Dog park is a common friendly area that communities have developed with time to cater the needs of their dogs. These dog parks not only help pet owners but also provide solution to dog litter problems in the area. If the dog park is properly planned it can help in reducing the dog waste problem and can provide specific area for dogs to play and socialize.
In this article we will talk about tips to consider, while planning a dog park in your community:
Location:
Choosing a location for a dog park in the community is one of the important factors. The area needs to be offside or perhaps the place behind the society. With this, there will fewer complaints of dog barking noise. The park needs to be easily accessible for all the members. The area should also offer little shade to keep dog owners and dogs cool during hot sunny days.
Park Entrance:
While planning a dog park, you need double gate, one gate for entrance and the other one for an exit. A double gate will prevent dogs from running away and escaping as people exit or enter. It will also allow owners to walk out with their dogs leaving some space for another dog to enter.
Park Surface:
Avoid using grass as the surface for the park because it will demand maintenance and increase the budget. Also, dog’s urine will ruin the grass and with constant playing and running, grass will easily tear up and there will be just dirt and mud.
The best choice is to use decomposed granite. It is durable, environmental friendly and doesn’t require any water. It helps in providing a natural appearance and requires very little maintenance for the longer run.
Park Section
You can plan to separate two sections of the park, one for small dogs and other for big dogs. Separate section ensures that dogs do not mix or fight. It would be a good idea to build a doubt gate for owners to keep dogs separate and avoid fights.
Controlling Dog Poop
Too many dogs mean lots of poops in the park. Managing a Doody calls needs solutions and proper planning. The need of pet waste station is very important. Depending on the size of the park you need to plan for multiple waste stations for parks. The station should be completed with litterbug dispenser and a receptacle for the disposal of poop after it is picked.
Ensure proper functioning of the station with a proper stock of bags and required tools. The pet station needs to be placed near the gate so that it is highly visible and dogs can smell and get stimulated. Also, it has an added advantage that owners can pick the litterbug at the very start and roam inside the park and put the poop in the bag.
Signage:
Display and enforce proper rules in your dog park. Like all the standard parks, dog parks should also have set of rules and regulation posted on signboards at the entry gate of the park.
With these sets of instructions and planning, you can convert the backyard of your community into a lovely dog park and all the dogs and dog owners can enjoy their time with the pets.
