McCarren Park Dog Run

From the outside, this looks like a nice little park to take your dogs. There’s a large dog run and a small one. I have a 65lb golden retriever, so we are strictly relegated to the large dog run.
The run does not have running water, but they do have large jugs of water and bowls available for the pups. There’s also plenty of seating for dog owners, and an abundance of balls for the dogs. Extremely convenient location.
That said, I just can’t recommend the park because of all the irresponsible dog owners. I’ve seen numerous dog attacks and just general carelessness from dog owners. Worst of all, my dog contracted kennel cough here (yes, she’s fully vaccinated), and was hacking her lungs out for almost a week. It cost me $ 400 at the vet. We have since sworn the place off.

Not too impressed, especially with the nonsensical screens around the entire thing and no benches.

There’s a separate dog run for small dogs. The dog run is actually pretty small. I thought it would be a lot bigger since it’s so popular. There were a lot of people walking in and out. There are plenty of seats for humans. No running water. Lots of shovels and sometimes bags to pick up your dog’s poop.

I’m really disappointed that this one of the only dog park in the area. Pros: decent sized run area, when the weather is nice there are often many people there for dog socialization, and there are 2 separate runs for large and small dogs. Cons: it’s ALWAYS dirty– when it rains don’t plan on going for at least a week because it will be solid mud, the small dog park is worse and ends up looking like a gated pond. It’s obvious that the area isn’t well maintained at all.

Pros: nice people, sweet dogs
Cons: small, crowded, poorly fenced (my pup has escaped), and not a fan of the dirt/​mulch

I always go to the small dog park since my puparoo is 4 pounds. The people and dogs are usually fairly well behaved. There is always butt sniffing galore!
As with all dog runs, keep alert and keep an eye on your dog. Oooh and aaaah at all the cutesy Brooklyn dogs. Bring poop bags (which I would think you would have since you are out with your dog anyway).
It’s fun and free and it makes my dog happy. Not much to complain about.

Not as big as dumbo but very large in comparison to most and pretty active during the day. Surprisingly dead after 10 tho for a Williamsburg spot. Great shade when it’s hot. My dogs favorite for FUN.

This is like a small piece of park, next to McCarren Park. Has a few picnic tables and two dog runs, one for small dogs and the other for large dogs. I have a small doggie baby, as you know. We don’t take her to doggie parks, not sure why, I guess its because we are over protective… lol We were driving by one day and saw the little dogs having a good time, so we decided to bring my Gia.
Parking is okay, found a spot across the street, in between McCarren Park and the dog park.
There were only a couple of dogs when we arrived. Clean, nice size, but a little on the small side, the had tennis balls and water for there guest, and a couple of benches for parents. Lots of mulch was put down, didn’t see an poop, messes. Owners were really friendly and were def paying attention to there dogs. My Gia like it, but all the dogs she met (including herself), seemed to want to keep to themselves. Guess you cant blame the place for that… lol
Gia cant wait to come back here!
FYI…McCarren Park has lots of fun stuff for humans also! They even have a pool and a skate park.

Not one of Brooklyn’s best dog runs… by with some upgrades it could be one of the better ones.
Things it has going for it:
— Separate large & small dog runs in separate areas
— Good fencing
— Plenty of shade
— Adequate gates, entry area & seating
Things it has against it:
— No dedicated dog drinking fountain
— No bathrooms for humans near run
— Wood chip ground cover but not enough put down, a lot of exposed dirt.
— No poop bags, but has an empty dispensers
Only reason it got 2 stars is because fencing and separate runs. Bring in dedicated water and better ground cover would make it a 3 star run. Area residents and their dogs deserve better than this.
Dog runs/​parks I have been to so far:

Bleh… the dirt and chip ground is disappointing and my feet and pup are covered in grime. The small dog pen is just that… small and some of the owners need socialization, I wont blame the dogs for that, they need more guidance and direction. Had to leave when a wild pup would not stop trying to deflower everyone in sight
Control your loved ones please, not fair the rest of our dogs can’t enjoy playtime because your to busy on the phone.

There are some really great dogs and owners here, but there are just too many bad ones to make this park pleasant.
Some people don’t care enough to teach dogs how to play, or correct their behavior when they’re acting bad. Some people show up to the dog run, then mentally check out to make phonecalls, send text messages, or read a book. At the McCarren dog run, you’re bound to see both those people rolled up into one — or as they’re best put, just plain terrible dog owners.
If you bring your dog here, expect a handful of untrained dogs to repeatedly try to hump him/​her — while their owners pretend nothing is going on or just look away the entire time. Expect some dogs to not know how to play, and bite other dogs much harder and longer than they should — and expect their owners to just not care enough to step in. Expect many dogs to snarl and bark and antagonize people and puppies alike, without their owners bothering to correct.
We’ve met many genuinely great people and dogs here, but the assholes really do ruin this park for everyone else. It’s not that I care about my dog being victimized (he’s 70+ pounds and can fend for himself) — it’s that we spend a lot of time and energy teaching him what is appropriate and what isn’t. 15 minutes in this park can ruin weeks of training. Our guy is only ‘mouthy’ after a short trip to McCarren, but never gets his teeth anywhere near us after playing for hours at the other parks.

