Don't let your dog miss out! This coming Saturday the Columbia Heights Halloween Dog Costume Contest is happening again. Even if you are not a dog owner, it is a very entertaining spectacle. October 31st at 5:45PM dogs of all sizes, breeds and colors are encouraged to strut their stuff in their best Halloween costume at 11th St NW and Park St NW. Support the 11th and Bark Dog Park nonprofit and maybe win one of the following contests: Owner & Dog Combo, Most Original, Spookiest and of course the Cutest.

It is a great effort by the 11th and Bark Dog Park nonprofit to establish such a great community event. You will be sure to see people of all ages and plenty of furry friends. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow dog lovers of the Columbia Heights…

There are a few dog parks in the Adams Morgan area of DC. The Walter Pierce Dog Park is located at 20th Street and Calvert Street, NW. This dog park was the District’s first official fenced dog exercise area. Just down the road at 2501 Calvert Street in Northwest, you will find an unofficial dog park without a fence. There is also another official dog park in the southern area of Adams Morgan -- S Street Dog Park at 17th Street and New Hampshire Avenue in Northwest.

Walter Pierce Community Park is a mixed-use facility including a playing field, basketball court, community garden, playground, chess tables, and picnic tables in addition to the dog park. The park is a partnership between the DC Department of Parks and Recreation and Friends of Walter…

Upshur Dog Park is located at 4300 Arkansas Avenue, NW. It’s a public-private partnership between the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Friends of 16th Street Heights Parks. The park encompasses 9,500 square feet of off-leash space where dogs can roam, socialize, and run freely.

The plans for the Upshur Dog Park were approved in February 2009, and the park was completed the following year in October at a cost of $286,000. Thus, the first official dog park in Ward 4 was created. The dog park includes fencing, double gates (to prevent accidental escapes), landscaping, a tool shed, benches, picnic tables, a dog fountain, and water bowls.

The dog park is free and available to all DC residents during the hours of 7 AM and 9 PM on weekdays and…

The Shaw Dog Park is a free dog park near Logan Circle. It’s just a few blocks away from the circle at 1673 11th Street in Northwest. The dog park is maintained by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation in partnership with the public. 

Shaw Dog Park opened in 2008 and consists of a 15,000-square-foot public park where dogs are free to play and socialize off-leash.  The park has two fenced enclosures for different speeds of dogs. The smaller enclosure, which holds up to five dogs, is for dogs under 25 pounds, physically challenged dogs, and senior dogs. The larger enclosure is for active play like ball tossing and running with a maximum of 28 dogs. The dog park near Logan Circle is open from 7 AM to 10 PM on weekdays and opens an hour later on…

The Congressional Cemetery Dogwalking Program allows members to walk their dogs off-leash throughout more than 35 acres of fenced property located at 1801 E Street in Southeast DC. This is a rare opportunity for city dogs to have so much space to roam free. Of course, there are other dog parks within the District, but few, if any, can boast 35 acres. 

In the mid 1990’s a group of neighbors, who walked their dogs in Congressional Cemetery, started charging themselves to help defray the cost of mowing the grass. The group became official in 2007.

Membership in the Congressional Cemetery Dogwalking Program lasts one year from March 1 through February of the next year. The waiting list opens on January 15, but sometimes spots become available in the…

Dog Parks in Dupont Circle probably aren’t the first amenity that comes to mind when you think of this trendy D.C. community, bustling with restaurants, bars and highly-priced studios.

But increasingly, homeowners are calling for more pet-friendly features in their neighborhoods and Dupont is one community that has responded. Dog Parks in Dupont Circle are not obvious. The S Stree Dog Park, tucked just south of Adams Morgan and North of Dupont Circle on New Hampshire Avenue at 17th Street is perhaps the most handy dog park to resident of Dupont Circle.

Like many dog parks in D.C., the dog parks in Dupont Circle like the S Street Dog Park are maintained by the Department of Parks and Recreation, along with, of course the dog owners themselves.

Dog…

The weather has improved dramatically these past two weeks and leaves are popping out everywhere!  A number of local dogs and their owners could be found enjoying the Columbia Heights Dog Park yesterday afternoon. Temperatures in the 70s into the foreseeable future have enticed people to take their furry friends out to play!  The dog park was packed (no pun intended) for the entire afternoon.  

There are formal and informal dog parks scattered across the city.  Some of the larger parks are the Shaw Dog Park at 11th and R NW, The Dupont Circle Dog Park at 17th and S NW, Lincoln (dog) Park just East of the Capitol, and the Upshur Dog Park on the at the intersection of Arkansan and Webster Street NE, and the Bloomingdale Dog Park at Crispus Attucks…