David Gray Park
Markus (right) showing his Jindo size with a smaller Shiba Inu at David Gray Park
About David Gray Park
Type: Off-Leash Dog Park
Size: Medium
Enclosed: Yes
Doors: Two sets of double doors
Traffic: Moderate to Heavy
Markus (middle) smiling at his Shiba Inu friend at David Gray Park
We love bringing Markus to David Gray Park. In the early days before we had a dog, we did a lot of research on breeds of dogs and this was the park where we got to meet other Shiba owners during a meetup for advice. Apparently, this is the location for a lot of other dog meetups as well. Another connection that we have with this park is that it was also the first off-leash dog park that we brought Markus to and we couldn't recommend it enough.
David Gray Park is located in Burnaby, British Columbia. The park itself is made of a dirt and sandy terrain with areas of grass towards the end. There are benches, trees and a few logs scattered throughout the park, so it is mostly for dogs to play with each other. There's also a fountain for fresh water and bowls to fill so on hot days, the dogs can stop for a drink. Since this park is an off-leash park, there are hardly ever dogs who are on leash.
We love coming to this park because of how spacious it is, which is great for dogs who might be reactive. This was the first park we took our dog off-leash and we purposefully chose it because even if there are a lot of dogs in the park, you don't really feel it because of how big it is.
If you're thinking about bringing your dog to an off-leash park, but you're not sure how they might respond, David Gray Park is a good place to try it out because the far end of the park tends to be quieter with a limited number of dogs. If you find that your dog is integrating well, you can move closer to the middle where the larger groups of dogs are playing.
The park also has two sets of double doors for entry and exit. We should mention that the door closer to the street is a lot busier than the other door, so if your dog takes time to warm up to other dogs or if it doesn't like to be rushed or crowded by other dogs upon entry, you might want to enter through the second door further down.
What we liked
It's a really big park, so even if there are a lot of dogs, it's still possible to be in quieter spots with your dog.
It is a gated and enclosed park with two sets of double doors for entry and exit.
There's a fountain for fresh water and bowls nearby to fill.
There's a garbage can outside one of the gates, but it is accessible from within the park so you don't have to go outside.
There are a few benches scattered throughout the park.
There are trees for shade on hot days.
It's a dog park within a park, so if your dog is over stimulated and you need to take it out for a walk, the rest of the park is fairly quiet.
What we didn’t like
Since the park is mostly dirt and sand, dust tends to be kicked up while the dogs are playing. At the end of the day, Markus ends up feeling very chalky.
Our Recommendation For Reactive Dogs
David Gray Park was the first park we took Markus for off-leash training. Though it gets pretty busy at its peak, it is a good place to practice because the size of the park is big enough that you can stay on one end of the park where it’s quieter and I find that only a few dogs wander there at a time (as dogs tend to play in the middle or the front area). It helps that there are two sets of double doors for entry and exit and I recommend going through the back set of doors since the front set always has dogs crowding it.
Disclaimer
Markus is a reactive, but not aggressive dog. His instinct is to avoid other dogs and he may growl, bark or lunge if provoked, but will not attack. We normally do not have issues with leashed dogs when both sides are controlled, but we will be on guard when an oncoming dog is not leashed. There are varying levels to a dog’s reactivity and only you can decide if this park, trail or hotel is appropriate for your dog. Our visits generally will not include off-leash areas; most experiences shared on The Markus Project are within leashed or undefined areas.
Please remember that our past experience visiting a park, trail or hotel may not be the same as your experience at the same park, trail or hotel. We have no control of who visits the park and whether they adhere to park rules - like leashing their dogs on leash-required paths - or not. Please use your discretion with the information provided and with your personal knowledge of your dog’s reactivity when visiting these parks, trails or hotels.