What should I know before taking my dog to a Cincinnati dog park?

Before You Go

This answer covers designated dog parks operated by Cincinnati Parks and the Cincinnati Park Board. Great Parks facilities, Fort Thomas, Newport, Boone County, other Northern Kentucky dog parks, and privately operated dog parks may have their own rules.

Cincinnati Parks requires dogs using its designated dog parks to be healthy, current on vaccinations, and wearing identification or equipped with a registered microchip. Aggressive or dangerous dogs are not permitted, and female dogs in heat are not permitted. Dog parks may also temporarily close for maintenance, so check current park information before making a special trip.

Entering the Dog Park

Dogs must remain leashed while entering a designated dog park. The approach to the dog park, the parking lot, and the surrounding park are not off-leash space: the off-leash exception begins only once you're inside the designated dog park.

While Your Dog Is Off Leash

Cincinnati Park Board rules and current Cincinnati Parks guidance require handlers to stay inside the dog park with their dog, keep the dog within sight, and keep the dog under control. One rule many visitors don't realize: handlers must keep the leash in hand even while the dog is off leash inside the dog park.

Handlers are responsible for cleaning up their dog's waste and for filling any holes their dog digs. At the first sign of aggression, leash your dog and remove it from the park.

Leaving the Dog Park

Dogs must be leashed again before exiting the designated dog park. Off-leash inside the designated dog park does not mean off-leash in the surrounding Cincinnati park.

Outside the designated dog park, the normal Cincinnati Parks leash requirement applies. Cincinnati Park Board Rule 9 states: "Except as provided in Park Board Rule 41, no person shall take or permit a dog on park property unless the dog is held by leash not to exceed twenty (20) feet in length."