Bow Wow Beach Dog Park

The people that go here love to judge you.
My boyfriend and I own a 2 year old blue-​nose pitbull, and was NOT welcomed with open arms. Our Riley is the sweetest little girl, well-​trained loves to play. Sadly, she never got the chance to socialize with any other dogs because almost every person we walked past (we walked the perimeter of the park) got ahold of their dog and held onto them for dear life as we passed. I must say-I’m pretty aware of the judgment that comes from owning a pit, but never experienced so many disrespectful and just plain mean people, than I did here. I compare it to walking into a mom’s club when you’re the new one, and feeling left-​out and not welcomed. It’s almost like they are part of a club-​and they make it known that you are not part of it.
I had never experienced people actually taking ahold of their dogs’ collars and waiting for us to pass them by. Just something I will never get used to I guess.
However, my Dad owns a yellow lab, and he is welcomed with open arms there, because he’s a yellow lab. Even though he’s not trained and doesn’t listen to anything or anyone and likes to harass other dogs, HE is welcomed perfectly fine… because he is America’s pride and joy dog.
I will not be taking either of them back here-​I would much rather for-​go the judgment and harassment and dirty looks by the rude, RUDE people that are here.

Great place, worth the drive! Has a LARGE area with a pond and grassy area around. There is even an area along the pond with an obstacle course for dogs. There is usually a decent amount of dogs and people here, but it’s so big that it does not seem crowded and you can usually find a little area to hang out if you prefer. Outside this big area with the pond, there is a small fenced in area for small dogs.

One of the most unique dog parks I have ever been to. Huge pond for dogs to swim and play. Not much grass areas for big dogs but they do have a small dog area that is fenced in. Beware that your dog will get very dirty. Although they have a dog shower station, they did not have the water on so it was not in use. In the end, Bow Wow Beach is a great place to run your dog but remember he /​she will be very dirty if the water is not in use.

Great for my dog! I have a dog who has a ton of energy. This is the perfect place to take her to run.
Between the fenced in areas, mini dog agility area and the benches, it far exceeds my expectations and is worth the 30 minute drive on the weekends.

My dogs have been here quite a few times, and they love it. Beautiful park with a beach and other amenities. My dogs have so much fun here!

Best dog park we’ve ever seen. Very large, beaches, water, obstacle courses. Very nice.

Sadie, my pooch, and I had a fun filled day. We and four of our friends from the Eastlake, OH, dog park, Patti and her pup Small, and Retta and pooch Maisy, went to Bow Wow Beach in Stow, OH.
It’s a 7 ½ acre fenced-​in dog park surrounding a 5 acre lake. The amenities include a doggie playground with a tunnel to walk through, hurdles to jump, ramps to climb up and down, and much more.

There are benches to relax on, picnic tables to sit at, fireplugs for the boys and grassy areas for the girls, first aid facility, bowls and bowls of fresh drinking water, «shower» stalls to rinse sand off before leaving the park, just to mention a few.
The whole «vibe» of the place is happy and uplifting. and the scenery and setting is beautiful.
We just got back and I have never seen Sadie so relaxed and content. Right now, while I am writing this she is at my feet sawing logs.
Sadie, Small and Maisy all give Bow Wow Beach a rating of 5 loud barks.

It’s a bit of a drive for us but the fact that it’s huge and has real small dog areas, including beach access and small dog agility activities is fantastic. So tired of going to dog parks that have no grass and no real small dog area, this is worth the drive on the weekends!

We’ve taken our dog here once and we will be back! Our dog had an amazing time, running, swimming, playing fetch, and socializing with other dogs. The other people we met were friendly and so were their pups! I liked the shower areas at the end for the dogs as well! What an amazing place!!!

My dog loves Bow Wow Beach! There is Tons of space for dogs to play and the pond is great for swimming or cooling down in the hot summer. There are picnic tables ad chairs for the owners to relax and we can bathe our dog when we’re ready to go home, which usually results in a very tired dog!

I love this dog park and it may be one of the best I’ve ever been to. It’s absolutely huge. My Australian Shepherd loves the water and there’s so much room for him to run. I like the separate small dog area from when he was a small pup too. Be careful of the more aggressive play dogs but overall, I love this place.

Great place to wear out your dogs. Mine are tired after about an hour. There are sections for different sized dogs. As with any dog park you must be wary of baddies and be prepared to break up a scuffle. This is just a part of dog ownership, you should know how to do this without getting yourself in harm’s way also. Mine always come back with sand in their skirts, but they really like it. Just be aware of your surroundings and don’t let your dog get too far out in the water or away from you in general.

