Lafreniere Bark

Nice park all together, but it gets very crowded in the evenings. There’s no fee, and there’s an area for small dogs only. If it’s rained recently, prepare for a very muddy puppy, lots and lots of deep puddles. As usual there are inattentive owners on their phones or talking with friends not watching their dogs, but you find this at most dog parks. It’s an average size, but well kept all together.

Love this park! I’ve had a couple of dates here and also have visited at Christmas time. It’s not overly crowded. There are ducks, geese, nutria, and turtles to look at. There is a carousel that even adults can ride. Such a perfect date spot. My fiancé brought me here for my bday. We had a picnic by the dog park, fed the wildlife, rode the carousel, and just walked around. The best bday ever! My only complaint is that the boardwalk was closed. Christmas time is also amazing! Christmas in the Oaks is so crowded and it’s old to me now. Coming here for Christmas is refreshing!

Great park, well maintained. Lots of fun. We really enjoy spending time here. There is lots of parking right across the street. There is a separate small dog area as well. Trees, benches, water, and everything you need.
Only downside is their hours! Those of us who work M-​F 9 – 5 can only enjoy on the weekends. Wish it was open the same hours as the rest of the park.

Lafreniere offers a nice dog park which is great for this area. They have a all dogs section and a small dogs section (under 20 lbs) While I enjoy that this dog park is completely free, with that comes great responsibility. Such as its open to anyone and their dog and it is not regulated by the parish or park officials. Now, with that being said. I have taken my dog here numerous of times and have not had any issues with other dogs or owners. My tip for you is to know your dog and his/​her personality and be aware of where your dog is at all times. They are your responsibility.
The park offers a lot of space for the dogs to run around and a paved walking path. There are a few trees offering shady spots which are a hot commodity in the summer months. There aren’t any fun things for your dog to run or play on other than grass and dirt. It would be cool if there was a big fountain they could play in, but atlas, it is a FREE park.

Never again! I have been talking my dog to this park for a year now and it has become increasingly dangerous. Too many people are bringing aggressive dogs to this park. Yesterday was the last straw. A dog was brought in that immediately went after another dog and a bystander had to grab the dog. The owner did not even leash the dog she just pulled him away let him go then he went after my dog. It wasn’t until she was threatened that she removed the dog from the park. This is not by any means the first time. Don’t even get me started about the time this idiot dog owner brought her female dog that was in heat to this park. The park is not monitored and really should be. People should not be bringing aggressive dogs to the dog park.

My dog loves coming to the park and has made a lot of friends here. We’ve never had any problems before and the only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because of the hours. Yesterday evening I drove to the park and my dog was very excited, only to find out the they closed 5:30pm. I’ve been to dog parks all over the U.S. and this is hands down the earliest closing time I’ve seen yet.

It’s a great park in terms of size. It has a walk path, benches, adequate trash receptacles, and lots of green space for the dogs to run. However, I really wish this dog park would charge a fee. It’s the best way to register these owners/​dogs, and have a supervisor on duty during hours of operation. Here’s why…
The amount of people who don’t read the rules is frustrating. Keep your children out. If your female is in heat, keep her home. You’re still in a public area, pick up after your dog. Little things that wouldn’t bother people if it weren’t so common. I’ve seen all ages of children in there, which is particularly unnerving because dogs like to play chase. And, do you know how they catch what they’re chasing? WITH THEIR MOUTHS! They’re not being aggressive, they just don’t have hands.
Owners need to do a little research into the behavior of dogs in general. As a reviewer below mentioned, you’ll come across people here who are afraid of the way dogs play. And, of course, these owners are the most vocal of the bunch because it’s a case of «they don’t know what they don’t know». I can honestly say that I’ve never seen one dog fight during any of the trips that I’ve made since the park opened, but I see at least one human argument every single time I go. And, before I sound callous, I do understand where they’re coming from, «No Aggressive Dogs» is the most obvious rule of all. Most people follow that rule. But, still, a great reason to have us register to use the park. Take a picture of the dog, attach the photo to the owners information, along with shot records… voila! People start to take responsibility.
Overall, you won’t have a horrible experience, I still go regardless of everything I typed above. If I were closer to City Park, I’d never go to this one again. But I usually take my dog on a whim and Lafreniere’s convenience beats out any negative aspects.

