08 Sep How Knoxville’s Dog Parks Offer Your Pooch Healthy Perks

One of the advantages of living in Knoxville is the number of dog parks that are scattered throughout the city. There are currently seven active dog parks, all of them PetSafe parks, with two more in the works. Each park provides large fenced open spaces for dogs to romp and roam, and most are divided into two sections to separate small and large breeds.

Some of the parks feature training equipment like tunnels and ramps, others have wooded trails within the fenced-in areas, and all have dog-level water fountains or—in the case of PetSafe Concord Park—a dock over the river for the more adventurous water-plunging dogs.

Outdoor Knoxville has a comprehensive guide to the City’s dog parks, including links and directions for each, at outdoorknoxville.com. In addition, two more area dog parks are in the works—one at Plumb Creek Park on Hickey Road in Northwest Knoxville, and another at Lakeshore Park between Northshore and Lyons View Pike near Bearden.

The City’s dog parks offer two major benefits for your dog’s physical and emotional well-being. First, dogs can run off-leash and exercise as vigorously as their energy level allows, which is often more strenuous than their owners can keep up with.

Secondly, the parks provide socialization for dogs to get used to other dogs, as well as people, which is valuable for all dogs but particularly important for the younger pups. Proper socialization helps your dog know how to cope with stressful situations (like going to the vet or being in crowds), as well as how to curb aggression.

To keep the experience safe and enjoyable for all dogs and humans, follow common sense dog park etiquette:

• Dogs must be licensed, current with all vaccinations, healthy, and wearing a collar with ID tags at all times.
• Keep dogs leashed when entering and exiting.
• Owners must keep dogs in view and under voice control at all times.
• All children under age 12 must be supervised by an adult.
• Owners are legally responsible for their dogs, and for any injuries caused by them.
• Owners are required to remove their dogs at the first sign of aggression.
• Dogs that are under four-months-old, are ill or injured or in heat are not permitted.
• Food, beverages, smoking, skateboards, bikes or motorized vehicles are not permitted.

It’s also a good idea to walk the perimeter of the dog park’s fence before letting your dog off leash, particularly if he or she tends to be an escape artist. There may be temporary damage to fencing that smaller dogs could fit through.

Be sure that your pooch is up to date on the Bordetella vaccination for kennel cough, which is a highly contagious respiratory disease that your dog can pick up from being in contact with other dogs. Even sniffing or snatching up a tennis ball at the dog park can pass along the infection if other dogs that aren’t up-to-date on their Bordetella vaccination. For more information on the illness, read Why Should You Care About Kennel Cough Even If You Don’t Board Your Pets?

Also, we recommend your pet is on a great heartworm, intestinal parasite and flea/tick prevention product. Above all, be sure your pet only brings back happy memories!

By operating limited hours for non-surgical care, PetWellClinic® is able to offer substantially discounted prices for exams, preventative products for heartworms, fleas and ticks, and vaccinations like Bordetella and rabies. Think of us as a walk-in “minute clinic” for your pet’s wellness—no appointment necessary, with quick in and out service. You can save even more time by pre-registering and getting in line before you even leave home.

PetWellClinic® is open during evening hours and on weekends. We are located in Farragut at 10549 Kingston Pike, near West Hills at 7329 Kingston Pike and at 228 S. Calderwood Street in Alcoa. Learn more about how the PetWellClinic® can exceed your expectations for affordable, top quality pet care by visiting our website at www.petwellclinic.com.