Shaw Dog Park

5 stars because of its convenient location and for the gravel. Also, everyone that comes here is really friendly! Will come out here more often and it’s super convenient that they have space for parking.

4 stars simply because it’s gravel. Otherwise it’s a great park. It’s clean and there’s running water and bags. There is also a separate area for smaller dogs who aren’t particularly social.

Great little dog park. It’s usually clean and the people who come (mostly) are friendly and responsible with their dogs. I have seen a handful of issues with aggressive dogs, but hey, you can’t blame the park. I would love to see the city fix the water spicket, I can never turn it off myself and end up getting all wet trying to fill the bowls. This usually leaves that area super muddy which of course attracts all the dogs.

We use to take our dog here, but stopped due to the amount of dog fights we witnessed. A lot of people bring in fostered pit bulls to assimilate them to new dogs, and we have experienced several dog fights as a direct result of this. Out of the safety of our dog, we are never going back.
*I understand that not all pit bulls act this way, but there is an unusually high number of aggressive pit bulls in this particular part of the city.

Nothing too jazzy, but this is my go-​to dog park. It features… dirt and benches! However, if the weather is nice, there will be a good group of friendly dogs (and once, a pot-​bellied pig, who was afraid of dogs…)
Props to the city planner who made this adjacent to the skate park :)
Word to the wise — do not wear black or nice clothing, as you will be covered in paw prints!

I’ve taken my dog here a few times since moving to the area. I really like how big the medium/​large dog park area is compared to some others I have been to. My dog and I have plenty of room to play ball. I usually try to go early-​ish so there aren’t too many other dogs there. The negative is the ground. My dog leaves pretty dirty. Also, if your dog likes to chase tennis balls, like mine does, be prepared to throw them out after you are done playing for the day because they will be filthy, smelly and just plain gross.

This is a pretty bare-​bones park, but it gets a lot of dogs and their owners, and it’s a great opportunity to play. I have a small dog, and I really appreciate that there’s an enclosure for smaller dogs and puppies. If you’re looking for a park with lots of bells and whistles, look elsewhere, but if you’re just looking for a fun place to play with your dog, this is a great spot for it.

I like how they have a section for small dogs. Everyone is really friendly. The only thing I noticed is a small hole in the fence over by then entrance part of the small dog section.

The people here are incredibly friendly — great community vibe. I just got back from a 2 hour stint here and someone had generously left 2 boxes of doggy food sealed in individual serve pouches (not expired either). People always also leave tons of water for the doggies, too, no matter the day.
As for the park itself, it’s mostly gravel, but I’ve been there on days with 10+ dogs and there’s more than enough room for all of them to romp around. I think it’s a great dog park for a city.

They are open till 10pm and have lights for those short winter days. They have gravel here so I like it better than the S Street dog park– my dog doesn’t get muddy feet. People at this park is also very friendly.
This is a good size park and have parking spaces open almost all the time.

What this place lacks in grass it makes up for in community. On the sad side, the park is a little small and is entirely dirt and gravel. Snoopy without fail needs a bath after romping around in the dust. However, each time I go I see a few familiar faces, and everyone seems more than willing to strike up a conversation. The place is wide open so dogs can run around pretty well, and its easy to keep track of dogs while talking with the neighbors. Perhaps I was a little spoiled living in Arlington, but this is definitely my go to dog park here in DC.

I believe this is the biggest dog park in DC, so that’s nice. My dog doesn’t like the surface, so that’s the downside… he much prefers the astroturf at the S St. Park… but that park is so small. Shaw has plenty of parking, in case you need to drive and benches so us people can sit while our dogs arent running around. It is also nice they have water, lights at night, and plenty of poop bags.

