🐾 How to Handle Aggressive Dogs at the Dog Park – Real Advice from Dog Owners
Visiting the dog park can be a joyful activity for both you and your furry friend—but aggressive encounters can quickly […]
Bark Park, conveniently located on Mannino Park Drive in Old Bridge, NJ, is a dog-friendly destination perfect for local pet owners looking for a fenced area for their furry friends to socialize and play off-leash. The park offers wheelchair-accessible entrances and parking, making it welcoming for all visitors. There are separate areas for small and large dogs, ensuring a safer play environment tailored to your pet’s needs. With lots of natural shade among the trees, benches for seating, and running water (though available just outside the fenced area), dogs and their owners can enjoy a restful visit.
The park sits adjacent to family-friendly amenities like a playground, swings, and a baseball field, making it easy for families to spend a day out. While Bark Park is appreciated for its social atmosphere and convenient location among Old Bridge’s pet-friendly trails, some visitors note concerns such as ticks in grassy areas and occasional maintenance issues. Nevertheless, it remains a popular spot for dog lovers in the area to gather, play, and meet neighbors—especially during popular morning and afternoon hours.
We love Bark Park especially our little group in am 9am to 11am and 3 to 430pm
I wouldn’t recommend going here. Although my dog loves it, and I’ve met some great people and dogs, it is tick infested. I have my puppy on the seresto flea and tick collar and still found about 5 or 6 ticks on her. Went to the vet and she put her on Simparica on top of the collar. Hope to see some of you at East Brunswick Dog Park, they have a gravel and sand section which I much prefer she plays on, but if she goes in the grass at least it is much more well kept than Bark Park
I think it’s a great place. My puppy and I have made lots of friends. I do find that not all people are considerate.. I find loads of poop, big poop on the small dog side. I realize we can’t make everyone do what the right thing is, but it is disconcerting when most of us go out of our way to clean up after our pets. I could go on, but I’ll just end it by saying I really am happy I found this park.
If I regularly used this dog park I would say that it’s been wonderful to finally have one in town. I also love that there are two separate areas for both large and small dogs, however, that is about all I can say that is positive about it. I’ve been going there a couple of times per year since it’s been open and am very disappointed. The dog park was poorly designed without forethought and is little more than a fenced-in area in the woods, with running water that is (not easily) available outside of the fenced area if you need it. Even more disappointing is that the conditions at the dog park have only been deteriorating. It’s barely maintained and it often smells terrible, even as you are just walking by. The grounds are always full of very large holes and it is either extremely dusty (poor design) or full of dirty, wet leaves and other rotting vegetable matter. The seating is extremely limited, is very uncomfortable and there aren’t any tables at all. I’ve been to other dog parks around the state and this one is among the worst. The people (and dogs) of our town deserve much better.
It is very close to a shooting range, so if your dog doesn’t like fireworks then might not be the best option. My dog loves being outside and he was standing by the gate whining to leave in about 10 minutes, which has never happened before. Granted we were there on a Friday afternoon, so possibly busier at the range, but there were almost constant shots while we were there with some extra loud bangs as well.
If your dog doesn’t mind fireworks then it’s not a bad park, decent side compared to others in the area and in the trees so there is shade. Water is provided as well as multiple benches.