SMART Dog Park™ is the Future of Dog Play

Welcome to the Future of Dog Parks

 So, you want to be part of better dog parks, but you need help figuring out where to start.

Whether you’re looking to create a brand-new dog play environment or to improve an existing dog park, SMART Dog Park’s professional certification and training program will provide you with the tools you need.

Our online courses offer education, support, and community resources that will guide you through each stage of dog park experience design and best practices management, from planning to creation, evaluation, and improvement. All of this under one “ROOF” makes the process simple, easy, and fun. 

Courses are coming soon! Download our Spark Bundle to get a jump start on your SMART Dog Park journey and be the first to know when you can sign up for courses.

Your community, your economy, and your dogs deserve a better dog park—one built and managed with the support and resources of the SMART Dog Park ecosystem.

Meet the Dog Friendly Expert – Beth Cherryholmes Miller

Beth Cherryholmes Miller is the expert behind SMART Dog Park™ and the founder and CEO of Ohio-based non-profit Wagtown. Miller is recognized as the #1 national leader in dog-friendly community expertise. Through her work with Wagtown, Miller has conducted more than 700 interviews across the country and beyond, amassed the nation’s largest dog-friendly research base, and become a sought-after subject matter expert, award-winning animal advocate, speaker, and author.

Why SMART Dog Park?

Communities across the United States are clamoring for more and better dog park experiences. Despite this demand, there’s surprisingly little expertise available to prospective and existing creators. A 2021 study by Wagtown found that 77% of parks and recreation organizations do not have a master plan to build their dog parks. Moreover, 67% of leaders report that training for dog park play development and management is “Learn as you go, with no real structure.”

This lack of resources can spell disaster. Dog parks that are created in silos miss deadlines, cost more, lose revenue, neglect considerations about land use, exhaust staff, and negatively impact user groups. Worst, they fail to make the most of an amenity that has been proven time and time again to benefit community safety, responsibility, local economy, infrastructure, and overall health.

Beth Cherryholmes Miller created SMART Dog Park to help dog park creators and administrators avoid these common pitfalls in both new and existing parks. Miller’s years of experience in reimagining livability and vibrancy gives her a unique perspective on how to create the right dog park environment. Better for dogs. Better for business. Better for communities. 

SMART Dog Park is dedicated to helping YOU – businesses, municipalities, and foundations, as well as private entities & community champions. With SMART Dog Park, you’ll find much needed expertise & resources for off-leash dog play areas.

Building a dog park can be stressful, but now we know that there’s a better way: SMART Dog Park.

• Become a dog park guru
• Get access to resources
• Connect with an array of experts
• Be more involved in your community’s steps toward authentic dog friendliness

This solution to better dog parks is the perfect place – the SMART place – for you!  

Download your SMART Dog Park Spark Bundle and start you journey today.