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Warren G. Magnuson Park - Off Leash Area
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Sand Point
7400 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98127
7400 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98127
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
72 reviews for Warren G. Magnuson Park - Off Leash Area
Best off leash in Seattle.
If you have a dog just go here.
Others have reviewed the high points about this from the ample parking to the swimming area.
Here are the things to be aware of. . .
Not everyone is the same type of owner or dog as you and yours.
Some are better and some are worse and some are just different.
Any day you expect for a park to be busy this place WILL be busy. So plan ahead.
Don't come here if you want to stay clean.
Be aware and pay attention.
Dog walkers might be annoying, but give them the benefit of the doubt.
If your call your dog princess, carry it everywhere, and spend $$$ on coats for it stay in the timid dog area or stay away.
Don't try to drive through the U district to get anywhere during the lunch hour, Husky games, or rush hours or you will live to regret it.
Coming here on a rainy day is a great way to beat the crowds!!
Magnusson is the best dog park in the Puget Sound (better than Marymoor).
Anyway, can we press criminal charges against the person spreading lies about the attack? Can we also segregate those dumb enough to believe this and probably many other urban legends so we can live in a world without hysteria, unjustified interments, and lynchings?
At least I can again feel that my dog park is at least as safe as most high school campuses.
If you or someone you know takes their dogs to Magnusen off leash
park - please beware...
9/25 incident FRIDAY 11:30 - noon
11:30 AM at the beach... female with adult boxer and boston
terrier.. pits all attacked boxer.. man just stood and watched and
didn't do anything to stop it! After a long while... the man called
the dogs off... boxer died at the vet 2 hrs later.. terrier
survived.. severely injured. No report filed yet as the owner is
too distressed... her friend is taking as much action as she can!
10/2 FRIDAY 11:30 - noon
Man with his two huskies... one pup and one adult. Pits all
attacked adult husky... again, owner watched and did nothing. owner of husky pulled the dogs off... dog had broken leg. Owner has filed a report.
WE BELIEVE THAT THIS MAN MAY BE TRAINING HIS PITS FOR FIGHTING BY COMING TO THE PARK, WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO BE ALONE AT THE BEACH, THEN LEASHING THE DOGS ON THE VULNERABLE DOG!
If you see this person, please try to get his license plate number
and call animal control immediately (206) 296-PETS [7387],
DESCRIPTION: White Male early 20's heavily tatooed arms.. shaved
head... with White Female - early 20's med to heavy build long brown hair
DOGS: 3 PIT BULLS 1 white or gray, 1 brindle, 1 10-month old brown
VEHICLE: very old silver pick up truck.. with damage to the right
If I could make one law it would be: No one is allowed to bring anything more than a yellow tennis ball for their dog to play with at the dog park. Alas, I am not supreme dictator (yet) and therefore, people bring toys that are more befitting of a young prince than for their golden retriever. The result is that you may find yourself explaining to another person why your dog took their dog's "special toy."
Be prepared that you will encounter crazy people (I, of course, include myself in that description) and have fun with it. My dog loves this place, it is clean (i.e. you won't be caked in feces with every step you take) and bounded in all directions.
The water area is nice although in my opinion a bit too cramped for the amount of people/dogs that occupy it. A great in-city park which is a true testament to the love Seattle shows for dogs and their owners!
My dogs loved it here! Not a lot of grass, mostly dirt and gravel, but so much space!
This place is pure dog park heaven! Best dog park in Seattle, hands down. If you've got a dog willing to go swimming, even better!
You start off in a VERY large area with plenty of baggies for dog poop all around you. If you venture beyond this large area, you hit a gated trail with a wide variety of plants, flowers, and bushes for your dog to explore. This will eventually dump out into another larger area (nowhere near as large as the initial area, though), another trail, and then the lake!
Everything is well gated to the lake, including the lake itself, and once on the lake, there's usually plenty of sticks or extra tennis balls to get your dog diving in to retrieve. Plus, there's a great fallen tree to the right with plenty of beach area for dogs to play chase around.
Most owners are pleasant and their dogs well-socialized. I've only had one bad experience, with some retarded, Cesar Milan-watching asshole and his several American bulldogs pushing other dogs down, and even knocking over an owner. But that was a clearly rare exception.
This would be an ideal park to take your dog running off-leash. I haven't tried it for that purpose as of yet, but aside from a distant hiking trail, this is one of the few areas that you could jog with your dog off-leash! Kudos to that.
