Miller Avenue Off-Leash Dog Park — Attraction in Markham

If I could give this park zero stars, I would. I brought my toy poodle to this park to give her a chance to run and play and make new friends since she doesn't get to meet new dogs very often. When we got there, my dog was barking because she's in the "fear" stage of puppy hood so she barks at new things. I'm working really hard with her to help her realize that she doesn't have to be afraid. Upon approaching the entrance to the park, I overheard two "regulars" saying something along the lines of "rat" referring to my dog. This of course isn't exactly how one wants to be greeted but whatever. I love my small dog even if not everyone else does. But here's the worst part: MY DOG DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT INSIDE THE PARK. We went into the little buffer area where I took off her leash and there were already 3 larger dogs waiting for her on the other side. After my dog settled down a bit, I opened the gate for her to go in but instead one of the big dogs bulldozed my dog. Rammed her at full speed in the side and pushed her down. My dog rarely screeches but this time she was crying for help. I grabbed her harness and was practically holding her over my head while I got the other dog back on the other side of the fence and locked it. Meanwhile the other dogs owner is sitting there. Not doing a damn thing other than very gently calling his dog which his dog had no interest in listening to. I put my dog back down in the now empty buffer area so I could put her leash back on her. This other dog PUSHED ITS WAY UNDER THE FENCE and attacked my dog again. FINALLY the owner got his ass off the bench and came to get his dog and I got my dog out of there as fast as I could. Moral of the story: DO NOT BRING YOUR DOG HERE IF THEY ARE SMALL. I DON'T CARE IF YOUR DOG THINKS IT'S A BIG DOG, WHEN IT'S GETTING TRAMPLED BY DOGS WHO HAVE 50+ LBS ON THEM, IT WON'T MATTER.

AND

IF YOU HAVE A BIG DOG WITH LOTS OF ENERGY, DON'T BE A MASSIVE JERK AND LET YOUR DOG ATTACK OTHER DOGS. GET UP AND DO YOUR JOB TO STOP YOUR DOG.

I love all dogs, unfortunately their owners can be ignorant asses.

I spent 5 minutes at this park and I will NEVER...

Visited the park for the agility course, which I thought was quite a unique feature as I hadn't encountered any with my pup before. It was in acceptable condition. I was pleasantly surprised to find a small splash pool and a hose/water spout where the dogs could cool off on hot days, get a drink, or even clean up after rolling around in mud. There was a lot more dirt than grass, likely from all the foot traffic and playing, so it can get quite muddy. An adequate amount of trees provide some shade for dogs and owners, along with a small shelter of sorts and some picnic tables to sit at. There are lots of parking spaces in the lot and trash bins by the gated entrance to the park. When I went, there were a handful of other dogs there, medium to large breeds, all of which were not the friendliest and exhibited what I would consider as aggressiveness while playing, if it really was all playing. Even though I have an Olde English Bulldogge puppy who likes to roughhouse, it looked more like my pup was being bullied. There were times when she wasn't having fun and ran to me for support. I was quite unhappy to see that the owners there didn't try to calm their dogs down when the energy level amidst the dogs escalated to a level I definitely was not comfortable with. One owner even tried justifying the aggressive behaviour of the dogs. I would definitely not return for the sake of socializing my pup because the others dogs do not exhibit behaviour that I want my dog to adopt. If I ever do return, it would be when there are very few or no other dogs so I could use the...

This park is actually really nice. Obstacle courses, a shelter and water bowls. When I mention to people that I come to this park almost everyday, they’re always surprised. This park is notorious for having aggressive dogs and owners that don’t care. If you ask the regulars, they’ll tell you that my dog usually sits and watches. She will only play with a select few (regulars and smaller dogs). She is super calm and has never had any issues with other dogs. She knows when to stay away from the aggressive ones. However, she is now undergoing wound exploration because of two black giant Schnauzers that cornered her yesterday.

My advice if you’d like to visit this park- if you see a dog bullying another dog at the park and the owner does nothing about it (does not stop, punish the dog nor leave) that should be an indication to leave ASAP. Even if it’s not your dog being bullied at the moment, it could happen eventually because the owner has no control over their dog and does not care. Yes, it ruins the fun for our dogs but unfortunately, that’s the reality when owners do not have the courtesy to leave when their dogs are giving trouble.

Edit: So apparently these two black giant schnauzers are well known in the area. I have heard of other dog owners complaining that their dogs have gotten attacked and or bitten. Please...