First walks in Chesapeake.
For everyday walks in Chesapeake, keep your dog securely leashed and check dog-permitted routes. Four city park locations offer membership dog parks, with two dog parks at City Park. The rules, the parks, and a calm plan for a new dog's first week.
The rules, in short
From the Chesapeake City Code and the city’s own pages.
- 1Out in public: immediate physical control - fence, chain or leash (fine print)
- 2Off-leash play: four park locations; City Park has two dog parks; membership required
- 3Keep rabies vaccination, licensing and tags current; see the age and entry provisions
- 4Dog-permitted city-park areas: a leash no longer than five feet outside designated dog parks
- 5Pick up waste promptly; carry bags and keep identification current
- 6Dog parks: four months and older, three dogs per handler; check posted hours
Hours, exceptions & the fine print
City section 10-42 defines running at large as roaming off the owner's or custodian's property without immediate physical control by fence, chain or leash. It exempts hunting dogs from subsection (b), while requiring the owner-nameplate collar and city license tag and leaving other laws in place. Section 50-22 limits dogs in city parks to parking concourses, adjacent walks and other clearly signed areas. In those dog-permitted areas outside designated dog parks, leashes must be no longer than five feet. This is a city-park rule, not a citywide five-foot limit. Within dog parks, carry a leash, stay with your dog, leash on exit, remove dangerous behavior, carry waste equipment, pick up and refill holes. Dogs must be licensed, vaccinated and identified with current tags; ill dogs, dogs under four months, unneutered males over one year, and females in heat are prohibited. No more than three dogs per responsible party. No food, drink or tobacco. Children under eight are excluded except during city-approved events or activities; other children need adult supervision under the operator rules. Section 10-23 prohibits defecation on others' property without consent and requires immediate sanitary removal on public property.
The first week
The same calm start we suggest everywhere - on Chesapeake’s streets.
- 1Leash, quiet streets, short and sniffy - calm hours, near home, ending before your dog is wound up. An off-leash area is not day-one material for a brand-new dog.
- 2Sniffing is the point - let your dog pause and sniff instead of focusing on distance. More on the sniff walk.
- 3Settle first, explore later - more on the first days: a routine for a newly adopted dog and a calm start to every walk.
The dog parks, for later
Once your dog has settled, and with membership arranged. Four park locations are listed by the city; City Park has two dog parks. Normal hours are sunrise to sunset, subject to posted changes:
- 1Chesapeake City Park - 900 City Park Drive; front and rear dog parks, with separate small and larger-dog areas. Check posted weight limits for the section.
- 2Deep Creek Park - 437 S George Washington Highway; one 1.5-acre area for all dogs, next to Destination Playground
- 3Elizabeth River Park - 1400 Elizabeth River Way; small and medium-to-large areas with river views under the Jordan Bridge
- 4Claire R. Askew Western Branch Park - 4437 Portsmouth Boulevard; dog park near Western Branch Community Center, with covered picnic tables and benches
Membership requires an owner at least 18, a dog at least four months old, a current license certificate from the city or county of residence, and current rabies, distemper/parvo and Bordetella vaccination records. Male dogs over one year must be neutered. Bring the membership tag and follow posted rules. Water is turned off in winter at all locations: bring water and a bowl, and take the bowl home. Pools and hoses are not permitted. Pins mark named park locations, not exact dog-run entrances or off-leash boundaries.
Pins mark the park or its listed access point, not the exact off-leash boundary.
Good to know
Worth knowing
The general age provisions differ slightly: section 10-43 requires rabies vaccination for dogs and cats over four months and gives new arrivals 15 days to comply; section 10-62 requires annual calendar-year licensing from four months and older, subject to its exceptions, including qualifying registered releasing agencies. Certain trained assistance dogs are exempt from the license tax, not from licensing. Section 10-63 contains acquisition and new-entry timing provisions. These do not replace dog-park admission requirements for proof of current vaccination and a current home-jurisdiction license. Section 10-70 requires valid identification outdoors outside the owner's property or immediate presence, and a microchip route where a collar and identification cannot be maintained. Check current service requirements and fees rather than relying on an older amount.
Sources
Sources: Chesapeake current October 2, 2026 code, full section 50-22; current Chapter 10, including sections 10-23, 10-42, 10-43, 10-62, 10-63 and 10-70; city dog parks and four directory locations; current linked dog-park guidelines and membership application; city park guidance. Rechecked November 3, 2026. City Park has two dog parks; the map shows four park locations, not every enclosure or exact entrance.
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