Anyone else live in an area without dog parks?
 

I have 3 furbabies and dont have a fenced yard which means the only exercise they get is when I walk them which I do once a day. (I obviously take them out many times more than that but only walk once a day) Because they are not very well trained (I have tried) they can never be let off the leash...they run away. I think they would always come back but I cant take the chance. We do have several parks around here but no dog parks close. I would love for them to be able to just go somewhere and run to their hearts content. The nearest dog park is about 20 mintues away and though I have gone there a couple of times, since my dogs arent good car riders its a big hassle. Plus when we got there, they just stood by my side. I will only go somewhere that segregates big dogs from little ones so that limits things further. I think this community is really behind as I have googled other areas of the country and some areas have awesome dog parks. I read about one that has a dog beach and swimming hole, etc. So do you have dog parks around you...if not how do you get your baby exercise? Do you allow them to run free if you dont have a fenced yard?

Austin
 

Austin, Texas, is the most dog friendly city I have lived in. There are tons of dog parks and so many resturants have dog water bowls out and dog friendly. I had Scooter in my lap last week when I went to pick up some prescriptions at Walgreens. We drove right up and when I had paid, the attendant even put a dog biscuit in the tray for Scooter to enjoy. There is a resturant a few minutes from my house that has special patio seating for customers with dogs. I take him everywhere and we love it.

My parents live in El Paso, Texas. El Paso is completely different. There are no dog parks (that we know of) and very few if any dog friendly resturants. It makes it much harder to let him go with me when I run errands with my mom.

In Texas we are not allowed to let dogs run free, they must be leashed or in a fenced in area. Before letting any dog run free, check the local and state laws, the last thing you need is have your babies disappear or be taken by animal control.

Another option
 

I work full time and sometimes I can't make it home for lunch to take Scooter out. If you don't have a fenced yard, you may want to look into a doggie daycare near by. Scooter goes once or twice a week. He is the only baby I have so I use it for socialization purposes. Plus, it is constant excerise and he loves every minute. It may be worth a look because they typically have big fenced yards and new playmates are always fun.

I would also suggest a doggie day camp. But make sure to investigate it well because I once went to a petsmart doggie day camp and they had way too many dogs both big and small together. Many of them looked scared to death. I ended up finding one that limited the amount they took which was great.

I agree. You have to seriously research where to take them. The place we go to matches dogs by size, weight, play style, and the list goes on. Check with neighbors on where they take their dogs. I picked our day care because 3 coworkers could vouch for it being great. They love the dogs so much there. They even have "Summer swim parties" where the daycare turns on a bunch of water toys in the yard for the dogs to run and play with.

Be sure to tour whatever facility you find before dropping off your baby. One place I toured kept them in what amounted to airline crates when they weren't outside playing and thats just not fair. The place we go to now has large pens, the size of my bathroom at the minimum, but they don't spend enough time in there for it to matter. The daycare guarentees at least 6 outside play times for a minimum of 30 minutes each during regular business hours. When you count all of the playmates and crazy chasing they do, do you know how much excerise that is? When I pick him up, he curls up in my lap and sleeps the whole way home. That is truly how you know they enjoy it.

I live in an area with no dog parks. Im near Columbus, OH. As far as I know there are no dog parks anywhere in central Ohio... :/

No dog parks in the city I live in :( -- there is one in a nearby suburb, but I've never been there as they charge to go :confused: and if you don't live in their town you pay even more.

The weekend I was in KC for the big meetup, another dog park opened in a town about a 1/2 hr away. I'd like to check it out, but I would never be a regular and I think they charge too

But I do have a fenced yard and mine spend a lot of time out there.

Is it possible for you to fence the back yard or at least part of it? It would pay for itself in no time. It is so nice to let the dogs out while I eat breakfast, get ready for work, etc

What about a big x-pen or getting a couple and linking them together?

I was also going to suggest linking a few x pens together. I wish I had a backyard :(

We dont have any dog parks, but I'm lucky enough to have a nice fenced in backyard.

When I lived in an apt that didn't have a fence, I did let mine run free, but they were very well trained, and the way the apts were set up there wasn't a danger of them running into traffic. I didn't have Slade at that time, but if I had I wouldn't have let him run loose b/c he does NOT listen! Plus he is so tiny that its hard as heck to catch him if he decides to run from me.

