Shelby Farms Dog Park — Attraction in Memphis

Amazing park and my dog loves it. I've seen quite a few poop piles but they are usually very easy to avoid since you have to watch where you step anyway (dirt paths are almost never leveled out).

Maintenence seems to not want to cut the grass though. Don't know if they do this per season or if they are just neglecting it (September 2016. Early 2016 it was all cut and pretty short). Whatever the case may be, it would still be nice to have it cut because with it tall, you can't go down your own path and many things could be hiding in tall grass. Plus burrs get attached to you and your dog easily, which could make you both uncomfortable.

It's been a long time since I've been on the weekend, but I can still tell you it gets crazy crowded. Especially when the weather is super nice. Take care if you go on the weekends though. Not all dogs behave well and not all owners keep misbehaved/dominant/aggressive dogs on leashes, even though it is stated on the park rules board (I know at P1. Never parked at P2). I've never had a problem at P1s part of the park. P2s part, however, is where I see most of the problems. There are 2 benches by a lake and a lot of people hang out there and let their dogs socialize with other dogs. You also see a lot of large breeds, which could pose less than safe situations for humans and dogs alike. Typically on the weekdays it's nearly empty, so if you have a smaller and/or submissive dog, I recommend coming on the weekdays.

For the ones wondering about the fencing, the trails are relatively far for the fences, so the chances of your dog going near the road are slim, especially if your dog knows to stay by you. If you are really worried about it, I recommend walking the entire park with your dog on leash a couple times. That way your dog can become familiar with the sights and sounds and not be easily lured away on future walks. Also, I would think the forested areas that you pass on the trails would pose a greater risk than the possibility of your dog going near the road. It all depends on how strong of an understanding you and your dog have with each other.

In general, I give 4 stars because it's an amazing place to be with friends and dogs. It's all knowing when the peak days and hours are and how attentive you are to your surroundings. My dog goes balistic almost as soon as we come off the interstate and onto Whitten road. It's very fun watching his excited gradually go higher and higher. Taking the outermost trails on both sides will usually keep us there for 2 hours, but it also depends on how fast you are. My dog absolutely loves it and I wouldn't go...

This place is awesome!!! Never had a problem until yesterday. My dog got attacked by a much bigger dog than him while their owner just stood over them and watched. He didnt even bother to grab his 60-80 pound dog off of my 30 pd dog. Didnt even say anything, just stood there with his hands on his hips. We were not as close to them as he was and his dog just came out of nowhere and attacked as my dog laid there screaming tryna kick him off. If we had not ran over there as quickly as we did to pull HIS dog off of ours it could have been really bad. However my dog is fine thank God. My point is this place really needs to be more strict. That man made a perfect example of why certain people should not bring their dogs. If you do not know how to handle your dog or a dog fight like that... you do not need to be there. I could tell the man was really sorry but the fact that he just stood there sickens me. So please be mindful of other people's family members. They are more than just a pet to some. If a fight breaks out please know how to handle a situation like that. It can happen so quick and things can trigger anybody's dog and you may not know what it was. Dont just stand there. It's not worth someone's heart ache. Other than that this place is awesome, you meet a lot of...

This dog park is amazing! It is so big. The route I usually take is about .75 miles, and that’s a loop that probably only covers half of the park. There are benches in a few spots so you can sit if you don’t care to get dirty. My dog LOVES to run and chase and be chased, and she is very fast, so we love that she gets to run around unleashed. The lakes make it refreshing for her on hot days, but can make our visits less often since she needs a bath after every trip, especially when it’s been raining and is quite muddy. One downside is they only have a trash can at the front, so if you pick up your dog’s poop in the park, you have to carry it with you back to the entrance.

My biggest concern is that people leave the gate open occasionally. When we first got our dog, she wasn’t used to staying near us and would wander off with other dogs. She almost wandered outside of the park following another dog and owner who didn’t shut the gate. The park is next to a pretty busy road so we were really worried. Luckily my husband caught her before she got too far. I know park-goers need to be responsible and shut the gate when they come and go, but the park could also make their gates heavy or spring shut so there’s not a chance of people...