Challenger Bark

We have a small dog, a cavalier King Charles spaniel, so for us this place is really perfect. He is able to run off the leash, which for him is a treat. It is not a large space, it is secluded, and it is right by the train. Maybe we have low expectations, but we look forward to going there and it brings great joy to our puppy.

It’s right under the El so I think the noise from passing trains helps dogs stay grounded and on their toes, heavy with fear and curiosity.

This is not a dog park. This is a small fenced-​in concrete lot, with a few benches, jammed right up against one of the long fortress walls of Graceland Cemetery, and practically underneath the Red line El tracks.
Maybe I’m biased because I’ve only lived in the city since summer of 2012, and in the western suburbs there exist huge, beautiful dog parks, with large tracts of grass, flower beds, trees, and other landscaping. One of the dog parks my boyfriend and I used to go to in Naperville was at least 20x the size of this one, was all grass, and had huge separate areas for big dogs and small dogs. (sigh)
So, okay, I get that space is at a premium in the urban jungle, and maybe grass could never thrive in these kind of nooks and crannies. Still, I don’t see any point in taking my dog here, for what this is. I’d much rather take the longer walk straight east to the lakefront, and go to the rolling grass hills near Montrose Harbor. Back before we hunkered down for winter, my little shih tzu had a grand time running around in the huge park just north and west of the harbor, where all the soccer fields and baseball diamonds are.
I think that will still be the preferred choice once everything thaws out, and warm weather returns.

This is awesome little are for pets. It’s free and a great idea and from my experience the owners and dogs who come here are super friendly! It’s free but the only two downfalls are that it’s literally right next to the train, so it makes you go deaf every time it passes by so the location next to the train is very inconsiderate. Also note not to come here in the day of a cubs game because they transform the parking and charge $ 15 for entrance. So sad.

This isn’t a busy dog park, which is great if you have a socially awkward dog, and if you also happen to be a bit of a helicopter mom (guilty). I’ve met a lot of cool people here, and Ike has made a few friends, but more often than not when we go it’s empty. I’ve noticed that people will sometimes bypass the park when they see another dog playing, so my guess is that people LIKE that it’s quiet (El train overhead aside, that is). It can be kind of uncomfortable when that happens though, I get the feeling sometimes that people would prefer me to leave when they approach, so they can have it all to themselves.

We brought our hyper pup here this past Sunday. A guy was there with his 3 kids– all under 3 years old it seemed like– and his two dogs. He sat on his butt and drank BEER while his poor kids were being bowled over by running dogs. We left after 10 minutes b/​c we didn’t want to be held responsible for any kids getting hurt.
This is a DOG park, not a children’s playground, and definitely not a bar! Dogs should be able to run around freely without owners needing to reign them in to keep them from running over a toddler. This is not a large park so there is no room for kids to wander around without getting in the way on the dogs.
This park needs to have rules posted up ASAP. Children under 10 – 12 should not be in there, especially if they aren’t going to stay close by their parents and the parents aren’t going to supervise them.
Also, I wish people walking to the park from the north along the grassy portion of the park would pick up after their dogs. We don’t walk in te alley because it’s dangerous with all the cars so we walk along the grassy part of the park and are always trying to doge land mines.
My roommates and I are just not thrilled with this park. It’s quite sub-​par when compared to the Wicker Park dog area and Wiggley Park. It’s very small and narrow and doesn’t have a lot of room to even toss a ball very far. It has no trash cans or doggie bags inside the park. The doors, while I’m sure they keep in the pooches, are ridiculous to work, especially if you have a full bag of poo in your hand (remember, no trash inside the fence). When you add in the lack of rules and less-​than-​considerate dog owners, this place just isn’t a fun place to visit. A shame since it’s so close to our new apartment and it’ll be getting a bit too nippy for the dog beach. We’ll keep looking for other alternatives for our pup

Allow me to address some complaints:
–the park is too small: there was some space and it was made into a park. If you prefer a bigger park, try Puptown.
–there are no toys or bags: I generally assume the needs of my dog, be that water, poo bags or entertainment, are on me when I leave home so bring your own and you’ll have what you need.
–the el is too loud: it does roar, welcome to the city!
–there is no grass: I haven’t seen grass at any of the five dog parks nearest to my apartment in Uptown.
The bottom line is that I can bring my hellion here to run around off leash to blow off some steam. That’s pretty much all a dog park needs to be.

Peanut and I have been back to Challenger Bark a few times and (not-​so-​shockingly) it’s a bit better in the summer than it was in the winter.
The sewer grates are still there, but they’re more visible when there isn’t snow on the ground. Also, they have secured the fences near the ground so there’s no danger of little dogs slipping out and going AWOL.
If I had to guess, I would say that they just don’t maintain the dog park as well in the winter, which is a shame because doggies need play time all year round.

