Sometimes you don't have to travel very far from home to have the best time.
About twenty minutes from our home there is a glorious dog park set far back on acres and acres of lush greenery and farmland. This isn't your average dog park: you and your dogs get the space all to yourselves. Whether it's obedience training or just fun-filled running and jumping you're after, Hopewell Dog Park has it all.
Recently, more and more information about the dangers of traditional dog parks has come to light. Usually, small-ish, enclosed spaces where dogs of all sizes, breeds, and temperaments (and owners of varying levels of conscientiousness) gather, traditional dog parks can be a real health and safety gamble.
Dog parks like Hopewell offer the ability to rent out a private space just for you and your dog(s). The price is reasonable, and you can rent out the space of your choosing for as little as thirty minutes or as long as two hours (at Hopewell, £6.50 rents you the adventure field for thirty minutes for up to two dogs). The spaces are secured with lockboxes and six-foot fencing. Hiring out this private space ensures access to a clean and controlled environment, which is ideal for people who may not have a garden/yard suitable or safe enough for their dogs to romp around in. There's even a little cafe, The Walk Inn, onsite!
There are several different spaces at Hopewell that are available for use, including an indoor barn and a woodland space. We usually opt for the adventure field, a huge well-kept meadow containing all sorts of fun things for the dogs, from tunnels and tyres to ramps and logs. Each space has running water and dog bowls and a little shaded area to cool down on warm days--though that weather is infrequent in the UK!
Mr Win poses on a tyre tower
Win & Clem's BFF Waffles can jump on just about anything!
Win, Clem, & Waffles taking a break in the shade.
Our Scotties love to play in the adventure field with their very cute friend Waffles, a Shichon (Shih Tzu/Bichon Frise mix)--and a total dynamo (with the softest fur ever). After an hour or so of zooming around and chasing each other, it's time for some much needed sustenance. We hop in the car and drive to a nearby dog-friendly pub with some of the best food around: The Guy Fawkes Arms.
Winnie & Waffles eagerly await chips at Guy Fawkes Arms.
Check out those chunky chips and that glorious steak and ale pie!
Everything I've tried at Guy Fawkes Arms has been absolutely delicious, from traditional pub fare to elevated fresh seafood (I had a mussel pot there recently and it was phenomenal). The dogs love it too--they are BIG fans of the chips (two dewclaws up for all three pups).
Are private, rented dog parks becoming popular in the US? Comment below!
Waffles has always loved the dog park but she was only ever allowed to go if it was empty. Now, she doesn't have to be teased as we walk by and realized there are other dogs there and she isn't allowed in (per her mama's rules). Of course, it's made more fun when she gets to play with Winnie and Clementine.