Prospect Park Dog Run

When I am out of the city and people ask how I have a dog, prospect park dog run is how I answer. My dog, Opie, has grown up here, been socialized here, and more.
If for some insane reason you have a dog that plays well with others but you haven’t been here, Ya Gotta come during their off leash hours.

Not a dog run but a very big open area, «long meadow,» for dogs to chase each other in during off leash hours (before 9am). Even has a «beach» for the dogs. They fence off a part of a lake for dogs to swim in during the summer. My dog has never jumped in yet. I’m too chicken and so is she! But all the other dogs that go, love it. The owners throw a ball in and the dog runs and swims to fetch it! It’s just cool to watch the dogs in action here!
It’s a real park that’s well maintained. Dog never gets that dirty here. Always lots of dogs to play with in the mornings, especially weekends. Walk in from any of the park’s entrances, pass the bike/​runners path, until you get to a big open grassy area with many dogs running around.
It’s my dog’s favorite place to be. Fun for adults also!

Surely one if the nations greatest urban dog runs. Over 50 Acres of sheer lease free space which includes wooded cover and open space. Hundreds of dogs on a average morning. Everyone with a dog in the vicinity of the park comes here-​it is a blessing!

So this isn’t a really a dog run, but the off-​leash hours at Prospect Park are canine nirvana. I live far enough away from the park that taking my dog every morning is more than a chore, but she loves it so much I can’t resist. The dogs have tons of room to run and there’s always lots of dogs for them to play with. If your pooch isn’t the playful type, they can take a stroll through some of the wooded areas as well. And don’t forget the dog beach (think more like a fenced off pond). It’s a great place for the dogs to take a nice swim in the late Spring and Summer months.
I would caution that some of the dog owners aren’t keen on having their dogs socialize, or haven’t trained their dogs to play nice with others. Also, don’t bring toys for your dogs that your care about. Other dogs will like to snatch them and run around with them.
Please please please make sure that you pay attention to your dog while you’re there. No ones like to see or be involved in any dog fights. Oh and watch out the little children. It makes me cringes to see so many wandering toddlers on the Long Meadow surrounded by hundreds of dogs running around and wrestling. That’s not something I’d let my child do.

Not a dedicated dog run but one of the better places in NYC to let your dog run with lots of other dogs.
Things it has going for it:
— Plenty of parking on Flatbush Ave most of the time.
— Relatively clean & safe park
— Has a few dog friendly spouts but have to bring water during late fall, winter and early spring since city shuts water off
— Bathrooms available for dog owners near Middle Long Meadow
— Plenty of room for dogs to really run
— Dog beach (don’t think huge sand beach, think 40 feet of water frontage on a little pond… better than nothing, for some)
— Great off-​leash dog community (
)
Things it has against it:
— Area is so large that some owners don’t see or feel like walking over to clean up their dogs mess
— Limited seating (only on paths)
— Some inattentive owners
Have been on a dog run/​park tour and even though this is not a dedicated dog run I always find myself there at least 3 or 4 times a month.
Dog runs/​parks I have been to so far:

Just moved to UES last month so we can no longer go here… this is a huge bummer because its doggy heaven.
This dog run is really amazing, the field is GIANT and sheltered from the Driveway/​Biker Loop by trees and the lake. It features a giant Doggy Beach (snuggled up against the Lake) where your pup can go for a nice long swim.
(This is not the «Long meadow» tiny stagnant girardia infested beach I’m talking about).
There are tons of really nice local dog owners here every day, and I’ve never seen any drama go down with a dog that is not socialized.
Off-​Leash hours are Dawn to 9am
you can also go off-​leash in the evenings too.
Definitely check this place out if you live anywhere near prospect park south!

My dog Max made me write this.
Ahem.
«Yap, yap yap yap… yap yap yap yap. Pant pant pant pant pant. (Jump jump jump). Assorted running around in circles/​bouncing off the walls.»
Thank you.
ps. by this I understand he means that his subjective reality as «dog» is a matter of experiential enjoyment and an attempt to attribute some objective social «truth» is ultimately meaningless and humans should shut up and take him to the park already.