Apparently the story 9/25 incident at Manguson Park was blown out of proportion. The owner of Ahimsa Dog Training talked to Seattle Animal Control, and here is the real scoop: http://ahimsadogtraini...
I love taking my little Yorkie Pepe here. They have a fenced in Shy/Small dog area that is perfect for my little guy. I have been taking him here since he was a 6 months mainly weeknights because while there's a lot of little dogs there it doesn't get overwhelming. Weekends are extremely busy so we try to avoid the park then just because my little guys gets overwhelmed when there are hundreds of dogs around him.
The only thing I wish would happen is that everyone would make sure to clean up after their dogs, there was a time when my husband saw a dog doing his business and he went and informed the owner and they did nothing, so my husband as nice as he is cleaned up the doody. Also would like to say please teach your children to ask before they pick up anyone's dog, I would be more than happy to place him in their arms if they ask. I only ask this because for instance my little guy gets squirmy if little kids pick him up and he wiggles around so much that he could possibly be dropped and well he is my little one! :-) But other than that LOVE THIS PARK!
Anything less than a 5 rating for this place boggles my mind. Clearly you haven't frequented dog parks around the country if you think that this place is anything less than as good as it gets.
Completely fenced.
Water Access.
Small dog area.
Benches.
Shade.
Fresh water access.
Poop bags available.
Never have I seen a dog park like this place and this puts all other parks I've been to, to shame.
Parking isn't the best, especially on a nice day. If I had to find a fault in this park it would be parking (which is hardly park related) and it possibly is TOO big.
I've been to probably 15+ different dog parks in Nevada, Texas, Indiana, and now Seattle and this one blows every single one of them away.
First, I want to say that this park is FANTASTIC: it has water for dogs, hoses to soak thier coats, doggy bags for thier poop, and there is sooo much space for the dogs to run/walk around in, PLUS there is a lake just for them!!!
BUT, I have to say that I am disappointed in the PEOPLE who bring thier poorly trained/dispositioned dogs to this community park. This was my dogs first time at this park and going into the lake he was a bit timid (he's very old and very docile), a mastiff attacked him- he litterally ran up to my dog bared teeth and bit him. The owner seemed to either not care much, or is used to her dog's behavior, and called him off....she just barely made an audible appology and my response was "you should be!". My dog walked out of the water and I went to make sure he was okay-his eye was bleeding. When turned to see if she was around she had managed to disappear! What a BI@#!!
SERIOUSLY, people don't bring your ill behaved dogs to communal areas -train them at home, or in smaller spaces where they can do less harm.
Way too muddy and gross. No real grass in the offleash area.
By Zoe B., the Wheaten Terrier, as told to Julie...
I like this park! I'm not attached to you on that stupid leash. I like that I can run and play. Lots of other doggies around. I can sniff their butts. I can run on the bark and my feet don't hurt. I like this park. Take me here again. When can we come back?!
We walked down the path to the water. The water looked cool. But there was a fence in the way. It kept me out of the water. I wish you let me go in the water. And you wouldn't let me go in the mud. I love mud. It sticks to my fur.
Lots of space to throw a ball. I think that you should bring the ball next time. I stole some other dog's ball today. I wanted you to throw it. I could bring it back to you. Can I have a snack?
I love to run. I ran a lot. I sniffed those big green cans where you saved my poop. They were everywhere. What do they do with all that poop? Better in the cans than on my feet. I love to run. Take me here again!
I really like that big space in Redmond, but I'm glad we don't have to stay in the car for that long drive to the East coast. I get carsick. This is a good place. Take me here again! Can I have a snack?
Captain loves this place. Parking is a bit of a bitch (pun intended) during peak times, but it's worth it for such a well maintained free off-leash park.
They did a bunch of upgrades over the past few years to help with drainage so it doesn't get so muddy.
Go on a hot day on the weekend in the summer and prepare to be amazed at the amount of dogs at the small beach area in the back.
They have a small dog area if purse-pups are your thing too.
My dog gets excited every time I bring her to a dog park!
This place is not big as Marymoor but its closer to where I live. Dog owners or dog walkers were very nice and chatty! My dog had fun running or chasing other dogs. When she was done- she went for a walk with me or fetched her ball.
I did see that they had a small fenced area for small dogs. I know some people are concerned about small dogs interacting with big dogs.
