Are Private Dog Parks The Answer For Montana?

There is much debate on the safety of dog parks and whether or not anyone should ever even bring their pet to one. Everyone has a different view on the matter and each is entitled to their own opinion.

I, personally, have one dog (Bruce) that frequents the dog park. I have two that I do not allow around large groups of dogs.

READ MORE: Dog Park Etiquette: Responsible Ownership

All of this hubbub reminded me of an experience I recently had in Maryland. For context, I spent some time living in a tiny house on wheels and traveling the country. At one point, I spent several months in the Baltimore area.

While there, I desperately wanted to find some fellow canines with which my Bruce could play. The area appeared to be lacking in dog parks, but I found one on Google Maps about half an hour away from us. Bruce and I hopped in the truck and scurried over to the park.

When we arrived, we discovered we couldn't get into the park. There were other dogs happily playing behind the fence, but the gate was locked. Upon inspection, a sign on the fence indicated that this park was private and required a membership. Poor Bruce was so excited to see other dogs and we couldn't get to them, it broke my heart a little bit.

The more I thought about it, the more the concept grew on me. If you want your dog to play with other dogs, you'd be willing to pay the fee. That fee would go toward the upkeep of the park. If any pets or owners were causing problems at the park, their membership could easily be revoked. It would also be possible to give the animals a behavioral test prior to accepting their membership.

A few months later, while residing in Alabama, the private dog park concept grew into something I would love to see. While in Foley, Alabama, we would go to the local dog park most weekdays...and every time, this one man would show up with his two mean dogs. After the first couple of encounters with him, Bruce and I would leave as soon as his car arrived. Life would have been much more pleasant without having to deal with the man and his dogs.

So who knows? Maybe the option of private dog parks would be an asset to our communities.