There are no dog parks anywhere near where I live either. One thing that we're able to get away with is taking BoBo to a local softball field. It's completely fenced in (even though Bo, stays pretty close to us anyway).

Are there any softball/baseball fields that you could use during non-peak hours?

No dog parks here either...but my backyard is fenced in. Winston gets plenty of exercise running around out there and checking on all the neighbors. We do go for walks too, which he loves. Doggie daycare is something I have considered, and I think it is a marvelous idea, if managed properly. But really, I think Winston gets plenty of exercise right in the safety of his own home...he loves to run from window to window watching anything and everything that moves. Plus he loves to play ball and Frisbee...non-stop...all the time...

There's a lot of dog parks here. I live in an apt. so no back yard, so i take them as much as i can to the nearest dog park so they can run free. The other parks require to take a train and since i have 3 its hard to do that but i take them on a lot of walks

No dog parks here either. I don't have a fenced yard and sydney won't walk on a leash. so we go outside in yard and she walks around.....I'm lucky she doesn't run off!!!

No dog parks here either- but we do have a beautiful park with paved walking trails- dogs must be leashed, but Banjo has a good time, just walking and sniffing evewn if he is on a leash
We live in the country- but I do not let him run out here either- still have a road close- and other animals!:eek:
I think the most importnt thing is just to get them out some!

I feel blessed to have one near by, but we are moving 20 min away. :( I hope they have one where we are moving to. My BF plays baseball so I always take one of his pups to keep me company.

We have "unleashed" but unfenced dog parks, which do absolutely no good when it comes to dogs who have a tendency to roam. :(

But, as bobodiddle suggested, we use fenced softball fields. I've helped organize a group of about 10-15 dog owners who meet at the same time every Sunday. It has worked out great. You just have to make sure you clean up after your dogs to avoid getting league officials mad at you.

Montreal has got to be one of the most unfriendly dog cities!! There are only a handful of dog parks and don't even mention going to restaurants or stores with your dog, you will be kindly but firmly asked to leave. Walmart being No.1 of the lot... However I'm lucky cause we do have a nice big fenced in backyard, so that solves part of the problem for my three. Another funny thing, is that most people around here are also dog owners!! There are some dog associations (volunteers) that are working towards making this place a more dog friendly environment, however Quebec is a BIG place and not enough people...

There is one dog park that I know of here. I've never been & am paranoid to take the "kids" there anyway for fear of fighting. I've heard of one instance there last year where a pom or chi... pup was killed by another dog. Okay, mind you the owner had it in with the big dogs (don't know why), but still when I watched the newscast about it I saw that the small dog area was for dogs up to 25 lbs. I don't know, I'd just be afraid to have my little 3-7 lb yorkies running around with 25 lb dogs that I don't know.

I do have a fenced back yard; with four yorkies living here it was a must when I was looking for a house to buy. Right now it's chain link, but we're hoping to get a privacy fence put up by the end of the summer.

The first time I took Scooter to the dog park I was a little nervous. The one closest to my house is not fenced so I didn't know what to expect. Once I went, I saw how much Scooter loved it. There are numerous walking trails so I just keep him on a leash and he does great. Many other owners let their dogs off leash (they aren't supposed to) but like you were saying, you never know with the little guys.

I have to drive a little ways to get to one of the fenced in dog parks. They have similar separated areas like yours. The nice part about having a Yorkie is if something happens, you can easily pick them up and walk away. I have never had a problem at the dog parks. I have seen some dogs confront others but Scooter seems to be content with letting someone else duke it out.

I think you should check out the parks. They can be so fun. While the dogs are playing and exploring, you can bond with other owners. :animal-pa

Dog Parks are over-rated!
 