I know this place is beautiful during the other seasons. Winter may seem blah but I enjoy places like this for my dog- this way my dog can socialize with other dogs and get some exercise!
My American Bulldog, Knoxx loves this place. Although I have only been to a few dog parks, and haven't yet ventured to the Eastside to Marymoore... this is the best dog park I have been to so far.
The best thing about it is the water park for pups. Knoxx can stay out in that water for hours looking for sunken tennis balls.
I really wish there was a grassy "off-leash" area for dogs. I often risk it and take him to the playing field to throw his ball. Knoxx LOVES grass! He would much rather chase balls in soft grass than the gravel or crappy bark chips.
I have had QUITE a few bad experiences with other dog owners at this place however. Mainly due to my big 95 lb PUPPY trying to play with smaller dogs. Thing is, if you are a small dog owner and don't want your dog to play with larger dogs, STAY in the SMALL dog area. It's so annoying when owners get all upset and start confrontations because my big (but VERY gentle) puppy wants to play and chase especially when the smaller dog gets in the play stance and my dog thinks "Alright a puppy wants to play with me!" The owners get over protective and anal usually because they think Knoxx is a Pittbull and think he might attack their dog or something. I just wish THESE people would stay in the small dog park area.
One more thing, if you have kids and bring them here, you have to be aware that in high traffic "puppy play" areas, including IN the water, kids are prone to getting knocked over! Just an F.Y.I. Most parents expect this, but my husband was confronted once because a guys kid was playing in the water waving a ball back and forth and Knoxx ran over to get the ball and the kid kinda half-fell down in the water. But you have to understand in the water park when there are sometimes 50+ dogs in the water on summer days, kids probably shouldn't be in the puppy play area!! Afterall, it is a PUPPY PARK!!!
From the desk of my dog, Brynonna Jenkins the Wonder Pointer,
Dear Mom,
I love the dog park at Magnuson. I get to go swimming until I am so weak I am shaking but I still want to swim more. I love to run way ahead of you and then run all the way back to you. My little Shih Tzu brother, Baxter, loves to run around and pee on everything that stands still including other dogs sometimes. I love that there is all this room to run and when I am all excited and hot from running and fetching I can swim out into the water to fetch my ball instead of running. I also love to steal all the other dogs balls. Sometimes I lose my ball and you think I am going to swim to Kirkland but don't worry I won't leave you. Please take me to the dog park!
Love,
Brynnie
I think dog owners fall into one of three categories:
1. Love Marrymore
2. Hate Marrymore
3. Prefer Magnuson
I fall into the 3rd category. Owning a pug can have it's ups and downs, but we really love the fact that there's a small dog area where our pup can hang out with dogs his size.
Most dog owners are pretty laid back and responsible. I mean there is the obviously creepy guy with the girl dog all by himself trying to score and the weird lady that probably thinks her dog is her child type that roll through, but overall I think most people are there because they enjoy walking outside and letting their dog get some exercise and fun.
After our dog has released whatever pent up stress/boredom he gets from sleeping on the couch all day and getting his stomach rubbed, the walk down to the beach is about the perfect distance for a walk. Not too far and not too short. Our little guy gets to run around, sniff, pee, sniff, run, and hopefully tire himself out before we head home.
We haven't really met any overly aggressive dogs here and find ourselves coming down at least 3 times a week if not more. Although I think Marrymore is a great park, I much prefer hanging out at the Warren G. as I've come to call it.
Sha-poopie!! YEAH!!! http://www.solutions.c...
Mind your step, unless you want a shitty experience.... nuff said....
Be ready for your dog to float ecstatically, randomly do backward somersaults, tap dance and give you a big sloppy thank-you kiss. Ok, maybe just the kiss part is true. But trust me they'll love it.
This place is Disneyland for the puppies. Large, several different areas, each with their type of ground cover and access to Lake Washington. Fenced area for the small, shy ones.
Winter warning: forecast calls for 4-5 more months of bog-like conditions on the main ballfield. Bring a towel, for your upholstery's sake.
For the newer folks (like myself), try not to be discouraged about untended piles. I try to just pick up 1 or 2 extra beyond my own, and hopefully the unaware owners will eventually catch on. Also, I really appreciate the majority of you who are patient at the leashing/de-leashing gates. That's a hint for those who just open all the gates and when someone's dog runs out you exclaim in overhyped surprise "Oh I didn't see him there!" Really?
