The Morrisville Dog Park is a fenced-in, off-leash dog park that will enhance community life by offering a safe, clean, friendly, and attractive space for dogs of all sizes to come with their owners to play, exercise, and socialize. In order for the dog park to be successful, it has to be about Responsible Dog Ownership and following the park’s rules and regulations. The result is an environment where dog lovers and friends can come together with their well-behaved canine citizens and enjoy the space!
Morrisville Dog Park Rules
•The dog park is open from sunrise to sunset
•Dogs must be healthy, vaccinated with proof of rabies inoculation, and wear valid license
•Dog owners are solely responsible for injuries or damage caused by owner's dog
•No excessive or extreme barking allowed
•Dogs must be on a leash prior to entering and when exiting the park
•Dogs must be under control of their handler at all times
•No bullying, aggressive or rough play permitted
•Limit of two (2) dogs per handler
•Clean up after your dog and place in appropriate container
•Stop your dog from digging and fill in any holes
•Puppies must be six (6) months old and vaccinated
•Maximum weight for dogs in small dog area is 35 pounds
•Minimum weight for dogs in large dog area is 36 pounds
•No pronged, pinch, choke or spiked collars allowed
•No squeak toys allowed
•No smoking, food or alcohol allowed in the park
•Female dogs in heat may not enter the park
•No more than 15 dogs in each area of the park at any time
•Dogs with a history of aggressive behavior are prohibited. If your dog shows signs of aggression towards people or other dogs, it must be removed from the park immediately
•No children under the age of 12 are permitted in the park
•No training treats or treats of any kind are permitted in the park
•In case of an emergency call 911
Visiting the park:
•Consult your veterinarian about your dog’s overall health before going to a dog park
•Make sure your dog is up-to-date on his/her vaccinations and is licensed
•There can be a lot of excited energy just getting ready to go the park. Take your dog for a brisk walk for 15 minutes before going to the park to release some of that energy–remember to keep your demeanor calm and relaxed during the walk
•When taking your dog to the park, understand that not every dog is going to like every other dog
•Observe the dogs in the dog park to see if there are any potential health or behavior problems
•Dogs can be overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, over-excited - even if they have been to the park many times before. Every visit can be different due to the dogs, people, and“energy” in the park that day
•Dogs rely on body language when communication with each other, this is why you need to be vigilant and always watch your dog
•Supervise dogs when they are playing and interrupt any rough play
•Dogs will greet by sniffing, best to only allow this for a limited amount of time
•Be willing to leave the dog park if you feel that your dog is either being a bully, the play is getting too rough, or your dog is just not having fun
Not all dogs are good candidates for dog park play. A dog park is not the appropriate place for dogs who have serious behavior problems in relation to other dogs or humans. Consider the following carefully before taking your dog through the gate into the dog park:
•Dog park dogs should be friendly and outgoing, without being overbearing, obnoxious, or bulling
•Your dog should be reasonably confident and social. Those who are fearful, aggressive, or reactive are not appropriate for dog parks
•Basic good manners are a park prerequisite. Your dog should not body-slam, mouth, jump on people, or mark (leg-lift) humans in the park, nor should he/she jump into laps of random sitting humans without invitation
•Your dog should be responsive to basic cues – at least “come” when called, “sit,” and “leave it/off,” so you can get control of him/her if necessary, and prevent him/her from harassing others
•Only healthy dogs should visit dog parks. Obviously, communicable diseases and parasites are unacceptable as these can affect and infect other dogs. Structural un-soundness that can cause pain (hip dysphasia, arthritis, etc.) are a high risk factor for causing aggression when a dog is hurt or stressed by the anticipation of being hurt