This is by far the worst dog park I have ever been to. Can this even be considered a dog park? No grass anywhere, no toys provided, no poop bags provided either. There was only one «water bowl» provided and the scenery is reminiscent of eastern germany, and the train scared my dog to the point of fleeing.
Won’t be returning. My buildings courtyard is more of a dog park than this place. Dogs need grass and more than a lot the size of a rowhouse.

I’m giving this place 5 stars because it was my first experience in a dog park, and it couldn’t have gone better.
We took our dog Bee to the dog park for his first time today, and I wanted to pick a small park to start off with. When we got there, there were only two other dogs there, and they were friendly, as were their people. They left, and dog walker came by with two of his own and a doggie he was boarding. Everyone got along and I even got to play with other dogs!
Bee was super pooped at the end of our time there… and thats what I was going for!
He had so much fun.
It was clean, the few people we met were nice, as were the dogs… and there was a nice dog fountain as well.

Unless you legitimately know this place exists, and exactly where it is, you’ll probably never go it.
It’s small.
It’s between the Red Line tracks and the east wall of Graceland Cemetery.
It’s really small.
Yes, I know I said it twice but I need to drive that point home. This is more of a deluxe dog run than a dog PARK, but in terms of dogs getting exercise and running around and socializing, it gets the job done.
As an added bonus, everyone I met here yesterday was super nice and responsible — keeping an eye on their dogs but still making conversation.
But. It’s within walking distance, there’s a dog-​height drinking fountain, and there are nice people. I’ll be back. :)

Small and very secluded. I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t realize this was a dog park. The park is small, more like a run and it’s hidden between the L tracks and the wall of Graceland Cemetery. It’s a fun little place to let your dog run around and go crazy.
When we arrived, there were a few dogs scattered about but they all left almost right after we got there. There was only one dog left whose owner was very nice; our dogs had a good time together until they left. It seems like this place is probably empty most of the day, especially in the winter. It’s a nice place to take your dog if you just want to give him the opportunity to run around and have fun, especially if he may not get along with other dogs very well.
I was kind of surprised that many people seemed to bring their dogs to the area near the park but would not bring them inside. There was one guy who brought four or five dogs to play but never brought them into the fenced area; instead, he just had them fetch a ball right outside of the fenced area. Weird. There was also another woman and her dog who blatantly ignored the «No Dogs Allowed» signs outside of the nice playground just east of the dog area and decided to play with her dog there instead of in the dog friendly area. Also really weird.
Even though there isn’t much for the dogs to do, there’s a nice space to run around and in the summer there’s a drinking fountain with a bowl to keep the dogs replenished and happy! I’ll probably be back with our little pooch — I hope there’s some more dogs next time!

Honestly, I kind of like that it’s secluded. It’s randomly peaceful… even with the el tracks roaring above. Backed up to a cemetary, an alley and a park… a strange «dead» end, eh?
Then again, I own a pit bull… so I generally don’t have a problem going here alone (which isn’t often). She may be a mushball, but she can certainly appear to be a menace to the wrong company.
If your dog is easily overwhelmed by typical dog parks, this is definitely worth a shot… never more than a few dogs (except at yappy hours, after work, etc).
Oh, and I tried out the FURMINATOR for the first time today. Best invention, ever.

Does this even qualify as a dog park? More like a dog run! My dog is super friendly and likes ANY interaction with other dogs and owners but I feel so cramped in this place. I have even been hit by flying balls and Frisbees here. I do like what they have done with the pebble pit but I just can’t deal with the noisy el tracks above. I am all for DFA so I don’t want to say don’t got here but don’t set high expectations.

This is our dog park and since we have an active puppy, we’re sometimes here twice a day so he doesn’t destroy everything in our home.
The thing I love best is that we know the other dogs — the park has a very neighborhood-​y feel and it’s usually the same owners and pups coming day after day. It builds a level of trust and mutual respect; there’s none of the craziness of Wiggly Field or the idiots who bring their aggressive dogs from the suburbs and drop them at the beach.
If you’re one of those people that don’t like to interact, don’t watch your dog, don’t pick up poop, and spend the whole time on your cell phone, then this is not the park for you.

wow i dont have a dog but i do live in the area and im surprised by the high ratings…
im gonna drop it down to three stars cause of the very fact that it is so secluded… tucked in between the el tracks and graceland cemetary
unless you have a large dog i wouldnt go here alone… esp early in the am or later in the evening… lots of characters walk that alley and i know that i try to avoid them and that stretch of land at all costs

Good park. Not too many weirdo dog owners which is a good thing (sometimes a trip to the dog park can be a real doozy). Soooo much better than the hell that is wiggly field.