French Lake Off-Leash Dog Park — Attraction in Federal Way

I have 2 small dogs and we visit this park often. I've never had a bad experience at the park. The people I've encountered at the park have been friendly and their dogs are well-behaved and looked-after during their visit whenever we visit. The park is big enough to allow the most energetic dogs plenty of room to run, play and explore, with plenty of room left over. There are lots of trees and grassy areas that give it a pleasant and relaxing vibe. It has trails to follow making it easy for people to walk through, and places to sit and take a break along the way. An area for small or shy dogs is fenced off from the rest of the park if your dog is more comfortable in a more protected environment. A watering area is available though I bring my own dishes as the ones provided are not as clean as I like for my dogs to use, but it is a dog park and I don't expect it could be kept up in any better condition without constant supervision. The "potty stations" are kept up well with baggies available 99% of the time, and the trash emptied regularly and kept looking tidy. There are toys available, but I would advise bringing your own as they look very worn out and heavily used. Overall, I would highly recommend this dog park to a friend. I enjoy the time I spend there with my dogs, and the community of people that I have met there that attend the park regularly seem to be good down to earth people and responsible pet owners, which is vital in an off-leash area in keeping everyone safe and happy,

I gave 4 stars only because there is a little bit of improvements that could be made or things that could be a little better, like maybe the toys could be in better shape or perhaps another area for access to a water source at the opposite end of the park as it is a good size park. Dishes and water jugs are at every sitting station but that water is rarely available and is dirty if there is any water at all at these stations...and the dogs get quite thirsty with all the exercise they are getting. They need fresh, clean water in more than one spot to be ideal, but I wouldn't really call any of this a complaint, Overall I am very happy...

For years I had driven by and always meant to check it out, but I wasn't sure what to do in a dog park with my pup. It wasn't until a friend of mine invited me and my dog to join her there that I saw what I was missing out on.

French Lake Off-Leash Dog Park is a delight!! The area is enclosed so you don't need to worry about your dog escaping. (There's a double gate to get in and out of the park, which is really nice and provides extra assurance that your dog won't just wander out through an open gate, because everyone is meticulous about closing one gate before opening the next.)

For the more aggressive or nervous dogs, there's a smaller, fenced-in area just for them to acclimate in, with a picnic table for humans to sit at and chat.

The entire space is wooded with open areas that include climbing ramps, run-throughs, more picnic tables, and sandy areas for dogs who like to dig. Also included are watering stations, poop bags and disposal containers liberally located. There's even a maintained outhouse for the two-legged visitors.

The regular visitors are friendly and most keep a courteous distance and respect your personal space - but are willing to interact and answer questions happily. There are regular volunteers who keep the park cleaned and maintained and I for one appreciate their work.

I've been going regularly and never once have I witness any bad behavior from any of the guests - two and four footed. My dog has benefitted greatly from our weekly visits to the park, as it's a great way to social her. (The side benefit is that now when I take walks with her, she no longer lunges and barks at other dogs that we see - because she now recognizes what they are and how to behave around them.)

I highly recommend French Lake...

PROS: I like this dog park because it is close to my home and has a nice walking trail around the park and big open spaces for dogs to run.

CONS: Parts of the walking trail are always muddy due to the sprinklers. Also, in the past few times I have had negative experiences at the park. The past couple times a number of aggressive dogs have been picking fights with other dogs, including mine. So much so that other owners warned me about the dog and his/her inattentive owner as as I walked around, on two separate occasions. Unfortunately the last time my dog was there, he bit a human. My dog and two dogs of the same owner got in a fight and the owner put his hand in the middle of the fight and blamed my dog (but also acknowledged his error). My dog had scratches and was bleeding. This owner happens to be on the board of the dog park. He called animal control and FWPD showed up. As per dog bite protocol, my dog was put on home confinement for 15 days despite having a rabies vaccine and ID tag. Additionally, I will have to pay for a vet visit and rabies test to confirm that my dog is rabies free. Although Animal Control concluded this incident was 100% human error, the feeling of being punished for someone’s poor mistake is palpable.

Based on these experiences I do not have any more patience for the people who choose to use this park and will not...