Wicker Park Dog Area

As many times as you’ve been to Wicker Park you probably had absolutely no idea this dog area was here. It’s tucked away in the Southeast corner of the actual park part of WP so unless you live right nearby you wouldn’t have noticed.
The park itself is ok. Decent sized, there’s a fountain for cooling off, and there’s a bunch of benches for seating. If you can go during a time when there’s other pups or not filled to the brim it’d be great. Only problem is I’ve never seen it at a comfortable capacity.
During the week it’s pretty empty and on the weekends it’s totally overcrowded. It’s a place to let your pup roam free so it’ll do, but if your down for an awesome session Churchill Field a few blocks north is much better bet.

«We open at Sunrise over the DOG PARK!» That’s how all my dog’s boring screenplays start.
I’m like, «Bro, you are NEVER going to get anyone to produce a movie about you finding a buried treasure trove of treats at the Wicker Park dog park.» I tell him, «Start with a one-​dog show, once you get some momentum and media coverage, then bring it to the attention of the Hollywood big-​wigs.»
But he’s insistent. Just can’t be reasoned with. You’d think a pooch with a PhD in Barkonomics* would be willing to at least do a little market research, but he insists butt-​sniffing tells him everything he needs to know. As far as locations for his film project, I think he could find something better. I mean, there’s plenty of room, there’s a tree for the dramatic chase scene he’ll inevitably write involving a squirrel, there’s some gravel, a water fountain — and the backdrop of beautiful homes is nice. I mean, it’s definitely workable for a shoot I just don’t get his obsession.
I’m not saying he lacks imagination, though. Just the other night as I’m tucking him in to bed he asks, «Dad, do you think trash dreams?»
Maybe, buddy, maybe.
*Thesis was a really interesting take on Hydrant Theory:
Von Doberman, Prince Archibald. Outside vs. The Carpet: A Neo-​Keynesian Approach. Chicago: Pup UP, 2012. Print.

My dog, a large labrador retriever puppy, is a regular here with my dog walker, and we sometimes take her on the weekends.
We’ve had some mixed experiences with the dog park, but I would still say it’s worth it to take her to continue to socialize her with other dogs and get some good exercise that really is incomparable to most other types of exercise that we can provide her with on our own.
The park itself is all concrete and gravel, as are almost all of the other dog areas in the city. Amenities include a shed with medical supplies and a doggie water fountain, which runs during the spring-​fall seasons. The park seems reasonably well maintained most of the time, although sometimes broken dog toys are left behind by owners, presenting possible hazards to chew-​everything pups like my own. I’ve seen some dog poop left behind as well, but again — it’s sporadic.
As with every dog park, there are some bad apples. An older dog bit my pup in the face so hard he broke bones in her face. He bit her when she went to lick him because apparently his tooth was rotting out and he was in extreme pain. You probably shouldn’t take your dog to a dog park if they’re in such pain. In another instance, I saw a dog owner hit their dog really hard in the face when he tried to bite my dog, as he also talked about beating his dog when he misbehaves. No wonder his dog is aggressive.
I only take my dog here when I have my fiancé with me so that I can closely monitor everything that happens. If I need to pick up her poop or get a toy, my fiancé can keep an eye on her and visa versa. We’ve read up on aggressive body language from other dogs, and remove her if we notice any dogs exhibiting that behavior. We also continue to let our dog walker take her there because he is an expert on dog behavior as well. It’s not exactly relaxing when we go because we watch her like a hawk, but it’s a good experience for our dog, so we’ll keep coming.
Overall tips:
–Bring your dog here if you can keep an eye on her/​him the whole time and are familiar with the signs of dog aggression.
–Also don’t break up all the normal play-​fighting that goes on — those romps are normal and good exercise! Learn the differences between this and aggression.
–Only bring your dog here if he/​she is perfectly healthy.
–Get ready to do a little maintenance of the dog park of your own — sometimes of things that other owners have left behind. It’s not too bad though.
–No need to bring water in spring-​fall — there’s a doggie water fountain!
–Be cool with bringing toys that you don’t expect to get back. But throw away the broken ones — please!

Great park for dogs big and small. Nice fenced in area, decent size play area for them to run. Other dog owners and dogs have always been friendly. I will be back!

It’s astounding how much six square feet of fenced pavement can improve your buddy’s life. Yes, it’s little. But the social aspect is what makes the place worthwhile for boy and dog alike. Your dog will love the chasing and wrestling (or policing the chasing and wrestling if that floats his boat.) Talk to people yourself. Having left Chicago, the density of ridiculously interesting and bright people in that little triangle blows my mind.
Who cares about the dog walkers? One of them literally picks up every turd in that place every day. They’re friendly and keep a good eye on their little charges. I’m just glad mine has friends to make.
Also, there’s a creepy guy with a dalmatian that pees on people. (Just the dog, I mean, as far as I know.) Be forewarned.