I lived next door to the Dog Park here in Myrtle Beach, SC for the past 2 yrs.
we have recently moved but we are still in the same neighborhood. I have 3 Yorkie's, 1 male and 2 females but they are a Family; Father, Mother and their daughter. It had a Lake and 2 seperate gated areas, but they should have been designated for large and small Dogs. IMO, your not missing any thing by not being able to go! Dog Parks are over-rated, they are usually filled with un-socialized and un-trained Dogs/puppies and lazy owners who let their Dogs run free without even paying attention to what their Dogs are doing to other Dogs. It teaches your Dogs to become more territorial and more aggressive because they have to defend themselves against larger Dogs. When I had a Litter of 3 puppies plus their Parents I had a total of 5 Yorkie's @ one time. I started taking puppies @ 8 weeks old and the other Dogs chased them like Squirrels! I ended up "Training" the other Dogs not to bother them but it really was'nt my responsibility. Of course if you go to the same Dog Park you see the same People/Dogs so we did make alot of Friends
there. We have a big Yard that is'nt fenced in, so I had to Train them to be off-leash. Even if you have a "Fenced" in Yard you should still walk them at least 2 times a day, they still need the excercise. Alot of people take their Dogs to a Dog Park b/c they think it's good for their Dog to run free? Not if your Dog is'nt Trained to begin with? Bad behaviour is from lack of excercise and boredom! I can't count how many times my male was attacked, recently about a month ago he got into a fight w/a Labrador Retriever that was on a Leash w/it's owner he was bitten on his stomach, luckily it was'nt serious and healed on it's own. The owner's reaction was "That's why I have him on a Leash"! Obviously they should'nt be there if they can't control their Dog?
The guy took off so I could'nt report him to the Animal Control!
I stoppped walking my 3 there since I don't want to take any chances, it only takes a split second for a larger Dog to kill a Yorkie! Since then I walk them at Local Parks and Lakes on and off-leash so they don't get bored.
My female used to get "Humped on" by other male dogs there and now she snaps @ them when they try to do it, I did not correct her b/c I could'nt blame her I would feel the same way! Sorry this post is so long I just think it's important for every one to be aware of the Dangers @ the Dog Park,
it's not all fun and games. Besides I don't think it's fair that my Dogs have to deal with so much just to go "Potty" and Socialize? I make sure that they Socialize with their own Dog Friends on a regular basis too, so they don't get bored of just being around me?
I'm sure you can train your Dog to be off-leash and walk any where "Free"?
Dogs want rules and boundries it makes them feel Safe, besides walking on a leash builds a closer bond with you, it's like Grooming or any other activity you do with them?

Although we have dog parks, they do not have a seperate small dog area. :( So we (myself and some other YT members who live here and close by) have had playdates at my house. I have a huge fenced in backyard. :D

We have a new dog park that will be under construction soon, however I haven't heard whether it's going to have a small dog area. I sure hope so.

I live in a very smalltown in Oklahoma. When i say small I mean we have to go 30 min. just to get to Walmart. I don't think I have EVER seen a dog park. I know.....sad. I just happen to live in the wrong part of the state.

I use to think dog parks were awsome until I was told to be careful
since many owners disregard getting their dogs shots and that got
me to thinking and I never took Buddy to one.
Also, just last week my neighbor's Lasa Apso's (s) gentle little dog,
lost an eye to a pit bull there who attacked the little one.
I have heard of several attacks at these parks. If the little ones
were separated from the bigger dogs it may be more attractive to me.
Not worth the risk IMO.

I would never take my dogs to a park that did not have a separated small dog area and if I saw a dog enter (or already there) that was pushing that limit...I would say something to the owner...ask if there dog is friendly, etc. before I put my dog down...or I would just leave. I would never let her in with the big dogs.
After reading your posts, I have been looking around for fenced in softball or bb fields, but all of ours are only fenced on a few sides, none of them completely...I just woudnt be comfortable with that. I dont mind walking my dogs, dont get me wrong, but I would love them to be able to run around outside without being on a leash once in awhile.
I would love to have a fenced yard but we cant afford it and because we are a corner house, we are not allowed it. I love the idea of play dates with other Yorkie owners but dont know any.
Anyways the quest continues.

No Dog parks in Rome, Georgia.

We have them but I'm not keen on them. Guess one bad experience soured me. I went to a yorkie meet up in Seattle. (No offense to any member who may have been there). It was icky. It was dirty, at least to me, mostly dirt. One couple kept talking about all these illnesses their dog had or had just gotten over. We came home with fleas.... Alphy was not very social either. Wouldn't leave my feet. :) mama's boy.