A great place to take your dog. But not always, only when the right dog owners are there.
I have a large 80 pound puppy who’s pretty submissive. We have her trained well, she comes when she’s called, and leaves it when we say so. She loves to run around and play when given the chance but is easily bullied by other dogs. There are a couple of dog owners here who are completely retarded, young college hipster kids who have never owned a dog in their life who have no idea what they’re freakin’ doing. They have no control over their animals whatsoever.
My dog has been bit here, one time she was lying by me, chilling out after running around, and another dog came over tackled her and bit her right on the cheek for no reason at all, and this dog was doing this the whole time. I picked my dog up and left at this point as he was still getting attacked and was trying to run and hide, and the owner didn’t even call his dog off and only said sorry after another woman told him off about his crazy ass dog and it was a half ass apology at best.
Seriously people, get your rescue dogs into socialization classes or training classes first before you decide to randomly bring them to the dog park. You’re not doing you or your dog a favor by bringing them into the dog park unprepared.

I really love McCarren Park. Here, you get prim (but trim!) patches of verdant grass, high school football teams and Saturday morning soccer practice in fall; a brisk walk or jogging path (that won’t serve any real runners, but is great for us nighttime couch potatoes); a small farmer’s market; and even a size-​segregated «dog run» (read: dirt-​patch) where your pooch can socialize off-​leash.
Bringer beware though — because, unfortunately, not every dog owner is a responsible pack leader, and I’ve seen fights erupt among over-​aggressive animals. For the most part, though (I come about once a week), the canines are polite, and get along. Petite pooches have a separate run — but it’s an even muddier mosh pit than the main event.
On that note, don’t wear your best threads — the tanbark and soil (no grass or concrete here) will sully your socks, and dogs will place paws onto your pants.

The park itself is not bad and for the most part the volunteers, owners and other dogs are cool but a few assholes can ruin it for anyone. Here’s an idea: If your dog humps every other dog in sight which leads to growling and snapping, and you’re too obese to chase them around and control them, stay the fuck away. I’m sick of you people.

This is about the crappiest dog run I’ve been to; with its chips-​and-​dirt surface, you get mud, you get puddles, and you get ice when temperatures are freezing.
The people are very sociable; this is an affluent part of Williamsburg with a good mix of people and dogs of all breeds. To tell you the truth, I don’t see a lot of people using the small dog run, but it’s there.
When I was last there, I heard they might be re-​surfacing it soon, which would be great, but it might just be a rumor; we’ll see.

There’s a little area for small dogs, and another for medium & large size dogs. Definitely not the best dog run/​park I’ve seen, but it’s a necessity in the neighborhood.

A poem for the McCarren Park Dog Run:
I love you McCarren
For the way you recognize
That a good dog park should always
Be separated by size.
My little pooch loves to frolic
But weighs just 10 pounds
And in bigger dog parks
He gets bullied around.
Here at McCarren,
He runs in circles, without fear!
For though there are tons of new friends
There are no big dogs here.
Though it’s meant for smaller pups,
There’s still plenty of space
For tossing around a frisbee
Or having a nice chase.
The park loses one star,
Because I fear I must admit
That like any dog park
It smells like sh*t.

Our westie puppy LOVES this dog park. The regulars are key.
The woodchips are kid of gross, but it’s the only place around. We use the little dog park and it annoys me that the big dog park is always getting fixed up (ie new fence, good gate) They need to pay attention to the little dogs too.

I love animals and luckily my girlfriend has a dog. Sometimes we’ll take him here so he can run around.
He’s a 7-​pound yorkie, but he prefers the big dog area. The area for smaller dogs is usually pretty empty and not as poppin’ as the big area.
I just like being able to see all the different dogs and like petting them. My girlfriend thinks I’m like a little kid at the dog park, trying to pet all the dogs.

I’m surprised i’m the first to post a review on this place, it is a very popular destination for dog owners in the area.
The run is wood chips and dirt, and there are some really nice trees that give the area good shade. The new park lights on the soccer field give some extra light to the run at night, but the two little street lights need to be replaced with more powerful lights. Also the run desperately needs it’s own water source. There is also a separate small dog run and some benches for people to sit on and dogs to jump around. Unlike Tompkins Square, the run does not discourage against bringing toys into the run, so there are plenty of balls and ropes for the dogs to play with. Very, very rarely have I seen it cause a problem. The dog park organization does a fantastic job organizing clean ups, more people should help out.
Most people that come here are very nice and do a good job watching their dogs and keeping them out of trouble. Of course, there will always be some bad apples who talk on their cell phone and pretend like they didn’t see their dog dropping a deuce in the corner so they don’t have to pick it up.
Summer time weekends are PACKED from late morning till dusk. I don’t know where people keep all these dogs during the winter. But when I’m out there freezing my butt off while my dog runs around, those people certainly aren’t there. Weekend mornings are the best time to visit the dog run.