And for those of you looking for a dog walker, you'll see several coming and going all day. You're bound to find one or two you can jive with.
Magnuson has always been a hot spot for a dog park. I have a 10lb shitzu-schnauzer and she has a blast in the "small-dogs-only" area. grantedm she has plenty of fun trying to get the attention of the German Shepard's and labs running after tennis balls, but she has found more attention and social play time here than anywhere else.
One of the bets things about this park is the abundance of poop bags and trash cans around to keep the place clean. Cleaning up after your pet is a kind of golden rule here and almost everyone sticks to it, which is great for all kinds of shoes.
While there is always the dog owner who will overly scold their dog, or the one who ignores them completely, most pet owners here are incredibly respectful and nice.
This is no Marymoor, but it's better than most. It has a lot of open areas for the fetch hounds and the wrestlers... but is really lacking in foliage for dogs to run through. And for my furry friend, Rutabaga, it just won't do.
The water area has a nice beach that dogs can run into the water without having to plop themselves in... but it is soo small! If there are more than five dogs on the beach at any one time it feels overwhelming and can get chaotic. Last time we were there the beach was very busy and a woman decided it would be a great idea to heave a small log into the water... and in the process hit my little dog with it. It was an unfortunate accident, but an indicator that there just isn't enough room for all the people and dogs that want to play there.
It's probably just fine mid-week at lunchtime? There are plenty of bags tied to the fences and nice watering/rinsing stations around the park. There is a small/shy dog area in the front of the park, but it's very small and gets too crowded with people for the dogs to play.
I find the drive out to Marymoor to be far more rewarding for both me and my dog.
Magnuson's off-leash area really should have a sign out-front reading: "Tired Dogs Guaranteed!"
Magnuson is big one, the Denali o'doggy parks in this area. Much has already been said about it's wide expanses of space, small/shy dog area, water/hose-off station, and beach. Glorious beach access!
Couple of words of advice:
+ bring extra towels for the ride home
+ bundle up as it is often windy even in the summer
+ wear mud/muck proof boots
+ be ready to spend the afternoon.
I have never had a visit be shorter than two hours with all the different areas to explore....and my dog wants to see them all and play frisbee for 45 minutes.
Speaking of play, we've had very good luck with nice friendly dogs here and no snarky owners! Ha!
I refer to those owners who go to dog parks with ball chuckers and remain intent on only playing with their dog. The ones who sulk, huff and shoo (even yell) at other dogs away who attempt to join the game.
Kind of foolish to think if you have a good game going, other dogs won't want to join, eh? Seriously if you want a solitary game play at home. I digress!
Magnuson is not recommended for the shy or very young pups as the chaos will be overwhelming. Also if dog has so-so recall, otherwise expect to spend much of your time trying to keep up with your dog.
Keep your eyes peeled for warning signs as occasional the beach has bacterial break-outs and is 'closed' -as in enter at your own risk, but the gate is not locked.
Also don't forget to check out Java Dog Coffee stand on the way in.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
They're great and sell treats and tennis balls.
I love this park when no dog walkers with million dogs wondering around . I hate when I see bossy dog walkers yelling at dogs with billions of dogs wondering around and chasing everybody else's balls but no dog walkers care.
They look like they own the park or something. They park those big filthy vans right in front of their gate and none of the dogs are leashed when they come in to the park or leave, which is one of the rules there. You have to leash your dog when you go outside the park.
Then all the dogs are wondering around by the gate when they are hauling dogs here and there, and people can't go in or leave until the dog walkers take care of their dogs.
One time, my friend was bitten by one of the dogs but the dog walker was like "they all have updated shots, so you are okay." What?! If you can't take care of every single dog, don't bring too many dogs at once. Once again they don't own the park. It is a shared area for everyone.
I guess I don't like the dog walkers. The park itself is okay but I wish if there is a bigger beach for the dogs. I feel really bummed to see tons of dogs at the beach area taken by dog walkers. I've seen dog walker swimming with few dogs and the rest of the walker's dogs are just hanging on the beach. Is it really okay to let them hang like that?
I see more and more dog walkers and there should be a rule, like dog walkers can only use certain time of the day, or something otherwise everybody's fun park for humans and dogs will be violated.
One of my favorite places in Seattle to visit! What a great place to socialize your dog and get some fresh air. It is not quite as big as Marymoore but it is closer to the city and convenient to get to and to park.
