dog park equipment A dog rests in the doggie crawl at a new dog park in Plainwell, MI

Dog park equipment should be included in any discussion about adding a dog park to a community.

Why? Because dog owners will be the first to tell you - their pets love to run, climb and jump.

That's what dogs are born to do. So it's imperative when a parks and recreation department announces plans to add a dog park, it's important that a discussion is held about what dogs will do once they get there.

Which is exactly what took place for the City of Plainwell Dog Park, in Plainview, MI recently.

The parks and recreation department there conducted some public meetings and asked citizens what they would like to see in the design.

According to Community Development Manager Denise Siegel, "Many residents spoke up about wanting to add agility equipment."

At planning meeting, public requests dog park equipment

The city then conducted a poll on their Facebook page asking for input and the type of dog agility equipment people would prefer.

Afterward, the city purchased several agility products from The Park and Facilities Catalog.

dog agility equipment This hoop jump dog agility equipment has three different levels for different size dogs and abilities

Those pieces included:

What was the result?

"The park just opened on July 31 and the overall reaction has been amazing by both humans and the dogs," said Denise.

A positive result is only natural. Just like the way dogs like to run and jump.

The park is a model dog park with plenty of open space (28,000 sq. ft.), separate areas for small and large dogs, double gates to prevent dogs from running out, watering and waste stations and four park benches where owners can relax.

To raise money for the park, the city conducted a successful crowdfunding campaign that surpassed their goal of $20,000.

Millions of dogs in the US need exercise

There is a big need and demand for dog parks in the USA.

The reason? More and more Americans now own a dog.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are about 70 million, that's right, 70 million dogs in the United States.

About 40% of households in America own a dog. That's more than households with children. And we spend billions to build gigantic school systems for children. (We're joking).

But here's the point. With millions of dogs in the United States, there is a big demand for a place where they can get out and exercise. Many dogs are owned by working families, so the pups are confined at home several hours a day without their owners around.

Yes, we know, that doesn't seem to bother cats. And yes, there are also millions of cats in American homes as well.

dog weave posts Dog weave post

But dogs are not cats. They were born to run. In fact, if they don't get exercise, many times they will display undesirable and negative behavior.

The mantra says it all, "A tired dog is a good dog."

Dog experts recommend daily exercise for dogs. As much as a half hour to two hours per day. A well-exercised dog will burn off nervous energy and get the mental stimuli they need.

Once they return from a brisk workout at the dog park, they will be more mellow and more likely to nap.

Dog parks are a fantastic place for dogs to run and mingle with other dogs. It's an enclosed area so the owners can let their pooches run free.

But there honestly isn't much for them to do but to chase other dogs or be chased.

With dog agility equipment, the dogs essentially have their own playground.

The equipment also provides an opportunity for the owners to interact with their pets and basically, teach them new tricks.

(Important Note: From our experience, most dogs won't naturally interact with dog park equipment. They will tend to walk around the pieces. A little bit of initial training (and maybe a few treats) are necessary to teach the dog it's okay to jump through the hoop, walk up the ramp or crawl through the tunnels.)

Once they get the hang of it and see smiles of encouragement from their owners (after all dogs are big readers of body language), then the dog will be hooked. Then it's full on play time.

Outdoor dog playground equipment built to last

The great advantage of dog park equipment today is that it is not expensive. Parts and kits sold by companies such as The Park and Facilities Catalog are not the costly, competition-level pieces. Our dog playground products are made to be durable and left out in the open 24 hours a day, seven days a week in dog parks.

For many products, there is a tough stain and urine resistant coating added to the surface. For pieces where the dog must climb onto the product, such as a paws table, the surface is also made to be paw-friendly and slip-resistant.

As any parent will tell you, take a child to a playground and they will wear themselves out.

The same principle applies to our canine friends as well and that's why more and more dog parks (and multi-family communities) are adding dog park equipment as well.

As for the dog-specific products from the Park and Facilities Catalog, Denise said: "We are very pleased with the quality of the equipment, the pricing and the ease of installing the equipment."

When the residents of Plainwell now visit their new dog park, we're sure one of them has a big smile on their face and another is wagging their tail in delight.

Note: If you want to instantly turn a dog park into a doggie playground, consider one of our Dog Park Kits with a complete package of agility equipment.

dog crawl tunnel A happy dog at play