Dog Park Petiquette

Guidelines & Recommendations

• Always keep your eye on your dog and stay alert to your surroundings. Lots of dogs mean lots of fun, but it also means that mischief can quickly erupt and escalate. Make sure you can see your dog and your dog can see you at all times. This will help control the environment.
• Dogs must be kept on leash outside of the fenced area of the park. Please do not keep your dog on a leash once inside the dog park. Leashed dogs tend to act defensively. Other dogs will get confused about why this dog is leashed when they’re not. An unsafe situation may ensue.*
• For the health of your dog, please take out what you bring in (e.g., tennis balls, Frisbees, water dishes, dog toys, etc.). No "people" toys (e.g., toy guns, squirt guns, etc.) should be brought into the dog parks.
• Know your dog! Not all dogs are good candidates for off-leash dog parks. If your dog is aggressive, it’s best to work on remedying that behavior before bringing him or her to the dog park. As a general rule, well-behaved, well-socialized dogs do best at dog parks. Be prepared to leash up and leave immediately if your dog shows aggression.*
• If your dog is in heat, leave her at home. A dog in heat can cause male dogs to develop aggressive tendencies where there might not have been any before.*
• No smoking, food, alcoholic beverages or glass containers are allowed.*
  • Smoking is not good for a pet’s health. Cigarette butts are harmful to dogs if swallowed.
  • Even good dogs have been known to lunge for human food.
  • Dog supervising skills decrease dramatically with alcohol consumption.
  • Glass can break. Dogs don’t wear shoes. Put your beverage in a thermos and save the paws.
• Individuals in the park should wear shoes at all times. Bare feet are discouraged for your own health and safety. (Scoop the Poop!
• No children under the age of 18 are permitted unless accompanied by an adult. Some dogs exhibit unpredictable behavior around small children. Young children have a tendency to scream and run when excited. That can trigger a dog's prey drive or natural instinct to chase. For this reason and the safety of your child(ren), we do not recommend bringing small children and infants into the dog park.*
• Please keep treats to a minimum. Do not give treats to dogs that are not yours. Treats can cause competition between dogs. The dogs you do not know might have allergies, be on a special diet, or be in training and only allowed to have treats as rewards for certain behaviors.
• Please be aware that there is a risk to bringing your dog to the dog park. Any time dogs are allowed to play in a large group, there is the potential that your dog may be injured or may injure another dog. Kenosha County and the Kenosha County Parks Department are not responsible for any injury or damage caused by any dog or to any dog in the dog park.*
• Please scoop the poop. All dog parks have disposal bags available. Though we also appreciate people bringing their own bags. If you can’t find your dog’s deposit, please pick up one that somebody else left behind. You will no doubt miss some of the piles your dog has left at times. If everyone works together, the dog parks will be healthier, cleaner places for our friends to play.*
• Water bowls should not be brought inside the fenced area of the dog park. This reduces the risk of diseases spread by sharing drinking water. Please dispose of unused water outside of the fenced park area.

Please note: any "petiquette" point marked with an asterisk (*) is a Kenosha County Dog Park Rule and enforceable by law.