At the Prospect Park dog run in Park Slope, the blandest of the neighborhood’s canine-​bearing constituency congregate to divulge meandering discourse on the day’s events and, worst of all, to pretentiously psychoanalyze their dogs, right down to the last bark and sniff.
The Scene:
Gathered in the meadow area of Prospect Park, roughly 12 people are loafing around as their canine companions gallop and trot in circles, entertaining themselves in ways that only dogs know how. A quaint, well groomed Maltese named Delila has strayed from the pack. Although in no immediate danger, Delila has caught the eye of a rambunctious young Boxer named Baxter. Baxter has been subject of controversial ramblings withing the dog run community, mostly from owners of small dogs, who feel that his status as an un-​neutered, large dog poses a threat to their pooches.
In the blink of an eye, Baxter takes off and slides in behind a startled Delila. Like a true pro, Baxter dislodges his lipstick from its case, mounts Delila, and launches into a series of rhythmic hip thrusts. The petite Maltese lets a little Unilocal,which loosely translates to: «Make this happen, Big Daddy, make this happen!» This impromptu episode of canine copulation alarms some nearby dog parents, who immediately spring into action, prying the mischievous mutts apart. As he is being dragged away, Baxter stares down at the grass forlornly, knowing that he was only seconds away from Milking the Bone.
Two different dog owners agree to guard Delila and Baxter while their respective owners meet underneath «The Understanding Tree» to discuss what has just transpired. Baxter’s master is Jacob, a 29 year old investment banker who finds new music by plugging in Arcade Fire on
and finding out what other users purchased. Audrey, doting dog mother to Delila, is a 32 year old, Harvard educated attorney who puts in 80+ hours a week at a well known white shoe law firm in midtown Manhattan. By all accounts, the dog run IS her social life, albeit a small one at that. With their dogs safely apart, Jacob and Audrey delve into a analysis of Baxter’s play for Delila:
Audrey: I think Delila was leaving the dog circle to have some alone time
Jacob: Baxter sensed she was in danger, so he was attempting to draw her back in.
Audrey: Draw her back in… doggy style?
Jacob: Baxter would never harm Delila!
Audrey: If I understand the manner in which he was panting, I suppose Baxter was trying to communicate his anxiety and fears over the potential loss of Delila to the rest of the group. And the way he moped and frowned when we pulled them apart… he was sad because he feared that Delila still might be in danger.
Jacob: That’s what I’m telling you, Audrey. *Audrey and Jacob hug as the remainder of the dog run parents erupt into applause.*
What most of the dog run parents fail to realize is that Baxter was just trying to get laid. In fact, if the dog run parents followed Baxter’s example and tried to get laid themselves, they would likely spend fewer hours at the dog run assembling a master’s thesis on Canine Psychology.
In some alternate universe, the dogs are running the show, and they bring the people to the people run, and talk about real dog stuff.
Jack Russel: Dude, did you smell that Bichon Frise ass over on Garfield Place this morning? That was off the hook!
Dobie Pincher: Was it rubbed up against the fire hydrant near the corner of 7^th???
Jack Russel: That’s the one!
Dobie Pincher: I KNOW her man… that’s the crazy thing. I saw her once at the people run… with no human!
Scotty Dog: What kinda a broad comes to the people run with no people?
Dobie: Same kind that rubs her ass on every street lamp between here and 12^th Street. *laughs*
Scotty: Here comes Bull Dog.
Bully: Hey boys… wanna get together and play poker later?
Dobie: Poker? What does this look like? A painting?
*laughs*
Bully: Kiss my ass, Dobie!
Dobie: Not my type, tubby!
Jack Russel: Yo Scotty. Your human is following that chick behind the tree over there.
Scotty: That’s cool. He definitely needs to get laid.