Belle Isle Dog Lover's Guide
Can you take your dog to Belle Isle?
Yes, dogs are permitted on Belle Isle. Lots of people walk their dogs there. My dogs love Belle Isle. They begin to dance with glee in the back of the car as soon as we are heading over the bridge to the island. On a Saturday or Sunday morning, sometimes every third person I see has a dog. As in all Detroit parks, they are required to be on a leash, and you are required to pick up after your dog (simple common courtesy anyway). Remember your poop bag....there are no doggie bag stations on the island. I know, I know... if you are an island regular you are aware that sometimes it seems like there is goose sh*^ everywhere. What's the point of picking up? Hey, people, we are civilized, right? Part of the solution, right?
UPDATE 5/6/2010: There are now at least 5 poop bag stations around the island...look for the things that look like birdhouses (further update: sigh...they are usually empty, so back to bring your own).
In Detroit, your dog is supposed to be licensed. At a minimum, your dog should have a rabies tag on its collar.
Unofficially, there are areas of the park, particularly the quieter area by the lighthouse, where it is fairly common to see dogs off leash when no other people are around. It is common courtesy to make sure that your dog will not bother anyone else, especially those who are enjoying the island but don't like dogs.
Is there anything dangerous to your dog on Belle Isle?
I have ranked these according to my personal opinion of what is most dangerous, based on what kind of trouble my dogs like to get into. (Disclaimer: In real life, I am not as freakishly paranoid, bubble-wrap-the-dogs-for-safety as I sound on this page, but I figure more info is better for those that are that way.)
1) ICE in winter, and water in summer
-In the winter, the river ices over, sometimes just at the edges, sometimes pretty far out. ICE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR OFF-LEASH DOGS!!!! AND YOU!!!! People have died when their dog ran out on the ice and fell thru, then the owner went out after the dog. Guess what? You probably weigh more than your dog. If your dog fell thru the ice, then you will too. If you do not want to be faced with the horrendous choice of watching your dog drown, or possibly dying yourself trying to get the dog, keep your dog on leash, or play on the interior of the island, away from the river, island lakes, or canals in the winter. (I am not just being melodramatic, I know people personally who have barely survived this scenario. How long does it take your dog to bolt from your side to go after geese out on the ice? Seconds?)
-In the summer, I worry more about walking out on the fishing piers and one of the dogs somehow slipping their collar and falling into the river. The current of the Detroit River is very strong, even close to the shore, in some areas. My smart dog is a great swimmer, but I've never seen the fluffy dog swim at all. He only wades. I am not that strong a swimmer, if it came to that. If your dog is prone to slipping its collar due to its head shape, put the dog in a harness for safety.
2) Strays or aggressive off-leash dogs
-Unfortunately, sometimes people dump unwanted dogs on Belle Isle...and sometimes these unwanted dogs are on the island for a while before they can be caught and removed to a shelter. Sometimes the strays are perfectly friendly, then again sometimes not so much. I have been taking the dogs to Belle Isle 1-3 times a week for several years, and I have only encountered strays twice, so this is not that likely, especially if you stick to areas with lots of people around.
-Some people are not responsible dog owners, and they let their aggressive dogs run off-leash. If you see dogs running off-leash, please be very cautious. Typically, most owners will immediately put their dogs back on leash if they see others approaching. When I see someone with dogs that seem friendly playing off-leash, I always ask first, "Are they friendly? Is it ok for my dogs to play, too?"
3) Unvaccinated dogs, fleas, heartworms, and icky water problems
-Almost all the dogs we meet on Belle Isle are friendly, but once in a while we meet one that looks like it hasn't seen the vet in a while. Is your dog healthy and fully vaccinated to begin with? On heartworm disease preventative, which is a mosquito-borne disease? On flea and tick medicine? If not, you are inviting trouble.
-Dogs will drink whatever water they can find, including the puddle that is half goose excrement. Standing water contains all kinds of stuff that will give your dog diarrhea. It is very common for dogs to get giardia from drinking weird water. Bring your own bottle if you are worried. (I don't worry that much - I let mine drink from the river but not inland canals, puddles or standing water.)
4) Burrs and broken glass
-There are patches of underbrush on Belle Isle where my fluffy dog can be covered in burrs in mere seconds. My smart dog can go thru the same patch and come out with 2 or 3 burrs, easily removed. The fluffy one has needed an "emergency" grooming shave-down after the worst burr incident.
-There are a few areas on Belle Isle where people seem to avoid using trash cans and prefer to carpet the ground with broken bottles. The worst areas are along the sidewalk at Sunset Point, the beach parking lot, and the part of the island where the teenagers like to hang out, drink and smoke, and play loud music. If you avoid walking your dog in these areas, you don't have to worry more than you normally would walking thru any busy park.
5) Stray things dogs will try to eat, especially chicken and rib bones
Extrapolating from the things I have caught my dogs trying to eat on Belle Isle, chicken is the most popular picnic food, followed closely by ribs. Both kinds of bones can get stuck and/or splinter inside your dog. Dead goose is a close third in the caught-while-eating category, followed by fast food wrappers. Teach your dog the "leave it" or "drop" command and use it any time you see your dog with something unidentifiable in its mouth. Better safe than at the ER vet in the middle of Saturday night, a bazillion dollars later.