Everyday theres a dog walker with 8 dogs. Today I saw two of the dogs eating things while he was busy on his phone. The maximum is 3 dogs per person. Dont expect this rule to be followed here. This park is a dumping ground for dog walkers.

Love coming here with my pup. It’s like insta happy therapy. Fun to meet new people and watch the doggies enjoy life! Great for tiring your pup out and socializing them. There is even a pool for them to jump in to cool off! Don’t wear a fancy outfit or you’ll walk out covered in mud and paw prints :)

I live in a dog park desert with a dog that needs running-​around time much like people need insulin. This is the closest one we’ve got and I’m thankful for it.
* There are two sets of doors to make sure it’s hard for dogs to escape
* Ample trash bins
* Plenty of benches in the shade under trees
* When it’s warm out, there’s a doggie tub with a hose and release hole so the water doesn’t overflow or stagnate
* Stays open and safe in the winter
* Chicken-​wire reinforced fences so dogs can’t get too excited at passersby and outside dogs
Nice area. If you have to drive like me, parking isn’t always easy, but walking 3 blocks is no deal breaker. Wish it was slightly bigger, but it’s big enough. Other dog owners are reasonable and experienced for the most part. And generally… just watch where you sit!

Mags and I came here on a bad day. It was cold and there nearby construction was polluting the air with noise. I mean, it was LOUD. I’m not sure if was good for my eardrums. Seriously.
The park is smaller than what Maggie is used to, but she was happy that her friends Lucy and Henry were there. Unlike some of the other parks we have been to, Wicker Park does not have enough trees she can sniff around or sticks for her to pick up. She didn’t do much running, but with the limited space I was not surprised.
I don’t mind coming here every now and then to meet up with friends, but Maggie and I have better options that are just as close

My dog would give this place 5 stars. She loves it! I don’t know that I would go out of my way to go here if it wasn’t in my neighborhood.
It’s not a very large dog park and can get very busy. Quite a few dog walkers, who don’t always watch all of their dogs, bring big groups of dogs here. One dog jumped on me and ripped my coat one time and another time kept attacking a third party dog, all while the dog walker sat on a bench. Just take care to watch your dog if you know there is dog walker group there. Also, my mid-​sized pup is fairly aggressive, and I’d imagine if you have a shy dog he or she could get pretty intimidated here.
Also there a few loud obnoxious owners, who I have heard berate other owners and people at the church across the street — not necessary and border line public nuisance.
In the winter it’s pretty icy and when the snow melt the entrance floods. The doggy drinking fountain doesn’t work either.
Overall though, the majority of the owners and dogs are cool. Props to the owner of two dogs who painstakingly shoveled out the ice covering the entrance a few weeks ago, when a thaw was expected.

As an owner with a medium dog, I avoid this place at all costs. The only time I go here is when the Churchill park is closed, and I’m already in the car. First, parking sucks. Because I live in Logan, it’s still one of the closest options for a dog park. Second, it’s too darn small. For wicker, I had always expected a much bigger dog park. There just isn’t enough room for dogs to do their own thing here. I have also ran into some not great experiences with dog owners here, not by any fault of the dogs, for sure. People just don’t pay attention here, and I don’t appreciate when someone else sprays water at my dog. Just because that’s what works at home, doesn’t mean we should all have to deal with it here. I think it’s just too popular of a place, and it isn’t as well managed as the Churchill (seriously take your dog there, rather than here!).

Social hour; this is a crazy lil’ park worth visiting for people and their dogs watching. Just be careful to not let your dog drink from the pool during summer time.

I took Hudson to the doggy park last night; living only a little over a mile away from Wicker Park this play area is way more easily accessible than Wiggly Park. It was your typical city dog park, nothing too fancy schamcy. They do have a fairly big doggy pool for dogs to take a dip in — but it was being hogged most of time by two dogs in particular.
Nice area for dogs to play fetch, and just meet other doggies. Most of the other dog owners were very friendly and sociable, which is always nice. Hudson seemed to enjoy himself, so I am sure we will be back very soon!

I think this is a pretty decent dog park. I’ve definitely seen bigger and better but it gets the job done. Everyone does their part to keep it clean and our dogs seem to enjoy it.
On those hot summer days, they bring out a little doggy pool and run a hose through it. I thought that was nice for the pups although I’ve contemplated jumping in it myself when I don’t get a bench in a shaded area ;)

I come to this park a lot since it’s close to where I live and I enjoy it. It’s not fancy and doesn’t really have a lot going for it like other dog parks I’ve seen, but it gets the job done. Plus, I don’t really think the dogs mind!
Everyone here is friendly — a lot of butt sniffing goes on and occasionally a hump session breaks out and that’s just between the owners! Ha! But really, everyone is friendly and just enjoys watching all the dogs playing around. I’ll be coming here often with my dog so see you there!

