early so the dogs can run as we work?

JJ

JJ I am told the fence will be done within a couple weeks and the pergola starts going up about the same time. Right now we are working on pathes mostly and getting some concrete in place to anchor the bences. I got some donated limestone for long benches inside the pergola so those should work well with the colors you mentioned also. I was there for a few hours yesterday but my allergies are kicking in. You should wait for a bit before volunteering to help unless you are really into manual labor. We are still clearing brush, trimming trees and working with hardscape. After several hours of that I do not have to work out for a  few days.

Greg

This sounds wonderful - where is this dog park going in at?  I think its a great idea to put more then 1 trash can in the area - the dog park I use to go to had only one and it was not located in a convient area.  Also the idea of having a pond sounds great - but like you said liability wise probably won't go over very well - but maybe having an area concreted in (to keep down the mud) and a springler system coming up out of the middle for dogs to run through (and humans..hehe) would really be great.  Well if this is soon to be dog park is coming anywhere around Pittsburgh, PA Me and Jake will be there!! Don't forget to post Does and Don'ts outside and one more thing - I notice many people don't bring pooper-scooper bags with them - maybe have a few stands within the park where you supply bags or people can bring bags to keep there? Just a few ideas...good luck with the park!!  Oh and I love the idea of the trails -we go to a park now that has many trails off the main trail and its wonderful. 

Jakeys it is just outside Grand Rapids Michigan. The city is taking care of  notices and trash cans and we are nearly in agreement on a pond. If it is shallow enough with a sprinkler or fountain system it should be all right to do. The biggest problem so far is finding enough volunteers for some of the heavier manual labor. I have been doing more there than I intended but it is for a good cause.

Greg

Awesome - well its a bit out of my way - but if Im every up that way I'll definitely check it out...best of luck and I hope you're able to find more volunteers to help!   Have a good weekend!

Large plastic bottles like from a filtered water system, hung upside down, with a whole cut in the side are a great receptacle for plastic bags from grocery stores.  At our park many people bring their excess bags.

The park here is fairly new.  It has a few benches, a couple picnic tables,  Boy would a fountain for the dogs be terrific! 

Wish ours had more trees and shaded areas......  You plans sound fabulous!!

Maybe there is a local animal loving boy scout troup willing to donate some labor and  young backs for the heavy work. 

Jakeysmom had some good points and idea. The pond or open water most likely will cause more problems than good.  You'll end up with tons of bacteria in the water, hence sick dogs, of couse poop and pee will be another problem along with mosquito's which are no fun for anyone. I like the concrete area with water shoots or foutains to walk though but that most likely will get pricey to build and maintain afterwards including the water bills. The agility area's with obsitcals would be great, weave poles, jumps that are simple to create and maintain. Grassy areas for picnics and frisbie and natural grassy area's to do some serious sniffing for our hunting breeds. Fencing off area's for smaller breeds is also nice since a very large dog can be intimdating to some dogs, even people.  Extra trash bag, and stands that provide bags encourages people to pick up after thier pets.  

Although in reality sometimes less has to be more just for safety reasons, liablity  and the bigger picture, lets face it not all dogs are going to play nice they have different temperments and personalities.  People also don't always respect property or the rules and no one wants to see anyone get hurt, that can lead to finger pointing and bigger issues.  The park can get run down aftertime so you need to look ahead 5-7 years from now in your beginning plans to create less headaches later on how the park will be maintained. Local shelters, pet stores or venders may provide fundraising ideas, weekend dog activities to draw people and $$$ to assist the park.  

Plus don't forget your handicap access 

Wow thanks you two, great suggestions!!!  I appreciate you taking the time to lend your comments. I have owned a cat and recently got a couple dogs so I am by no means knowlegible about such things but I do want to help and my expertise is  more in  landscape and hardscape. I can tell one end of a dog from the other, they are like cats only bigger right. Anyway I am getting some wonderful ideas and help from friends in the area. JJ, Kelly, and Diane from this site have been tremendous help and having their dogs there really helps me to learn.

Greg

Many of us worked hard on the Pergola for the dog park yesterday but it is going to be a thing of beauty and  a lovely place to stop and sit in the shade when the plants start growing over it. Greg has put his personal touch on many aspects of the park and everyone loves the benches he made. I am still hoping for one of those myself

JJ

Nancy, thank you, I will try to check it out.

Greg

If it ever stops raining the work on the dog park will proceed. My health or lack there of caused me to lose about a week also but hopefully we will gain some ground soon. It is never a good feeling to know you have work ahead of you but all you can do is sit and wait. Maybe it is natures way of telling me to rest and enjoy the people around me.

Greg

My favorite dog park features, from most to least...

* Special trash cans for depositing pet waste that large dogs can't get into or knock over.

* Pick-up bag dispensers on high poles next to the trash cans.

* Park maintenance to replace pick-up bags, empty trash cans, pick up poop, fill holes and fix other things once a week.

* A concrete area with a short hose for spraying down dogs that got dirty, before they get back in the car.  Also a huge drain for water run-off.

* An endless water drinking fountain on the concrete area, so that dogs aren't drinking directly after each other.

* A kiddy pool in the summer - my park actually has 3 of different sizes.  Large for labs, small for terriers, medium for the rest.

* A sign stating the rules of the park, so that people can't argue when someone asks them to pick up poop, stop their dog from humping, digging, fighting, etc.  Our dog park also has rules that dog licenses must be worn or on-hand, dogs can't play wearing pinch collars, females in heat aren't allowed, very young puppies and unvaccinated dogs aren't allowed, and food is not allowed (training treats are an exception if given only to one's own dog).

* A sign with the phone number of an emergency care vet clinic, open nights and weekends.

* Large shade trees that can't be dug out or knocked down.

* Benches for people to sit on.

* Double-gates  with heavy springs, so that you don't get mobbed by pets as you enter the first gate, and don't let other people's dogs out by mistake.

* Gravel or concrete parking area for cars, so no tires spray mud after the rain.

* Chain link fencing so that the play area feels bigger than it actually is.  The fencing is heavy enough grade to withstand heavy chewers, tight enough to prevent dogs from pulling up the bottom edge, at at least 6' tall.

* Bright light for after dark.  In the winter it gets dark early and people usually eat dinner before going to a dog park.  In the summer, it stays hot late, so around here people visit dog park from 7:30 to 9:30pm.

* Smaller area with a 3' chainlink fence within the main area, where people can take small dogs and puppies.

I hope some of that is helpful!

Stormy, great information!!! I wish I had talked to you three months ago lol.

I have included many of the features you mentioned. The trash cans and clean up are up to the city.

I do have dog fountains as well as people fountains, and I donated the park benches and a pergola for shade.

Thank you so much for your thorough list, I printed it off and I will refer back to it as we complete the project. We did get approval for a fountain and wash off area.

Want to move up here and marry me? It would make my work on the park much simpler lol. I volunteered to do some of the design and landscaping, the rest was foreign to me.

Greg