Finally I had a chance to venture down to Shaw. It’s a nice walk from Columbia Heights.
It is an «official» dog park (they even have a cute «logo») so it has the double gated entry for safety, has lots of poop bags, trash cans… and it has water and water bowls. Which is good to know given the warm weather around the corner. Our «dog desert» in Columbia Heights does not have any so we are dependent on Room 11 having their doggie water bowl out. There is also a light timer so you don’t have to be there in the dark should you be there in the evening.
The park is fairly sizeable for a city dog park so the dogs can run. There is a separate area for dogs under 25 pounds. The surface is gravel so it is very dusty. I have a black dog and she almost looked like a Weimeraner when we left. There are nice benches to sit on and there are nice wooden tree boxes you can perch on as well. Also, there was quite a bit of dog poop around so it does not look like folks reliably pick after their pooches though people did when I was there.
I liked the place and will be back but it is no Rosedal Conservancy! (-:

I really like this dog park because it is conveinient for me to get to. However, I can never go there again until my pomeranian is fully trained. He escaped. I was running around the neighborhood trying to catch my pup! The chicken wire is not completely around the entire fence. So beware if you have a small dog… it can be pretty easy for him to escape. Otherwise\, the people that I interacted with while i was there were very friendly!

I’ve been bringing my dog to this park since it opened in 2008. It is a great park – water, trees, benches (recently updated with more trees and benches, which is a bit too much if you ask me, seems more about the people than the dogs now, so it would loose a star for that).
The big problem with the park is that many people don’t keep track of their dogs – people don’t always pick up their dog’s shit (this is worse in the summer I think) and I have seen several dogs acting aggressively without any action on the part of the owners, leading to some fights. Also, the occasional small child – bring a toddler to the dog park and let them wander around then there will be tears, you should expect that. Most of the people at the park are great, but a few of them a real shits about just about everything. But I totally bring my dog back again and again.

Good location, well-​maintained, decent size, small dog area. Ok, it’s not the best dog park ever, but it does the job. My dog doesn’t love the gravel, but he seems to forget about it after the first few minutes. For a longer afternoon adventure, we’ll be heading to Shirlington, but for a quick break from all the concrete, Shaw Dog Park is a great option!

As soon as I saw the broken outer gate I should have known better. It’s great that they have the double gate but if one latch is busted and the door can’t shut, it doesn’t really count as a safety feature, now does it? Reading the other Unilocal reviews, I guess the park was supposed to be temporary. If whoever’s in charge — the city? the community? — can’t maintain the park, then maybe they should just close it.
I also found that the other people at the park ignored their dogs. I realize it’s an enclosed area, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pay attention to your dog and how it is interacting with the other dogs (and people) in the park. And just because it’s a dog park, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to clean up after your dog! That’s why they provide poop pickup bags! Unfortunately this attitude is typical of many dog parks, including the ones we used to frequent in Cambridge, MA.

I do not know what the standards for dog parks are, however I was pleased when I showed up and my puppy was able to run as fast as he wanted and wrestle with other dogs.
It is in a good location, I hear that other owners arrive later in the evening, and if it werent so darn cold, I think I would be there at least a few times a week.
It is close by, free, and pretty clean. Ill be back: D

Very happy this place exists. DC desperately needs more dog parks-​it is ridiculous how few there are. Anyways, this place is very basic, and boring-​essentially a gravel pit for dogs to sniff each others butts in.
But still, it makes my dog happy so who am I to judge.

A basic and friendly, clean, popular dog park
On this particular warm weekend morning, the users of the Shaw Dog Park outnumbered the users of any other part of this recreation area — including the Skate Park! As dog parks go, Shaw Dog Park provides just the basics — which is far above nothing at all. There are no grassy areas or doggy obstacles, but the rest is well done and well kept.
There are two areas here for dogs, a large area for most dogs and a medium-​sized area for dogs that might be intimidated. Both areas have good escape-​resistant entrances and 5-​foot fencing. The flooring is pea-​gravel. Waste disposal stations and bowl water are available. The clientele of doggies and their human companions were all friendly and glad to be there.
The city has established Shaw Dog Park as a temporary dog park, slated to permanently close in June 2010 for school construction. A committee of interested citizens maintains the park and more information about the group can be found on fliers posted inside the entrance.