"Dog reads"

Your dog’s first visit to the dog park can be one of the most exciting memories you’ll both enjoy. Once you find a dog park near you, these green spaces will provide endless entertainment for you and your dog, with open areas to play and run.

The joy of fresh air and new adventures are just around the corner! Brandon Stahl, a newspaper editor from Duluth, Minnesota, found this out while taking his schnauzer Hucky to Evanston Dog Beach when he lived near Chicago.

“He loved it,” he says. Brandon also loved it since the beach was right there, a perk that kept them coming back for more.

Getting comfortable
Judith Moffatt, a children’s book author and illustrator from Medway, Massachusetts, says she stayed close to her dog during their first visit to the dog park. “But then you start coming at regular times and you get to know the dogs well,” she says.

A dog park checklist
So what should you and your dog take to the dog park?

• Toys! Flying discs and other fun toys you both can fling, toss, and roll are a great addition.
• A license, if required. “We didn’t realize you needed one at the park we went to,” Brandon says. Some parks require proof of vaccination and/or an additional license or park tag.
• Leash. Even if you’re headed for an off-leash dog park, keep a leash with you just in case it’s needed.
• Clean-up bags. Though some parks dispense bags, many don’t have them available.

Other dog park tips
As you both explore different dog parks in your area, look for dog parks with separate areas for large and small dogs. Some parks are fenced; others are not. Brandon was beyond impressed with Evanston Dog Beach’s enclosed set-up: “Dogs were able to be centered at one part of the park and, down the shore, they could play on their own.”

Finally, for a bonus, be prepared to meet friends yourself. “It’s nice to be around other people who are just as crazy about their dogs as you are about yours,” he says. “They understand!”

This article is courtesy of WagWorld magazine by Beneful® brand Dog Food.

Do you and your buddy have a favorite dog park?

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