Union Street Dog Park — Attraction in New Haven

This is a fenced area with a few trees on Union at Chapel. There is a smaller, separate area, with separate entry for small dogs that prefer not to play with big dogs (or big dogs recovering from surgeries, etc or staying away from other dogs). The ground is a mix of stones, uncovered dirt, and a little grass.

The dog park is lightly frequented in the morning before the traditional workday, and heavily frequented in the evening after the traditional workday (5-7ish). It tends to be empty outside of those hours, so choose your timing carefully.

Many people who come to the park are yoing professionals and most folks who come to this park are regulars who walk their dogs from one of the many dog-friendly apartments and condo complexes in the area. The crowds tend to be friendly, though some less talkative that others.

Things to know before you go:

There is not a bathroom or water fountain for humans, but there is a manually-operated water fountain for thirsty dogs to share.

You are expected to clean up after your dog at this park, but unless someone kindly leaves behind a few bags in the posted metal bins, there are not bags provided, so remember to bring your own (and some to share with others who forget.)

There is a bag hanging on the fence that is meant to store balls at the park, but there are rarely balls (or frisbees, etc.) left there, so plan to bring your own, and then plan to share and to even have another dog "steal" it and use it for a game of dog-chase instead.

The park is not well-shaded, so plan accordingly. Also, if it is the least bit rainy, or if it even has drizzled earlier in the day, know that the park will likely be empty when you go.

Bringing treats is not forbidden at this park as it is at others, so it is a good spot to train dogs to do the right things even with distractions. Do note, however, that if you bring treats, you will likely be the distraction for strong-nosed dogs of all kinds. Keep treats and toys you don't want to share at home or high up on your person where they are less likely to be detected.

At this park, you and your dog will experience trains passing by; people walking or otherwise traveling by and even suddenly leaning over the fence to pet or talk to the dogs; cars, emergency vehicles, and motorcycles speeding by; noise and/or smells from the auto shop across the street, etc. This is a somewhat busy area, so plan for your dog's needs in relation to that.

Your dog should really be unleashed at this park (unless aggressive, in which case absolutely don't bring them to the park). Leashing your dog (or picking up your dog) in a crowd of unleashed dogs leads to things such as leash aggression; squirrel-instinct chasing, etc. At this park, the dogs all run around unleashed. If your dog is a puppy or is just plain small but wants to be in the area with the big dogs, others will surely help your dog safely integrate into the crowd. Otherwise, instead of leashing your dog, use the less busy small dog area.

The dogs present all have their own personalities, just as the people. Some dogs will just sniff and wander. Other dogs will play by running, engaging in games of chase or tug-of-war, wrestling and play-biting, or even teasing one another with toys or sticks. Some dogs will play loudly, even with rough-sounding noises, others more quietly. You'll need to be prepared for a range of types of play. Educate yourself in advance about the way these are all normal dog behaviors; learn your own dog's patterns and needs (for example, when your dog is getting amped up and needs to take a time out); and then communicate openly with others, who know their own dogs well. Watch out for play that isn't mutual (dogs should take turns initiating wrestling or chasing after one another, for example) or play involving pack mentality (two or three dogs repeatedly trying to wrestle the one same dog all at the same time). But try to relax about normal play behaviors because human anxiety can lead to dog anxiety and weird behavior in the park among...

This is generally a nice little dog park that our dog loves to visit for play time. HOWEVER, there have been multiple occasions now where we’ve experienced nasty run ins with a large grey doodle mix. This dog has seemingly for no reason at all attacked our much smaller dog twice now, and based on what we’ve heard from others frequenting the dog park, our dog is hardly the first one that this has happened to. The last time this happened the dog even BIT my fiancé when he went to pull the dog off ours! BE WARNED: keep your dog away from this grey doodle mix. He is nasty and his owner appears to not care at all that his dog is overly aggressive...

Typical city park - long but narrow, along the street. Parking is hard to find, but this is a very nice neighborhood park. The one major issue is that the train tracks run right on the other side of the fence (opposite the street side) so dogs who are sound sensitive might be scared. Mostly dirt, with a bit of gravel. The trees will give some nice shade once the leaves come back. There are some bags and a single trash can. Water bubbler is available, once the...