People are always respectful and there are poop bags everywhere for your picking up pleasure!
This place rocks! I move to SF and there's no place anything remotely close to this. This is a huge off leash area designed like a long walking path with several large fields that branch off. For small dogs, there's a designated area if you choose... For those dogs that love the water, there's a happy surprise as the trail ends at Lake Washington. Great place to dog watch and to bond with yours.
If your dog swims and has lots of energy, this is the park! This park is BIG--allowing you some space to throw your ball/stick, whatever. It's great to have an off-leash park that allows you to get your doggy out for a swim (all public beaches are off limits to dogs in Seattle). Only reason that I give it 4 instead of 5 stars is because of all the irresponsible dog owners that show up when it's nice out who have no control of their misbehaved dogs (perhaps because they don't exercise them enough the rest of the time?). Not the park's fault, I know.
I love Magnuson Off-leash.
My dog knows where we're going when we make the turn off of Lake City Way. He starts standing in the car window and crying with excitement. This in turn makes me excited to see him want to get there so bad. I totally speed so that we can get there faster.
We started Oliver out here as a 3 month old puppy. We hoped that he would be socialized and friendly rather quickly. As new dog owners, we were surprised to see the seperate "small or shy dog" area. It was like a dream come true, knowing that we wouldn't have to worry as much about a Great Dane picking our dog up by his ruff and shaking him to death. In the year and 1/2 that we've been going here, we've explored the entire area, including the small beach. This area is usually very busy, especially on hot days, but so-worth it.
The whole park is immaculate. I love coming here and letting my dog be a dog.
Great place. Has few different areas so you can walk off from a unfriendly dog. Has something to do for people when you walk to the shore! HAS A SWIMMING PLACE for the dogs... Gets a little crowded. Could they enlarge it? Only minus is the mid point water spot that has been shut for reasons unknown. PLZ keep it open! Otherwise I highly recommend MAG its great!
Even though it was New Years Eve, this park was bumpin'! Despit the drizzle of rain or even the fact that it was forty freakin' five degrees,.........it does not stop Seattleites from letting their dogs play! People absolutely love their dogs in Seattle. We brought my friend's dog (he looks like Adian's dog on SATC) here to frolic and play, which I think he was the hit of the dog beach! If your dog is kind of shy, I don't know if I would subject them here. It was a big game of tag for all the dogs.
Also reason #145 to have a dog is there were a ton of cute boys that were here. I was trying to encourage my single gal pal to score on this. I mean, one of her good friends met her guy at this park. Seems like a no-brainer 2 birds, 1 stone sitch if you ask me.
This is my dog's favorite park so far. Mainly because there's more room for running like a little freakazoid. If it's fun for her, it's fun for me.
I take my dog here about 5 days a week. It's great! My only advice is that people who don't come here all the time, please be sure to be considerate of others, at the beach, throwing the ball and near the hose area.
The beach area gets very busy on the weekends and the dogs all go nuts- cannot control anything with that many dogs in that space.
Parking also gets tricky when it's very busy.
Dog walkers also need to remember that they need to have control of all of their dogs at all times and not let any lag behind to cause trouble!
-Thanks!!
This is a perfect place to take a stroll with your dog!!! It's so nice to watch my 10lb bishon run in freedom with other dogs and just have fun. This is a fenced off gravel trail leading to a great beachy area where dogs can frolic and play in the water. The beachy area is separately fenced off so if you don't want your dogs to get wet, you don't have to let them into that specific area.
There are some disrespectful owners who don't pick up their dog's poo poo but the majority of owners are respectful. But it's a good idea to watch where your dog is sniffing to avoid that dog pooped nose smearing on your face.
We had a great walk with the dawgs here today.
Many people seem to have had problems with clueless or irresponsible owners, but we found everyone to be mindful of their dogs, and when any of them seemed a little over excited, we all just moved ourselves and our dogs along.
Occasionally, a dog looked like s/he was looking for trouble, but we just called our pups close and headed toward the water.
A couple of my dogs got very barky at the beach, and no humans or dogs seemed to mind. As usual we leashed them up for a time out every so often, but it was such a happy-go-lucky group no one seemed to care about a bark chorus, and several seemed to enjoy it.
On the way out of the beach area, a couple a young guns thought Lola looked like a choice bitch and they surrounded her - she took one of them on, but we broke them up quick and we all went on our way.