Ehh, this place is ok. It’s basically a fenced in concrete/​gravel slab of dog poo. And I don’t know how often the city comes to empty the trash but jesus – the lingering smell when someone opens the bins will make your eyes water.
Sometimes fellow dog owners aren’t the best about making sure their beast is on its best behavior… your dog humping mine will always be hilarious but I reserve the right to get pissed when they toss him around like a chew toy.
It’s not great but it’s around the corner and I can be sure my butthead dog won’t escape, so it’ll do. Such is the life of a city dog.

I LOVE THIS PARK.
90% of the time the doggies and owners are friendly but some times if the dogs don’t get along the owners might mingle in a negative fashion. But they’re easy to avoid as long as you make sure your pet is always being monitored.
Also, this place is a hit or miss during the week. Some times you can find a dozen dogs while other times you find one or none.
Regardless of the play pen composition on certain off hours you can always utilize the space to play with and tire out your canine friend. When you get tired there’s a water fountain for your little buddy and tennis balls get intentionally left behind by people and dogs alike in the spirit of sharing and fun play.
I recommend for every one to stop by at least once and give this place a chance, the more people like this place the more notice and care it would receive.
See me and my Shiba Inu there soon! :]

My pup Samuel enjoys this place. I’ve mentioned this before in another dog park review but dog parks are so different here compared to Texas. There’s enough space for Samuel to run around and there’s gravel when he wants something «soft» to run around in. There’s also a wading pool that has water flowing for those that want to stay cool. The dogs and owners are all pretty nice. I’ve been a few times and it’s always been a pleasant experience.
What I really like is that this dog park is part of bigger park. It’s nice to walk around with the pup and if you want, there’s a big area of grass to lay in if you want to bask in the sun. Of course there’s also the area for children to play and other places to sit and hang out.
When we’re up for a little adventure in Wicker Park we make our way up to this place.

I normally have a really great time bringing my puppy here! Lots of cool, friendly dogs and people. But today was really bad so… I highly doubt we will be returning.
There is a woman I’ve seen here several times with three pitbulls and one other dog. None of them had collars, tags, leashes of any kind. Almost immediately the three pitbulls became aggressive with my dog — pinning, humping, barking, growling, and biting to the point of actually drawing a bit of blood. I went to pick up my dog when I saw she was hurt, and they continued to jump on me and bark at me. The owner said she brings them there all the time and was pretty unapologetic; I have seen them there from time to time but have avoided them. To be clear, these dogs had NO COLLARS OR TAGS at all, and the woman said they were puppies but had nothing specific to say when I asked her about their rabies/​distemper shots or anything like that. There’s no way this should be accepted at the dog park if they want to provide a safe area for dogs or owners.
Because of this incident I got the owner’s info and contacted someone at the park district. We’ll see if they are able to do anything about it, such as come up with any way to enforce the rules for «dog friendly areas» — otherwise, it’s not very dog friendly!

I just wasn’t impressed.
I don’t know if it was the people or the dogs, but the entire experience was pretty much a turn off. When we arrived, there was a woman with a small baby and her dog. Now, our dog is learning to socialize with other dogs, so he jumps up a lot because he doesn’t yet know any better (he’s a crazy shelter dog with some problems… long story). Of course, I am immediately turned off by the presence of a baby in a dog park. If something were to happen — even by way of accident — that baby is likely to get injured and his mom is probably going to bitch and freak out about it (rightly so). BUT: you’re in a dog park with a baby… that’s just weird. So, of course, our dog sees the baby (who is standing in the dog ‘elimination area’ no less) and jumps up to play with the kid. And, of course, his mom is a bitch. Lady, you brought an 18-​month-​old baby to a dog park. Totally weird.
Then I realize after that woman leaves, there’s about 15 dogs in the park and four humans… what?! The Chicago Dog Areas have specific rules: three dogs per person. Period. This is for the safety of the dogs and the owners. If something were to happen between two dogs, it would be hard to stop them. However, those two dogs could get five dogs riled up and then a bunch of dogs will be going crazy. How exactly do you expect to control all eight dogs that you brought in? I know that dog walkers want to come into the park but you’re a dog WALKER… walk around the city with the dogs. That’s what they do in our neighborhood. And the parks have rules like that so that everyone remains safe. It just seems like common sense.
The dog walkers are also oddly clique-​ish… it was really off-​putting to feel like an outsider in a dog park. We’re humans with dogs… how does that count as some kind of elite social club? It really was just an odd experience. And, of course, now that I’ve written this, I’ve made myself a little more angry about the entire experience. A few of my friends used to live across the street and basically said this place was a no-​go for people who had playful dogs and now I see why. There was only one owner who thought it was cute that our dogs were playing; the rest of the dog walkers seemed to think that our dogs were too ‘aggressive’ for the other dogs. Our little guy had fun with the little Pomeranian that he was playing with, so that was the only redeeming quality of the entire experience.
I probably won’t take my dog back here. There are closer parks to go to that aren’t crowded with one dog walker and their eight dogs. Wiggy Field is still by far the best park we’ve been to, but we’ll continue to make our way to all of them just to be sure.