What Do You Put In A Dog Park?

Spring’s coming, and your dog wants more of the outdoors than the brief walks that the colder months sometimes necessitate. While you’ve probably visited the dog park a few times during the winter months, get ready because your best animal friend is about to convince you to spend some more time outdoors.

This article is about dog parks and why the way they are designed is so important to keeping balance in the world of your dog, yourself, and the community. What makes a great dog park, a happy dog, and a happy pet owner? Let’s explore!

What makes a great Dog Park?

Dogs are pretty flexible, adaptable souls. They just want to make you happy most of the time. But they do like a few indulgences every once in a while. The dog park is one of them. But why does your dog love the dog park so much more than your patio, or even your backyard?

Dogs like to do stuff. Sure, most of the dogs in the world are pretty content with a bit of running and hanging out with their best friend. But when you can give them a fun experience with new things to check out and interesting obstacles to cross, they feel carefree, adventurous, and full of life.

Some examples of “new” things to explore for your dog:

• Dog Fire Hydrants
• Dog Platforms
• Tunnels to run through
• A properly equipped waste station
• Other dog park accessories

Practical aspects of a dog park

Generally, there are some practical aspects of the dog park, so that the overall community and dog and human safety can be maintained. Your lovable pet needs a place that is contained, so they don’t go running wild in spaces where they might get hurt, or cause mayhem. Not that most dogs are out to cause mayhem—they just wanna have fun!

So dog parks are generally contained spaces, with gates or fencing to prevent misunderstandings, dog posturing, and other community members from being overtaken by big slobbery kisses, especially little ones that don’t know how to interact with dogs, yet.

Dog runs are important because dogs like to run! Let them do their thing with a big open area that gives them the space to stretch out and work up an appetite for a treat. Especially in urban areas, or for dogs that live indoors most of the time, this is a special consideration. Outdoor time is a happy time for dogs, and running is one of their favorite things to do.

City regulations. They are a thing. And while your dog doesn’t pay attention to code violations, there are people who do. Dog parks are “zoned” to make being a dog, and being a dog parent easier to do in a public space. It is much less likely that dogs can inadvertently be accused, or cause concerns for the broader community when the park is built to incorporate regulations and code needs.

What’s the point? Peace of mind and being a good community partner are important. Dog parks help to make it easy to give your dog the things they love while avoiding the other parts that could be problematic in a public place.

Waste stations in the dog park. It’s a perfect place to stage a waste station (it’s OK, you can call it a poop station if you want—we won’t judge). Dogs need to do their business, and the dog park needs to stay in good working order for everyone that uses it, so having a commercial-quality waste station in the dog park helps keep things practical.

We’ll cover some more on what types of installations can go into a dog park a bit later.

Benefits of the Dog Park from different Perspectives

Dog ownership is at an all-time high in the United States. That’s great for pets, and great for humans—pet ownership can improve quality of life and give people and animals a lot of ancillary benefits. Having a place dedicated to dogs is great for the animals, the dog parents, and the overall community.

Benefits of the Dog Park from the Dog’s Perspective

Dogs need exercise and fresh air! Having a dedicated space helps them feel loved, get necessary outdoor exposure, and feel comfortable just being a dog. Dogs can also socialize with other dogs and figure out who they are in a place like a properly equipped dog park. Seeing other dogs and other people can be important to your dog’s sense of place in the world and well-being.

Having some structure and consistency is also important to dogs. A dog park offers just that.

Benefits of the Dog Park from the Dog Owner’s Perspective

There are a lot of reasons dog parks are among the fastest-growing amenities in communities and outdoor spaces in recent years.

It’s easy to watch your dog in a place like a dog park. You don’t have to worry about a little bit of mischief getting out of hand, or your pet getting hurt, generally.

It’s also great to have the community understand the diversity of lifestyle that allows great pet interaction with the public and to prioritize pet ownership in a social space.

So, peace of mind is important, but access to a properly built dog park is important too if you don’t have the space or the infrastructure at your home or apartment to provide the same amenities for your pet. Knowing you can have a spot to walk and play with your dog allows you to feel good about where you live and being able to provide for that pet.

Commercial quality installations are features that are hard to replicate at home. This is especially true in the urban and suburban landscape. Dog parks make it possible to get access to the types of things dogs love exploring, without having to make it a big trip to the woods, or the countryside. It’s also a cleaner, easier experience to go to the dog park, than to have to worry about transporting a pet with mud on their feet, or worrying about ticks in their fur, etc.

Dog parks are accessible and easy to accommodate in daily schedules.

Benefits of the Dog Park from the Community’s Perspective

Babies won’t be knocked over by happy dogs that want to inundate them with slobbery kisses. This is a real issue in some communities. Dogs love kids. Kids love dogs. Sometimes that love cannot be contained easily and dogs inadvertently scare little ones, or little ones cause awkwardness for dogs. Living in harmony is possible with a dog park. Dogs get to see kids. Kids get to see dogs, and slobbery kisses are still possible if both parties agree.

It’s easier to clean up after your pet when they’re in a contained area with the proper pet waste stations. Case closed.

People love to see animals and their carefree attitude, but some people don’t know how to interact with animals. It’s sometimes a better relationship at a distance.

Communities benefit from dog parks because they are contained, safe, and inclusive. Dogs benefit from dog parks in the community space because they get to see the diversity in the world and be part of it. It’s a win-win situation.

Finding the right furniture, amenities, and commercial quality offerings for a Dog Park

Kay Park offers premium quality dog park equipment and commercial quality dog park accessories and amenities.

We invite you to take a look at the variety of products we offer for pet-inspired public spaces. We’ve been building great experiences for dogs, people, and communities in the commercial outdoor furniture market since the 1950s.

We recommend the following amenities for your dog park needs:

• Dog tunnels that allow your pet to feel sneaky and explore new places
• Waste management products that are built to be in exposed weather and UV-heavy areas year-round, year after year
• Ramps that let your dog challenge themselves
• Dog platforms—Let your best friend survey their vast kingdom from up higher
• Fire Hydrants—because dogs love these things for some reason
• Pet drinking fountains to keep your dog cool during hotter parts of the year, or to stay hydrated during marathon running sessions, or frequent sprints.
• Dog Park Signage to help others understand how to interact with the dog park
• Trash receptacles
• Poop station supplies

We’d love to help you plan a public space for pets or answer any questions you may have about our product’s suitability in your outdoor pet park. Reach out to us to speak with a knowledgeable team member today.

Our product catalog for pet parks and dog-centric commercial amenities is full of great ideas, too.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!