Dog Activities in Cincinnati (Forest: daycare, home, living)

[upsidedownjelly]

Hi all. I'm going to be relocating to the Cincinnati area from Chicago within the next month. I'll be working in Newport and am not sure where exactly I'll be living yet. Here in Chicago we have some nice off-leash dog parks - my favorites of which include the beach, and an amazing 40-some acre fenced-in portion of the forest preserve set aside just for dogs(at the Lake Country Forest Preserve). I was wondering if there is anything comprable in the Cincinnati/Norther KY area- I know there are some dog parks, but I'm looking for more than just a small field to play in. A rudimentary google search didn't turn up much, and I found my favorite dog park here through word of mouth.

I am also part of a pitbull dog walking group (Chicago SociaBulls) and am curious if there is anything similar in the area. If you know of anything, I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks a million!

[TomJones123]

Cincinnati Dog Park | Dog Parks Cincinnati Ohio | Dog Park Cincinnati OH

Mount Airy Dog Park is leash free.

[Joeytraveler]

While not an official dog park it seems a lot of people use French park in pleasant ridge. There are a few trails, creeks, etc and ill always see people with dogs of leash running around, playing in the creek, etc.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by Joeytraveler

While not an official dog park it seems a lot of people use French park in pleasant ridge. There are a few trails, creeks, etc and ill always see people with dogs of leash running around, playing in the creek, etc.

Since it is not a dog park, the good people responsible for French Park may not appreciate you recommending it. But it is a very nice and usually quiet park. Maybe Chemistry_Guy can comment on its suitability for dogs.

[progmac]

washington park has an itty bitty dog park for the urban dogs. wags dog park (private) on the east side is a favorite and there is also a dog park at Otto Armleder park at the Luken airport (also east side)

[Joeytraveler]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

Since it is not a dog park, the good people responsible for French Park may not appreciate you recommending it. But it is a very nice and usually quiet park. Maybe Chemistry_Guy can comment on its suitability for dogs.

Not trying to endorse breaking the park leash law, just offering my observations. I will say if I encounter a dog off leash the owner is usually near by and reactive to any hesitance from others. The nice thing about the geography of the park is that if your back on the trails you're dog is naturally confined to the creek bed/ valley. As with all things using common sense matters. If there was a birthday party of 5 year old I wouldnt let your dog off leash but its definitely a place with enough place for everyone, if you chose to go that way.

There is fido field off eggelston which isn't much but is good if you have a big dog that's needs to stretch its legs.

[TomJones123]

Bellvue Park is another good park that has a large area used for dogs, among other things. It's not an official dog park, but it may as well be. Many, many people let their dogs run their w/o a leash. You just have to know your dog. If they are well trained enough, and once they know the park, no problem.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

Since it is not a dog park, the good people responsible for French Park may not appreciate you recommending it. But it is a very nice and usually quiet park.

Agreed. My experiences in French Park are anything but positive because of the number of dogs off-leash. Most of the dogs you encounter on the trails are leashed -- and I always make a point to thank the owners for leashing their dogs, even though there are huge signs at the entrance to the park stating that all dogs must be leashed -- but out in the open spaces, a lot of people let their dogs roam.

And most of them, in my experience, are indifferent to others using the park, or to the leash law at the park.

I like dogs, but I don't enjoy being tackled by one or more while I'm walking from the trailhead to my car.

[Chemistry_Guy]

I walk my dog at French park all the time. I always keep her on a leash. There are a lot of irresponsible dog owners with feisty off leash dogs, and if my dog were to even react to another dog's aggression she could get in trouble due to the way she looks

My favorite off leash dog park is Otto Armleder down by the Little Miami river near Lunken airport. I don't go there often because I don't like packing up and going home if some of the other dogs make me nervous, but some days I have had great experiences there.

There are a lot of out of the way places to take your dog off leash if you know where to look, but not for socializing with other dogs. It makes me feel like a yuppie, but I have been very happy taking my dog to daycare periodically so she can get to socialize with other dogs for extended time under supervision, despite my busy schedule. Most of the time, though, she just socializes with my friends' dogs in my back yard.

I love hanging out with my dog downtown, especially during the summer, when there are events going on such as Midpoint Music Festival, various bar crawls, and fountain square events. Even though I can't go into most of the bars, I have a good time talking to people on the street and I always run into dozens of people I know. I am much more at home standing outside, talking to one or two friends at a time, enjoying the fresh air and being with my dog than I would be packed into a tiny space with loud music blaring getting shoved around by people looking to get a drink. Also, there is Neons, which is dog friendly.

I have always felt that the best 'dog activities' are the people activities that I enjoy and she is able to be present. While it is tempting to think dogs have the same social feelings as humans, I ultimately think that my dog is ultimately just happy to spend time with me and to get attention from strangers, both human and canine. For example, I play in a few softball leagues and I never have trouble finding someone to play with my dog while I am out in the field. Pretty much any outdoor human activity that doesn't involve crowds can be turned into a dog activity as well.

P.S. My dog is in my profile pic

[kjbrill]

Chemistry_Guy...

I don't want to quote your post as it is somewhat lengthy, but a great post. I owned dogs when I was younger, a Dalmatian, a Norwegian Elkhound, a Blue Merle Collie, and a Japanese Akita. None of them were particularly small dogs, and all of them were protective of their owners. We were fortunate to have all of them for a period of years.

I loved my dogs but now find cats to be far easier to take care of. That's what happens when you get old.

I never felt the reason for a dog park, as we always had a fenced in yard large enough to provide the dog with a large exercise space. But everyone to their own discretion.