Fido Loves
Off-Leash on the Boston Common
In my opinion the Boston Common and Public Gardens are the beating heart of Boston. On any day you will find Bostonians with and without dogs milling about, socializing and sometimes just catching a noontime nap under one of the fantastic trees or beneath the summer sun. The Boston Common is the first public park in the United States and has a rich history much like the rest of Boston. Still today many events take place here, only history will tell which moments are remembered.
When you live in Beacon Hill, Back Bay or Downtown Crossing; the Common is a perfect place to take your dog for a walk or for socialization. Thanks to a small group of locals there is even a small section of the Boston Common where your dog can run off-leash.
While you are welcome to walk your dog anywhere in the Boston Common on a leash. The Off-Leash section is a smaller area between Frog Pond and the State House on the hill (Google Map Link). Usually you will find other dog owners letting their dog’s play off-leash. There is a poop bag station and a few small signs that mark the play area. However, there is not a fence around it, so you will need excellent voice control of your dog.The Boston Common has many distractions for your dog; squirrels, birds, horses, other dogs and plenty of people.
Even though other websites say there are restricted hours anyone who actually goes to the off leash section can tell you this is not true. There are dog there all day. The park is closed after 9 pm for everyone.
Our dog an English Pointer usually comes the moment I call him. Although, I am no match for the lure of the birds, squirrels and horses. These are just a few of his favorite things and there are so many that I cease to exist and his prey drive takes over. We spend plenty of time hunting game in the Boston Common, we just use a leash to be safe. Other dogs, a little less prey driven have a blast playing off-leash.
In other areas of the Common if you are off-leash an officer on horseback will come over and speak to you about your indiscretion. Just remember that countless hours went into getting permission for the existing off-leash area. While you are in the park with your dog please respect the rules and pick up your poop. The folks over at Boston Dog have worked very hard to make this area possible.
About Jay Stebbins
Jay Stebbins is Boston's dog friendly Real Estate Agent and the creator of Fido Loves; a blog dedicated to finding the best of dog friendly Boston. Feel free to get in touch with Jay via Email or you can follow Fido Loves at Twitter, Facebook or our RSS Feed.
Very well said, Jay. The off-leash area is designated for a reason, so it is important for dog owners to respect the city’s rules and keep their dogs on a leash throughout the rest of the park. I love when we take Moose to the Common and Public Garden. It’s a fairy tale setting in my mind.
I especially like the incredibly friendly dog owners you meet when at parks like this one
Sorry, also, did you ever talk with Eric Sugalki of Rasco dog? The creator of the ergonomic lead and biodegradable waste bags? He is out of Charlestown as well, I feel like I may have introduced you guys, but that may not be the case!
M
I did catch up with Eric, I am going to write an article about his Boston based dog business very soon as well as an article about the fine art of picking up dog poop.
~Jay