Washington Square Park Small Dog Run

I have a small Maltese, and she loves it here. It’s a dirt ground which she prefers over the loose pebble grounding at Union Square’s dog run (which might be a small dog thing because they have better traction on dirt as opposed to loose pebbles). There’s a water fountain area for dogs to play around in and plenty of waste bags. I also have to commend the fact that there is little odor going on here… which I find a very overwhelming at the Union Square run. The play area is small… which makes sense because it’s made for small breeds… But small dogs like to run around too – it would’ve been great if it was made the same size as the big dog run. 4 stars.

This is the best dog run for small puppies I’ve encountered. My puppy is obsessed with coming here and will literally pull the leash as soon as we hit the entrance to the park. Tons of furry little dogs to play with, and the owners for the most part are friendly and nice. You do run in to the occasional owner who is not paying any attention to his dog, which may or may not be humping your puppy. Overall, a great, clean dog run — will definitely be a frequent visitor!

A friendly bunch of folks to hang with while your pup romps. It’s worth it to strike up a conversation, as the Greenwich Village old timers have some great stories to share. Same can be said for the NYU faculty members who often end up in the run.
You’ll also run across the occasional celebrity pup (with their owner in tow). Just hope your dog is better behaved than mine — and their immediate reaction isn’t to start making, shall we say, «unwanted romantic advances» on said celebrity pup. Talk about an ice breaker…

Coming everyday for my new puppy! He loves it so much, always furry friends to play with, lots of benches for human parents, has water, plastic bags, and free dog magazines! This is a cute little park and you can leisurely sits by while your baby is having fun.

Walk by whenever I can when passing through the WSP, which it borders along with the large dog run (always some gray areas/​overlap), this one is never really as well-​attended as you’d expect on the nice days regardless of the time. Plenty of benches and a decent amount of room to roam for the pooches, but with my hound sequestered on another island, the spectactorship here ain’t much.

Best small dog run I have found so far in NYC. The large dog run has a model to follow once the city decides to renovate it.
Things it has going for it:
— Has water for dogs, but you have to bring water during late fall, winter and early spring since park shuts water off
— Plenty of room for small dogs
— Plenty seating for dog owners
— Plenty of shade
— Specifically designed for small dogs
— Great fencing
Things it has against it:
— Could be a little bigger
— No bathrooms near run for humans
— Parking (Its the same as all other dog runs in Manhattan for the most part)
— Crushed granite litter material as ground cover is suppose to be good for drainage but can get dusty and if you have a wet dog its a pain to get it out of your dog’s fur
— No poop bags
I wasn’t able to bring my guy into this run since its only for dogs weighing under 25 lbs. Its a great little run for small dogs. Has pretty much everything you need in a dog run. In my opinion this is the best small dog run in NYC, it would score a perfect 5 stars if it were a little bigger, had poop bags provided and the ground cover was pea gravel or synthetic turf made for dog runs.
Dog runs/​parks I have been to so far:

Great place to stand and watch the small dogs. I actually bring my small dog here because its a lot cleaner than madison sq park and its cleaner also. If you want to watch bigger dogs, walk down a bit further and check out the big dog run.

I trek a mile from Chelsea to frequent this small dog only dog park on the outskirts of Washington Square Park.
Our dog, Sandy, really likes the small dog park and the regular dogs (Winston, Omar, Mr. Foxy — shout outs!) that come here.
Sandy is more of a scaredy cat than an actual dog. And at a whopping 6 lbs (which is smaller than my Mom’s cat for God’s sake) I would be, too.
This park is small, but more her speed.

This small, but brilliantly-​designed dog park is great! Best feature: the log pile. Great for peeing on, sniffing, and turning the corner in laps from one side to the other. That little feature really makes the entire dog run usable as the dogs chase each other from end to end. Most of the time my dog would rather watch the others, but occassionally he joins the chase.

its fun to see the regulars. plus my dog loves it! Sucks that there is no grass, but meh, it’s NYC so can’t expect too much!

This is a cute, cute little dog run for SMALL DOGS ONLY! I bring a little ShihTzu-​poodle mix here a few days a week, and it’s an excellent place for her to socialize.
Now that I know about it, I’m going to start bringing my own dog once in a while, for a change of pace.

My Shih Tzu Bernie loves this place! She’s tiny (around 6 pounds), so she feels right at home with the other small dogs. The run is for dogs under 25 pounds, and there are several «small» dogs in the 20 – 25 pound range, so be aware.
The park is cute. It has a fountain (only ¹⁄₃ of the fountain heads work), but these dogs are small and don’t really care. Benches line the perimeter of the park, and they’re in the shade, which is great.
There’s a water fountain for the pups, which is great because my baby doesn’t always remember to stay hydrated. There’s enough room for the little ones to run around, but not too much for them to get lost.
My biggest complaint is that my dog can actually get out of the run. The gate by the door has a gap of 10-​or-​so inches at the bottom, and my pup can (and has) squeezed under and walked out. I’d think that the designers of a small dog run would take that into consideration.

I’m Jane K’s friend in question and after a leisurely brunch one fine Saturday afternoon, we spotted the newly finished Small Dog Run in Washington Square Park. While Emma (our mini-​schnauzer friend), can take or leave Dog Parks, Jane begged to go in — and how could I say no to that face?
The run itself is mini, but then so are the occupants. It boasts plenty of benches for Mommy and Daddy, a POOL + fountain, some structures to bounce around on and an assortment of balls. So in other words, plenty to do.
This is the first time I’ve really seen Emma jam out. Maybe because everyone was her size? Maybe because there were tennis balls all over the place? Or maybe because the space wasn’t too big? She was cruisin all over the yard running with the pack while she usually likes to chill out and watch on the benches. But while Emma enjoyed the amenities, Jane and I enjoyed the cast of characters. From the Ewok-​looking pup named, Sid, the dashing King Charles Spaniel who answered to the name, Mr Darcy to the baby-​faced French Bully, we spent at least an hour ooh-​ing and aah-​ing over the pooches.
If you have a small pooch, I’d definitely recommend a visit to this new park — and even if you don’t, swing by with an iced latte and enjoy the show!

It’s not very big but neither are the pups in this new addition dog run in Washington Square Park.
While I myself don’t own a miniature pooch, I had lucky occasion to be on a stroll with a mini schnauzer and his dog-​sitting mommy today while walking through the West Village. I’d been to the big dog park on the Southwest side of the park but when I spotted this cute explosion a few paces to the east I was positively gleeful. King Charles Spaniels named Mr. Darcy, Teacup Poodles humping French Bulldogs, and Paris Hilton lookalike owners posing in the corner texting while their Chihuahuas prance in the mini fountain… it was everything I expected and more.
Just remember before entering the gates: little dogs like to jump all over any person sitting on a bench so leave the tux at home.