Standard poodles are everywhere in Central Florida! Fortunately for poodle families, Orlando is dog-friendly, with plenty of venues in and around the city. In the coming weeks we'll visit several dog-friendly venues around Central Florida and keep them in our "travels" category. Here are a few of our favorites to start.
Lake Eola, Downtown Orlando
With festivals aplenty, a one-mile path around the lake, and plenty of green space, Lake Eola is a great place to hang out with your standard! The Sunday farmer's market, seasonal festivals, and the annual Paws In The Park event held every February are all fantastic events at which you can see many other breeds and standard poodles as well.
Overall: 🐩🐩🐩🐩
Cleanliness: 🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩
Clientele: 🐩🐩🐩🐩
Facilities: 🐩🐩🐩🐩 (1 dog water water station, plentiful shaded seating, restrooms but dogs aren't allowed, no off-leash area)
Lake Baldwin Park, Winter Park
Looking for a local off-leash swimming hole for your pet? Try Lake Baldwin Park! While the park doesn't permit human swimmers, there is a beach for your dog and 23-acres of space for him to run wild. Bath stations and a few benches are provided, but make no mistake; this park is all about the dogs. We have heard several reports and witnessed at least one incidence of small dogs being attacked by larger, more aggressive dogs here. There is no separate areas for small and large dogs so if your big dog doesn't do will with little ones, err on the side of safety and skip this park.
Overall: 🐩🐩🐩
Cleanliness: 🐩🐩🐩🐩
Clientele: 🐩🐩
Facilities: 🐩🐩🐩🐩 (Picnic Tables, Bathing stations, restrooms available)
Doctor's Dog Park, Apopka
We've been visiting Doctor's Dog Park since their ribbon cutting ceremony back in 2008. With three large grassy open spaces with a few trees for shade, this Apopka favorite has been our go-to place for several dog meet-ups and doggy socializing. There are separate runs for large and small dogs and time-out pens when needed. There are also several benches and a watering station in each section.
This location sees a lot of pit bulls, huskies, shepherds, and labs with some less than attentive owners so be sure your dog is well socialized and not prone to react aggressively to dominance attempts.
Overall: 🐩🐩🐩🐩
Cleanliness: 🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩
Clientele: 🐩🐩🐩
Facilities: 🐩🐩 (dog water stations, benches, but no human fountains or restrooms nearby)
Barkley Square Dog Park, Deltona FL
Barkely Square has separate areas for large and small dog areas. It's a nice, clean park with plenty of space to run. The large area features a man-made pond. We didn't see any gators but we did see several turtles in the pond. There are picnic tables scattered about with a bit of shade at one end but not a lot of shade near the water. Unlike some of the other dog parks we attend, this park does not have businesses within walking distance. The vibe here is quiet and dare I say somewhat ... boring? I almost feel bad saying that because it's a nice park. Maybe it's the vast amount of space, maybe it's that visitors come and stay 15 minutes then leave because they find it boring too. It's a bit of a drive for me but unless there's a pre-arranged meetup, I wouldn't make a habit of visiting.
Overall: 🐩🐩🐩🐩
Cleanliness: 🐩🐩🐩🐩🐩
Clientele: 🐩🐩🐩🐩
Facilities: 🐩🐩 🐩🐩 (dog water stations, benches, restrooms, commercial dog wash station $10)
