Loring Dog Park

Loring Dog Park is the first dog park I’ve ever visited. Unfortunately, after seeing so many others within the past several weeks, I have absolutely no reason to return. One can find this joint tucked away in the very north part of Loring Park and right off the intersection of Harmon Place and Maple Street.
So, about the dog park…
Positives:
+COST AND LOCATION: It’s free and located comfortably far from the nearby busy streets.
+SIZE: For being located in Minneapolis, there’s slightly less than a quarter of an acre (which is impressive, considering it’s near Downtown Minneapolis) for your pup to roam.
+WATER: There’s a drinking fountain for dogs.
Negatives:
–SMELL: Did you know people could actually get hives from the strong stench of piss? No? Well, let me tell you that I got hives, and it was terrible. Not sure if it always smells like death, there, but during the times I’ve visited, it has.
–GROUND: Lots of sand and dirt (which is typical for a dog park) make up the ground. I think having some wood chips or grass there (even though I know that it’ll all die) would be nice. It’s not terrible, but not that great either.
–WTF: There are odd structures are scattered throughout that don’t really aesthetically or functionally benefit the park
–OWNERS: This is not so much on the dog park itself (and won’t factor into my rating), but some of the owners don’t watch or care about their dogs. One of them mauled mine and laughed when he or she did. So, yeah, the people aren’t the friendliest. I’m sure if I saw Kohleen there, though, things could have been different! (Cause she’s awesome.)
Overall, I don’t see myself coming back there anytime soon. If I lived right by that park, though, I could see myself possibly visiting more often.

I’m on the fence about Loring Dog Park. I love how close it is, it’s the perfect run to and from my place, but I’m not so enthused by the size and the quality of the dog park. Especially since the rest of Loring Park is so big and beautiful.
I’ve met a mixture of dogs and, most importantly, dog owners here. One puppy went after my sweet baby dog to play, and I’ve never seen her look so much like a rabid animal. I was literally kicking the puppy away from her, and the owner was sitting on a rock 20 feet away texting on her phone *sigh*. However I’ve also met other dog owners who are friendly and seem to be more responsible.
I’ll probably go here again since it’s so close but Lake of the Isles dog park is far better than this one. Also this dog park has a strong urine odor which Lake of the Isles doesn’t have. At least the smell makes my little baby dog poop, which as fellow dog owners know, is of the utmost importance! I’m willing to give this place a few more chances, hopefully more responsible dog owners will be around the next time I go.

Kohleen described this place perfectly. This is a great dog park if you live in west downtown, like I do. Most dogs (and owners) are friendly, and if they’re not, most owners are honest about it. It’s not a huge park. more long than wide. but it IS downtown. Can’t ask for a huge forest! And if you see a dopey but cute white and brown collie/​spaniel mix playing, stop and say hi!

It’s not a big space, but it’s nice to have located in such a convenient spot. It is kept extremely clean, and there’s always a supply of water on hand (well, except in the Winter… but there’s usually snow)
It’s busiest weeknights after work and on weekends, but even then it’s not overrun with four-​legged pals.
Occasionally you’ll see a city worker stop by to check for tags on all the dogs, so make sure you’ve got your pooch licensed with the city and you have an off-​lease permit. You can purchase both online at:

The Loring Park dog park works pretty well for what it is. I live around downtown but the Gateway park is «just alright» and a little too far for my sleepy greyhound to walk everyday.
I’ve only met kind, attentive dog owners here who love to talk about their dogs as well as make conversation about yours. I’ve even seen some onlookers from MCTC or the neighborhood who come in just to meet the dogs! This level of friendliness has been wonderful for Sujuq, my nearly 2 year old greyhound who is having some difficulties breaking out of his shell in terms of relationships with other dogs but cannot get enough of their owners.
The size and long rectangular shape of the park make it a pretty efficient grounds to play fetch (if your dog is willing, I know mine is not) though balls occasionally fly over the fence. There is no actual seating but some large rocks do the job. The gravel is okay, but I’ve been hit between the eyes with some flying debris when my dog took off at full sprint, so watch out! There is fresh water available, trash cans, extra baggies and scoops so it’s easy to clean up messes. There is some interesting sculpture, lots of squirrels in the area, and the fence features a double gate entrance. The best thing is, when you’re done in the park you have but a couple steps to take before you get to Joe’s Garage where they allow dogs inside, anywhere!
I know my perfect park would be a bit bigger but Loring is a great place for city dwelling dogs who might want to get to a park without the ordeal of a car trip. The dogs and the people are friendly from what I’ve seen so far, and you’re just minutes away from some neat downtown stuff.