About Renfrew Community Park Dog Off-Leash Enclosure

• Type: Off-Leash Dog Park

• Size: Medium

• Enclosed: Yes

• Doors: Two sets of double doors

• Traffic: Moderate

One of the newer dog parks in the Vancouver area, the Renfrew Community Park Dog Off-Leash Enclosure has quickly become one of our more frequented parks. Located right off of Renfrew St., this off-leash dog park can be very busy, which makes for a great space for your dog to tire out. For the many times we've been here, we've never had an issue finding a parking spot and even if the parking was full, there's plenty of street parking around Renfrew Park Community Centre.

As the name of the park suggests, it is an enclosed park where dogs are free to roam off-leash! The thing that I enjoy the most about this park is that it has multiple terrains for your dog. Once you've entered through one of the two sets of double doors, you'll find that the park is split up into four different terrains: grass, sand, wood chips and crushed gravel.

The main playing area in the middle is filled with wood chips and sand, while the grass makes up the left side of the park and the crushed gravel is towards the back where the picnic tables are. I found this to be really interesting as Markus explored the different terrains, but gravitated towards the grassy area which also happens to be quieter because it's tucked around a corner.

Among other things, the park includes plenty of trees, logs, rocks, benches and picnic tables. There are no fountains, but there are bowls that owners have left there. For the times that we've gone, there have been people who generously brought jugs of water for all the dogs to drink out of. I get the sense that some of these owners are regulars with their dogs, but I haven't been enough and at the same time of the day to be familiar.

For reactive dogs, I have positive feelings about this park, as long as you can get past the first part. With the way that the park is situated, both sets of doors tend to be bombarded with dogs as they're entering. For Markus, if he's overcrowded upon entering a park, he quickly becomes defensive and may start to growl or bark. We've identified this as one of his triggers and it seems to set him on the wrong tone at the park, so we try to avoid it or wait until the other dogs are away from the door.

Once Markus is inside, it's a different story. Although the park is not the biggest, the active dogs tend to play in the middle and there's enough going on in the rest of the park that quieter dogs can still explore in peace. We find that this is good for a reactive dog like Markus. He won't choose to play with the active dogs, but will go towards the grassy area, which is tucked around a corner and tends to be quieter and where only a handful of other dogs greet him at one time. It's much more controlled environment for both us and Markus.

The dogs in this park come in all sizes, but we feel that it does tend to be more medium to larger dogs. There's a good mix of very active dogs playing with each other and dogs who are happy playing catch with their owners. Numbers-wise, there can be a lot of dogs, but it's not overwhelming (unless they crowd at the door). What's nice about this is park is that as it gets darker, it is decently lit so you can bring your dog after peak hours when it's a little quieter (but the park closes at 9pm).

If you find that your dog needs rest or just needs to be away from the other dogs, there's a mini path/walk outside of the park into some tree-covered areas. It's a lot quieter in there since most dogs are at the park and it's a good place for a timeout. The path is short, so it likely isn't enough for a full walk, but there are some things for dogs to explore.

If we didn't live so far from the Renfrew Community Park Dog Off-Leash Enclosure (it's not that far, but it's at least a half an hour drive), we would consider this park as our everyday park. We enjoy the terrains and the options that it gives Markus, but more importantly, we've enjoyed the other dogs that are there and the fact that Markus can retreat to quiet areas if he's uncomfortable or stressed. For us, it's a good place to socialize Markus in a controlled environment. We've come to this park many times and will continue to do so!

What we liked

• The different terrains are very unique and dogs can play on whatever surface they prefer.

• Two sets of double doors are always good.

• The park's lit in the evening as it gets darker.

• The park has a nice mix of areas to explore and areas to play, so if your dog is a bit more timid, they can go to quieter areas off to the side.

What we didn’t like

• There's no drinking station, but there are bowls that have been left behind.

Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs

I find that going to the Renfrew Community Park Dog Off-Leash Enclosure with a reactive dog is on the edge of it being stressful, but we’ve always had a pleasant time here. The park itself is not very big so dogs are in close quarters, but the way that the park is shaped allows for areas of respite for Markus if he starts to get uncomfortable. The park bends around a corner and I find that not very many dogs wander out that way, so it’s a good place to take your dog if they need to be away from the pack.

There are two sets of double doors, but we find that both of these can get pretty busy and crowded. If your dog’s not comfortable walking into a crowded park, you might want to wait it out. If you’re able to go during quieter hours of the day, it might be a bit easier.

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.