As we approached the exit, this boy ran along side Lola and they sniffed noses and ran side by side awhile, as if saying "we cool".
I love dogs.
I don't mean to be mean to all the complainers, but seriously this is one of the biggest and best dog parks in the country. I have lived in and visited many cities throughout this great land, and most of them do not even know of the concept of an off-leash area, especially cities on the east coast. In some cities, they actually charge for use of the off-leash area ($3-$5 per visit).
So we do have a great deal out here and let us enjoy it. Except on days when this park is super crowded, it truly is a wonderful experience. Most of the dogs and dog owners are very nice and are just looking to play and have fun. The area is huge, the walking trail is wide, and the beach is great. Dogs are all over the water.
They provide a ton of bag dispensers, have a good system of keeping the dogs in the park, and even have a hose to clean dogs (or people) off before getting in the car.
Come on people, let's be a little thankful for the great benefits of our cool city.
My dog is a total bitch. In both the veterinary and malicious sense of the word. Therefore, I should probably be disqualified from reviewing the off-leash area of Magnuson Park, because my dog would rather have her anal glands expressed a hundred times over than spend more than a minute at this place.
However, for whatever reason, my husband and I still have hope that one day, she'll decide she actually likes being bumrushed by a dozen dogs and won't start drooling the second we arrive at the park. That she'll want to frolic with all the other canine hooligans. That she'll wag her tail at just the mention of the words "dog park." Because, you know, she's a dog, after all.
Which is why we take her to Magnuson on occasion. Time and time again, we turn to each other and ask, "why are we here?" Besides the fact that our dog is completely antisocial and doesn't want to play with other dogs, the park itself is nasty.
Nasty in terms of the smell (yes, I realize it's a DOG park), but mostly in terms of the people who take their dogs there. Last weekend, we witnessed from afar an unassuming shiba inu attack three different dogs. Rather than realize that his dog was being a bully and remove it from the park, the dog's owner kept on walking along the path to the water area, dog trailing behind.
A few minutes later, the same shiba inu approached our dog who, as per usual, ducked down and tucked her tail in between her legs as the bully tried to "play" with her. My dog did her best to remain calm as she was nasally assaulted. The shiba inu eventually gave up and went on its way. Luckily, we averted a potential situation. That time.
But up ahead, the shibu inu violently attacked a border collie. The dogs wrestled a bit, dust flying everywhere, teeth barred. The owners separated the dogs. The border collie was told to sit and stay. As we walked by, I noticed it was whining and shaking, visibly upset. The shiba inu and owner kept walking, as the owner called it a "bad dog" over and over. Well, yeah!
A couple minutes later, the border collie's owner yelled out to the shiba inu's owner, "Yeah, that's OK. My dog will be fine. Thanks for asking," in a sarcastic tone. The shiba inu owner called back, "They were just barking at each other! Chill out." Um, NO! The shiba inu was a being a bully. And its owner was not being responsible.
This kind of thing happens all the time at Magnuson. While I think the concept of an off-leash dog park is a wonderful idea, it really shouldn't be open to just anyone with a dog. There truly should be some kind of screening process to ward off stupid people and their hooligan dogs. That said, our dog probably wouldn't pass the test, either. Which is fine. We'll stick to walking our bitch on a leash.
This place makes me want a dog! But MMAD was nice enough to let us tag along.
I've never seen a nicer area for dogs to play in. And it was super cool that they let you bring strollers on the path too.
An area for smaller dogs, places for them to run around, a great path to wander down, a beach to play on, it's absolutely incredible and looks well maintained.
But I agree with MMAD, there are definitely stupid owners there. So just be cautious and as she told me, avoid the weekends.
Full disclosure time: we own a pit bull. She's sweet, she loves people an playing with other dogs, she loves swimming and she's friendly as all get out. But she is a pit bull, and we are well aware of the consequences of the breed she was born as, and our responsibilities as owners.
So imagine our surprise when we realized that owners of Akitas, Shibu Inas, Rottweilers, labs and yappy little dogs do not take the same responsibility for their dogs' actions. And that if anything was to happen, like our dog was attacked and fought back, our dog would be blamed for the aggression. Our dog has been set upon several times at this park.
We don't take Zoe off leash. She can't be trusted to come back when she's called. We do let her swim in the lake, where she has a ball of a time and wants to play with every other dog there.
