Lovely park, incredibly popular, beware that not all dogs here are well behaved

I'm pretty sure Stodder's Neck is not officially an off leash dog park, there's a sign at the front of the park that says dogs should be leashed, but this isn't enforced at all. It is 100% an off leash dog park in practice. Expect to encounter a large number of off leash dogs here on weekends. The parking lot is often overflowing on days with good weather.

I come here daily with my dog and the majority of the time it's a pleasant experience for both of us. There are ample opportunities for swimming, running, playing fetch and socializing with other dogs and their people. A water fountain for both dogs and people is available at the front. There's a stand with bags for dog waste and numerous trash cans throughout the park. Overall, the park is very clean considering the number of dogs who visit every day.

Be aware that there are a few bad apples who bring their aggressive dogs here and don't seem to care about the danger they're putting other people and dogs in. You'll find numerous reports of this via google reviews. My dog has been nearly attacked by the same aggressive dog twice (a light colored greyhound) and the owner of this dog takes absolutely no responsibility for their pet - let it right off the leash even as it was aggressively barking and trying to chase after my dog. It ran after us out of the park and into the parking lot while its female owner did nothing but give a few completely ineffective 'come' commands from a distance. These interactions could've been much worse if my dog was also off leash. I have seen bad behavior from other dogs as well.

This park is not regulated like Bare Cove is - you don't need to have tags or registration to get in and no one is patrolling the park, which is precisely why it's so popular. Aggressive dogs need to STAY ON LEASH or stay home for the safety of all! This won't deter me from continuing to visit Stodder's neck, but I have a reasonably large dog who could hold her own should an aggressive dog attack her. Anyone who visits with their well behaved dog off-leash should be aware of the risk before entering.

Jun. 14, 2018