Okay, I know people can be very particular about dog parks so here are the facts:
1) This park is free and all dogs are welcome, including dogs that aren’t fixed (has Bob Barker taught us nothing?)
2) Free and no registration means vaccinations and temperament are not verified.
2) There is dog poop lying around (it is a dog park after all)
3) There is only one water fountain.
Are you infuriated? Then this is not the park for you.
Now that those facts are out of the way, this is a really great dog park. It is beautiful and big. The grounds crew does their best to keep it up. There is a nice walkway making a circle around the park and even a couple benches to take a load off.
There are no more issues here than at any other dog park. I personally think too many people gather right by the park entrance which causes a lot of the altercations. I like heading to the back fence line of the park and walking along there away from the crowds. A lot of foliage lines that edge plus there are cats and squirrels across the fence to keep my running crew occupied and stimulated.
Only things I would change would be another water fountain and lights so the park wouldn’t close before 5 in the Fall and Winter. But if you are in Metairie or Kenner and don’t want to drive to City Bark or Cabrini, this is a great option.

The park is a large fenced area with a separate fenced-​in place for smaller dogs. Nice gates and a hose to wash dogs off, if necessary. However, this is not a place where dogs can play as dogs. Owners include women who are afraid of barking dogs and people who are on the phone the entire time, ignoring their dogs. As a result, you need to watch carefully for poop bombs, despite the best efforts of park staff to keep the place clean. I’ve taken my dog a couple of times, but won’t go back after seeing an African American man’s dog got kicked out of the park because his large dog was barking too much at another smaller dog.

Don’t listen to the snobs of City Bark where you pay $ 43 dollars for a pass from January to December (Which has increased every year its opening!). Lafreniere Bark is FREE, it is convenient, it is FUN, and IT IS A WHOLE ACRE BIGGER than City Bark.
So why did I not rate it 5 stars?
There are no water fixtures for the dogs to play in (or puppy pools). Yes, they do have 1 water bowl in the ALL dog section and 1 water bowl in the under 22 lbs and the 1 hose located withing the first entry gate. But this is Louisiana, IT IS HOT!
Please Lafreniere Bark put a sprinkler or kiddie pools for the dogs to play in like every other nice dog park. Then you will truly be a a 5 star park.
P.S.
*People DO NOT TAKE YOUR KIDS TO A DOG PARK!
(Rules state no children under 10). This is for their own safety.
*Also, toys cause fights (It is against the rules to bring them because of this).
* DO NOT keep your dog on a leash INSIDE the dog park. This is not a good way to introduce your dog. If you want to see how your dog reacts to others simply go into one of the transitional entrance gates and let them meet other dogs through the fence. Growling or vicious behavior = not a dog park dog, take your dog home.
[Trust me I have one dog park dog and one who definitely does not qualify, it happens]
Enjoy your trip to this park, I hope my review helps.
–Chelcie

The dog park at Lafreniere has been such a blessing! My husband and I live close by and have enjoyed this dog park since the day it opened. There is plenty of room for our pups to run out all of their energy! It is clean and well maintained and is frequently checked on by the staff at Lafreniere. We have met several dog lovers and friends while watching our pups play.
Regarding the previous review, a man was handing out citations for not having rabies vaccine tags on dogs in the park so rules ARE enforced here. Most of the park’s guests are respectful and follow the rules so we have not run into any problems. I have never witnessed a dog fight from an unneutered or unspayed animal in the park. I have seen «mating attempts» and the owners have always been responsible enough to handle the situation appropriately. Even «fixed» pups try to mount each other from time to time so if that’s something that bothers you, then maybe you should avoid dog parks altogether.
My only complaint is that smoking is allowed in the park. Nothing ruins a beautiful day outside more than cigarette smoke. And let’s be honest, most people don’t consider cigarette butts trash and they often get tossed to the ground. I don’t want the beautiful park to get polluted, so hopefully it will become non-​smoking in the near future.
Overall, couldn’t be more excited to have such an awesome park so close to home!

Dog Park — rules and regulations enforced = not a place I will bring my 4 legged friends
I went to the grand opening of this park and I was so excited! Its a beautiful dog park inside an already beautiful park. It has a great fence and plenty of parking around it. So I was disappointed to hear that the few rules they have in place have no means by which to be enforced. Dogs are not required to be spayed or neutered… this is a huge issue and a fight waiting to happen. I don’t want my dogs around other dogs that are driven by their hormones and are much more likely to break out into fights. They do say on the rules board that all pets should be vaccinated but because there is no membership (its free and open to the public) there is no way to enforce that people are actually bringing vaccinated dogs. They also state that human food should not be brought into the park but there is no mention of food for dogs. Again this is a huge fight waiting to happen.
I am very impressed that they put aside land and resources for the dog owners in the community but without ensuring the safety of dogs in the park I won’t be bringing my dogs there. I will continue to support NOLA City Bark where I know the dogs are spayed and neutered and the people coming and going fully understand the rules of the park.