That's why this park gets 2 stars. It would be 0 stars if there wasn't that swimming area. The irresponsible people who bring their badly behaved dogs down here are the cause of that. Shame on you. This city puts aside a great amount of space so that dogs can run and you abuse it. Grrrr.
This is a great dog park. I think it's the second largest off-leash area in the state and if you live nearby, it's a Godsend.
It's huge and really well maintained. There are no less than 3 big fetching areas here, as well as a fenced-off play area for smaller dogs. There are small grassy hills for doggies to chase each other around by the entrance and an awesome swimming area at the other end of the park. Just watch your step, especially near the entrance since that's where most dogs crap.
My only beef with this place is that they don't have lights. This is a huge bummer for 9-5'ers since it can get dark as early as 4-5pm during the Seattle winters.
That said, this place is so great that I still give it 5 stars. I've never seen anything come close the this dog park in LA.
With all of the uber-positive and -negative reviews, I remain somewhere in the middle. It's like my childhood all over again...
We've been to Magneson with our bullmastiff puppy twice. A little about him: he loves to play with other dogs (especially ones that are smaller than he is...*sigh*), thinks people are even cooler, and rolls over if another dog is playing the dominance game. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body, but he's still a puppy and very excitable.
The layout of the park is great: large paths, circular areas to play fetch or "let's chase each other all over the place and get really dirty so our owners have to hose us off", and gates separating both the lakefront and small dog areas of the park. There are also plastic bags and garbage cans at hand for anything your dog "leaves behind."
In the two times that I've gone, I have to say that I am much happier with the "vibe" of the lakefront area of the park. The attitude of the people there fits well with the section's smaller size: people greet each other and the dogs, pay attention to their pets' actions, and are eager to make each other comfortable. Communication is key: when Ned wanted to play with a pug I called him away, but the owner assured me that "he could handle it." They had a great time, which may not have happened had we kept our mouths shut.
The "main area" of the park is less responsible. At one point we needed Ned to sit so we could fix his collar; we moved to a corner and began struggling to keep him still (he IS only 6 months old, and there were distractions everywhere) while trying to fix the damned collar. As owners passed by us, their dogs alternately tried to flip, growl at, and nip at Ned...all while the owner stood by and did nothing. Even when calling these dogs away from mine (as Ned tried to shy away and my boyfriend's hand was crushed in the aforementioned collar) the owners did nothing. Without making this review any longer than it already is, I'll just say that if the owner is disrespectful enough to be insulted when I ask them to call their dog, the dog itself can't be much better.
If it's quiet at Magnuson, or I brought a towel to dry Ned off after a swim, I'm more than happy to let him burn some energy there. Otherwise, I'd rather pay $3 to take him to Great Dog Shoppe's fun runs, where I know the owners will keep their dogs in line.
My dog = Marion Berry
Magnuson Offleash = Crack
Doggy Disneyland, complete with two football field-sized training/throw yards, a fenced small & shy dog area, a hose-off area at the entrance and a beachfront for the swimmers. Lots of naturally occurring trees and bushes give the park a more woodsy feel than a place that humans carved out for dogs.
I take Morty here pretty much every day, but I prefer to go on the weekends when there are more dogs to party with. During the weekday, the park is virtually empty save for professional dog walkers. If socializing is your thing, I would check the message board at the main entrance for dates of various ongoing meetups.
Morty is a small dog (who thinks he's a big dog) and we take advantage of all parts of the park We've never had a problem with aggressive or unruly dogs (unless you count the dozens of mutts who have wanted to make sweet, sweet love to him). If you have a shy or unsocialized dog, know that the beach can be a crazy place made up of mainly large, exuberantly playing water dogs. The dogs do a pretty good job of self-managing however. Collectively, all park users are respectful, friendly (I LOVE people who are as in love with their dog as I am), attentive and clean. Sure, you run into the random pile of poop, unpleasant smell or muddy pawprints on your jeans, but what are you gonna do?
I have to laugh at the reasoning behind the poor reviews of this park. If you're THAT critical of the place where your dog downloads their brownware then.... wow. Just wow. Life is short, people.
If you've never been, wear clothes you don't mind getting muddy, pack a towel for post-park paw-wipedown and know that despite your best efforts to stay clean, it ain't gonna happen. Embrace it. Your dog's gonna freakin' love it there.
And for those who liked the nod to Marion Berry, I've got a boatload of Monica Lewinsky jokes to die for. 1994!
