March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 40

Designing a
Destination
Dog Park
Design recommendations for creating a dog park your
human and canine community members want
By Brian " BK " Koehler
A
cross the United States, while housing developments continue
expanding, lot sizes are shrinking. Communities are developing
neighborhoods with higher population density and smaller
yards. Empty nesters, millennials and the other nearly 50 percent
of U.S. homeowners who have a dog find off-leash areas are a necessity
for wellness. Dog parks are intended to serve as recreation for both pets
and owners. This explains why it is important to design a dog park with
end users in mind. Just as playgrounds are intended to provide specific
community services for families with children, dog parks provide two primary
purposes:
1. Safe play areas for dogs
2. Comfortable social areas
for people
This article outlines best practices
and important design elements,
providing guidance to landowners
who might be considering building
a dog park for their community.
Design Off-Leash Areas for
Multiple-User Groups
It is a best practice to control access
to off-leash areas to ensure all
stakeholders understand the area
is intended for dogs. Children do
not belong unattended in dog parks
and their access should be limited
for the safety of themselves and the
40 Parks & Recreation | MARCH 2 0 2 3
dogs. Playgrounds have age suggestions
and offer appropriatelysized
equipment for specific user
groups. Similarly, dog parks should
be designated for different types
of pets - one size does not fit all.
Many park owners tend to designate
use areas for dogs by size or
weight (e.g., small dogs/less than
25 pounds; large dogs/more than
25 pounds). However,
this may
not always be the best defining factor.
Not all " big dogs " want to be
active or social, and not all " little
dogs " play gently enough to belong
around other dogs of equal size.
Additionally, dog parks require
maintenance, and surfacing may
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
need time to recover from heavy
usage. Therefore, it is most efficient
to designate at least three separate
areas to be used for dogs on a
scheduled rotation:
* Open area for timid dogs
* Open area for active dogs
* Closed/locked area being
aerated/top-dressed/overseeded/resting
If
space allows, four areas would
be ideal: one active and one resting
area for each user group.
Signage
Good signage can be an effective
user education tool, while bad
signage often will be completely
ignored. Signs with friendly and
colorful graphics that use a positive
tone are better received than a long
list of " Don'ts. " Keep the rules
brief and provide a contact phone
number for reporting maintenance
issues or other problems. Always
recommend calling 911 immediately
for incidents involving animal
or human violence.

March 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2023 - Parks & Recreation

March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Intro
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover1
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover2
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 1
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 2
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 3
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 4
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 5
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 6
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March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 8
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 9
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March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 18
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 19
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 20
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 21
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 22
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March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 37
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March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 40
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March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover3
March 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2023
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https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
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