The smart dog and the fluffy one say, "Stop at the Heidelberg project on the way...it's fun there, too!"
Yes, dogs are permitted on Belle Isle. Lots of people walk their dogs there. My dogs love Belle Isle. They begin to dance with glee in the back of the car as soon as we are heading over the bridge to the island. On a Saturday or Sunday morning, sometimes every third person I see has a dog. As in all Detroit parks, they are required to be on a leash, and you are required to pick up after your dog (simple common courtesy anyway). Remember your poop bag....there are no doggie bag stations on the island. I know, I know... if you are an island regular you are aware that sometimes it seems like there is goose sh*^ everywhere. What's the point of picking up? Hey, people, we are civilized, right? Part of the solution, right?
UPDATE 5/6/2010: There are now at least 5 poop bag stations around the island...look for the things that look like birdhouses (further update: sigh...they are usually empty, so back to bring your own).
Unofficially, there are areas of the park, particularly the quieter area by the lighthouse, where it is fairly common to see dogs off leash when no other people are around. It is common courtesy to make sure that your dog will not bother anyone else, especially those who are enjoying the island but don't like dogs.
Is there anything dangerous to your dog on Belle Isle?
I have ranked these according to my personal opinion of what is most dangerous, based on what kind of trouble my dogs like to get into. (Disclaimer: In real life, I am not as freakishly paranoid, bubble-wrap-the-dogs-for-safety as I sound on this page, but I figure more info is better for those that are that way.)
1) ICE in winter, and water in summer
-In the winter, the river ices over, sometimes just at the edges, sometimes pretty far out. ICE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR OFF-LEASH DOGS!!!! AND YOU!!!! People have died when their dog ran out on the ice and fell thru, then the owner went out after the dog. Guess what? You probably weigh more than your dog. If your dog fell thru the ice, then you will too. If you do not want to be faced with the horrendous choice of watching your dog drown, or possibly dying yourself trying to get the dog, keep your dog on leash, or play on the interior of the island, away from the river, island lakes, or canals in the winter. (I am not just being melodramatic, I know people personally who have barely survived this scenario. How long does it take your dog to bolt from your side to go after geese out on the ice? Seconds?)
-In the summer, I worry more about walking out on the fishing piers and one of the dogs somehow slipping their collar and falling into the river. The current of the Detroit River is very strong, even close to the shore, in some areas. My smart dog is a great swimmer, but I've never seen the fluffy dog swim at all. He only wades. I am not that strong a swimmer, if it came to that. If your dog is prone to slipping its collar due to its head shape, put the dog in a harness for safety.
-Unfortunately, sometimes people dump unwanted dogs on Belle Isle...and sometimes these unwanted dogs are on the island for a while before they can be caught and removed to a shelter. Sometimes the strays are perfectly friendly, then again sometimes not so much. I have been taking the dogs to Belle Isle 1-3 times a week for several years, and I have only encountered strays twice, so this is not that likely, especially if you stick to areas with lots of people around.
-Some people are not responsible dog owners, and they let their aggressive dogs run off-leash. If you see dogs running off-leash, please be very cautious. Typically, most owners will immediately put their dogs back on leash if they see others approaching. When I see someone with dogs that seem friendly playing off-leash, I always ask first, "Are they friendly? Is it ok for my dogs to play, too?"
3) Unvaccinated dogs, fleas, heartworms, and icky water problems
-Almost all the dogs we meet on Belle Isle are friendly, but once in a while we meet one that looks like it hasn't seen the vet in a while. Is your dog healthy and fully vaccinated to begin with? On heartworm disease preventative, which is a mosquito-borne disease? On flea and tick medicine? If not, you are inviting trouble.
-Dogs will drink whatever water they can find, including the puddle that is half goose excrement. Standing water contains all kinds of stuff that will give your dog diarrhea. It is very common for dogs to get giardia from drinking weird water. Bring your own bottle if you are worried. (I don't worry that much - I let mine drink from the river but not inland canals, puddles or standing water.)
4) Burrs and broken glass
-There are patches of underbrush on Belle Isle where my fluffy dog can be covered in burrs in mere seconds. My smart dog can go thru the same patch and come out with 2 or 3 burrs, easily removed. The fluffy one has needed an "emergency" grooming shave-down after the worst burr incident.
-There are a few areas on Belle Isle where people seem to avoid using trash cans and prefer to carpet the ground with broken bottles. The worst areas are along the sidewalk at Sunset Point, the beach parking lot, and the part of the island where the teenagers like to hang out, drink and smoke, and play loud music. If you avoid walking your dog in these areas, you don't have to worry more than you normally would walking thru any busy park.
5) Stray things dogs will try to eat, especially chicken and rib bones
Extrapolating from the things I have caught my dogs trying to eat on Belle Isle, chicken is the most popular picnic food, followed closely by ribs. Both kinds of bones can get stuck and/or splinter inside your dog. Dead goose is a close third in the caught-while-eating category, followed by fast food wrappers. Teach your dog the "leave it" or "drop" command and use it any time you see your dog with something unidentifiable in its mouth. Better safe than at the ER vet in the middle of Saturday night, a bazillion dollars later.
Thank you so much for the insight. This was perfect and very helpful for this new dog owner who loves Belle Isle!
ReplyDeleteDo you allow the dogs to swim, on leash, at the beach by chance?