Penn Valley Off-Leash Dog Park

To quote John Ralphio of Parks and Rec, this dog park is "the wooooooooooorrrrrrrssssst!" Maybe that's a bit unfair, but I don't come down here anymore. There's better ones around like Bar-K (small cost), Leawoof Dog Park, Shawnee Mission Dog Park, and others north of the river. The views of the city and location are great. Plus dogs, dogs are pretty great in general. The rest, not so much. It's muddy in the spring, sun-baked in the summer and doesn't have any of the expected perks of most area dog parks. My dog gets along well with most, but I've heard a lot of stories about some less-than-thoughtful owners bringing their dogs here that don't get along well with others. Bold strategy, Cotton, but a poor one. There are ways to socialize dogs slowly, and just going for it by letting them run free with a bunch of other dogs ain't it.

Nice big dog park. The big dog park portion is huge!! Unfortunately there's only one water fountaintucked in the back corner that you wouldn't really know about unless you explored a bit. Also there's only one trash can and no dog bags for their poo... which is weird odd considering it's a dog park... but I do like that it's big and a bit hilly.

Great dog park in the heart of Kansas City Missouri. This dog park is fully enclosed. There are benches and picnic tables to sit at. The only downside is that there is only one water fountain in the back gate entrance. But I am sure with more funding the park could install another.

Good space for dogs to run around. HOWEVER, I am highly disappointed and repulsed by all of the owners who let their dogs do their business and DO NOT clean up after themselves! All the grass is nearly dead leaving it a dirt ground filled with dog poop EVERYWHERE! people need to clean up after themselves, and maybe it'd be worth taking your dog. Bring your dog(s) here if you love stepping in crap and mud!!!

My fiancee and I recently adopted 2 dogs from Wayside Waifs. You can find us at a dog park every weekend. My fiancee is at a dog park almost every day. We like to frequent Wayside Dog Park, Shawnee Mission Off Leash dog park, Swope Park, and Penn Valley. Out of these 4, Penn Valley is my least favorite. It's a big fenced area for the dogs to run around; we can send a tennis ball soaring through the field. That's where the perks end. There's not really any trees, so shade is limited and no covered benches or gazebos to get away from the sun. While I don't expect to be best friends with dog park goers, at all the other dog parks we've gotten to know some of the regulars. At Penn Valley, no one seems interested in talking or making eye contact. I can't even get a "Hi, How are you?" from anyone. Penn Valley is the only dog park where our dog has been attacked by another dog for no reason. There are un-trained and un-socialized dogs who come to this park.My fiancee comes often because its close to our apartment. But once we move, I don't see us coming back.

As far as specified small dog parks are concerned this ranks pretty low on my list. The top three reasons are: the almost complete lack of shade, the sad small designated strip, and the poorly thought out steep incline. The small dog park is to the left of the entrance, facing the parking area, and is pretty much a narrow horizontal drag of about 40-50 feet with no trees anywhere in sight, which I found quite unsettling since the larger doggie park seemed to have a good amount. The picnic table on the small dog side has been directly in sunlight on each visit and standing against the hot black wire fence where dogs have done questionable deeds just for some shade is not usually on my agenda. Really there is nothing much to the space that would invite a small dog to frolic and play except for the sad littering of damaged tennis balls all over the ground. The incline also was troublesome for my miniature dachshund who suffers from mini-leg syndrome (not a real medical problem just FYI) but, nonetheless any small doggie with short doggie legs who wants a rest in the only visible shade, from a cluster of trees on the other side of the fence segregating the large dogs from the small, will likely run full speed down the incline and may take a tumble. Compared to other dog parks in the area that offer two separate areas this dog park, though convenient, is not well designed for humans to be comfortable or small dogs to be happy.

One of the better dog parks when you live near the Plaza. I think it's mostly covered in grass now. And some of these reviews are a touch on the older size. It must have been really muddy in 2012.You'll find tons of dogs here almost anytime of day. The park is big but not as big as some of the parks outside downtown.There is always water available. And there is a faucet to get water when the dog bowls are empty.In fact, there is a collection of milk jugs to make gathering water easy. Great park.

So....I really like going to this park because of the social aspect of getting my dog socialized but sometimes my dog can be an a hole......... Yep that pretty much sums it up

My feelings about Penn Valley Dog Park are pretty mixed. I like the location and I like the set up. I have a dog who loves to run long and far as soon as his leash is off and this park is completely surrounded by a chain link fence, as opposed to trees or a lake like some of the other dog parks. At Penn Valley, Muggle can't run off into any trees and leave me to search for him for two hours. I can sit and relax on a bench and can keep an eye on him while he's running around. I have noticed that there are more aggressive dogs at this park than I've encountered at other parks. More aggressive people as well. I don't think I'd feel comfortable here in the evenings, but on Saturday afternoons when the park is full, it's a-okay. I will agree with Rachel H., they need a parking lot. Right now you just have to park up on the lawn and then walk downhill. I don't like not being able to see my car from the park.

Great dog park conveniently located! The only reason I have given it 4 instead of 5 is because I wish (okay, my dog wishes) that it was larger. Not Shawnee Mission Park large (that dog park is HUGE and heavily wooded so you could easily loose a dog that likes to run off...I speak from experience). Don't get me wrong, this one is pretty big, but within 5 minutes of arriving Lunar has already greeted every dog and I notice him running around the perimeter trying to escape into the wooded area. Which reminds me, while there are many trees in the park, it would have been cool to have included some of the wooded area, for dogs which like that feeling of exploring.Most people are pretty good about picking up after their dogs (there are numerous plastic baggies and trash cans available for doing so). Just don't forget to bring water to help your bestie recooperate from all of the hard play! :-) At Shawnee Mission they have doggie drinking fountatins, but at Penny Valley it is just a lot of bowls around to fill up with water you bring.It is free and there are 2 seperate fenced areas, one is smaller and meant for smaller dogs! :-)Have fun! Your bestie will love it!