My dog has a sensitive stomach, but I took him to BWB on two separate occasions. He got sick both times. I’ve heard from other dog parents at the Akron dog park that their dogs got sick there too.

2013 Season has started
The parking lot was paved over the winter… but one of the gates from the small dog beach area is gone… ugh.
There is a nice dog wash area and 2 double gated entrances… 1 by the main pavilion and the other by the small dog area.
A full set of agility equipment is available next to the fully enclosed small dog area… and there are always some tennis balls floating around if the one you bring gets stolen by a faster dog.
There are bags with the waste receptacles… and benches and picnic tables… a child height sign is located by the main entrance /​pavilion.
PLEASE don’t bring babies and children that are very short… there are a large number of large dogs that are there to play at full speed.

Let’s just say that anyone who actually did their homework in regards to properly taking care of their canines would never visit this (or other) dog parks. The reason for this is simple, it’s disgusting, know body follows the summit county leash & deification laws and the bike path is over littered with dog feces and rude bikers.
Yes, it’s awesome that there’s a local park that has a huge fenced in swimming area for your pet, but that water isn’t filtered. Which means every time your dog jumps in, they’re swimming in other pets urine and feces which can lead to infection and the spread of zoonotic diseases. Especially if you fail to vaccinate & wash them (not rinse) afterwords.
Also, it’s beyond annoying that more than half the pet owners that visit don’t pick up after their dogs defecate. Not only does this reek in the hot sun but leads to parasites such as giardiasis and other harmful illnesses. It’s also against the law not to curb your dog and to fail to keep them on a leash when outside a fenced in area. Even if your pet is friendly, that doesn’t mean other pet owners dogs are and you could wind up in the emergency room or loosing your beloved dog.
Dog parks are amazing for socializing your pet and even making new friends yourself but let’s face it, is it really worth the risk? If you want your dog to be able to roam free, you could always set up a play date or join a doggie day care– trust me, there’s plenty around the Stow area!

My dog LOVES BWB Dog Park. He’s an English pointer, and if you put him near anything with more than an inch of water, he will jump and play in it. So, naturally, if you give him a HUGE puddle of water, he’s super excited. This is the only dog park we go to that when we go home, he’s snoring in the back. Which, if you know anything about young pointers, you know they’re complete monsters if they haven’t had enough exercise that day.
There are usually a good number of balls for throwing, a sandy area where the dogs can run wild, and a nice walking trail around the place for those who want to get a bit of exercise themselves. Also, because there is a huge sandy area, there are also three little stations where you can rinse your dog off before putting him/​her back in your car. Truly a blessing.
Overall, I’ve found most people there to be very friendly and social. They’re a bit more laid-​back than the folks at the dog park off Memorial, which is nice.

My dogs love this park! It has plenty of room for them to run around and get all their energy out! The pond in the middle is great too, especially when it’s hot. Be sure to wear things that you don’t mind getting dirty, it’s not uncommon to be greeted by a soaking wet group of dogs! Don’t forget shampoo there’s a place to wash your dogs on the way out.

I haven’t been a dog owner for very long, but I can’t imagine any place a dog could have a better time than here. Sand, water, grass, obstacles.. everything a dog could want! I love that they have the shower stalls to clean off the dog before you go home.

New to the area, great dog park! Tons of space, and great beach for the dogs to swim in. My dog loved it. I’ll be back!

My dog Misha is a small spazz of energy. I need to take her often to places that offer her friends to play with and room to run. Bow Wow Beach is PERFECT. Bow Wow beach is set up perfectly for big and little dogs. All dogs can run unleashed in the fenced in park that surronds a small pond. For the smaller dogs there are two separate fenced in areas (one completely fenced in on all sides and the other is fenced in with a beach so smaller dogs can swim too). My little dog likes to think she’s a big dog so we spend more time outside the small dog areas and we have never run into any problems.
Dogs and their people are great. All dogs are friendly and it’s great for play and socialization time. During the summer months there it seems like they’re are thousands of tennis balls in and out of the water to play with. In addition to toys and water, there are waste bag stations throughout the park as well.
When it’s time to go home (and really what dog wants that?) there are several showers to wash off muddy paws, which the way my dog plays it’s great to rinse her off before getting in the car.
*Note: there are two entrances to the park. When you enter, the entrance to the left advertised for small dogs but the showers for rinsing are on the entrance to the right.