What is a dog park? What are their benefits and limitations? Do we need them? Do they work?  Who uses  them? There are so many questions and so little information to guide the planning, design and management of these parks. Dog parks are not new. They have been around in the United States for over

    DO WE NEED A NEW BALL GAME FOR DOG PARKS? Recently, we gave a presentation at an animal management conference in Adelaide. The focus of our presentation was on a new type of recreation park – enclosed dog parks and the need to integrate both dog and humans needs. Here are some of

  Recently Fiona De Rosa and Kylie Fergusen of Balancing Act Adelaide were invited to present a paper at the APA Conference, May 2013, Adelaide. This is a great opportunity for us to talk about our pet subject; engage with local councils regarding the complexities of planning, designing and managing enclosed dog parks, and illustrate

Identifying the physical elements of a dog park e.g. fencing, entry/exit gates, water bowls, doggie dispensers, benches etc – That’s the easy stuff. The missing element is understanding the relationships between the physical park elements and the social and behavioral patterns of dogs. This is an essential component for a successful dog park, and this