First walks in Lincoln.
In Lincoln, a dog out in public is under actual control - a leash, cord or chain of six feet or less in hand - and five city dog runs handle off-leash play. The rules, the runs, and a calm plan for a new dog’s first week.
The rules, in short
From the City of Lincoln’s animal ordinances, fees and dog runs pages.
- 1Out in public: a leash, cord or chain of six feet or less, physically held (fine print)
- 2Off-leash play: five city dog runs
- 3Licensed once over six months - rabies shot earlier, from three months
- 4License fees are set by the city - check the current schedule
- 5Scoop: no feces left on public or others’ property
- 6Leash in hand at the dog run - on until inside, on before leaving
Hours, exceptions & the fine print
Lincoln’s rule: no dog runs at large, and "at large" has teeth - a dog counts as under actual control only on a leash, cord or chain of six feet or less physically held by the owner, securely picketed, inside a vehicle, fenced enclosure or shelter, or on the owner’s own property in the owner’s presence (§6.04.120 and the control definition). Inside a city dog run the leash comes off, but the posted rules keep one in your hand: leashed until inside, leashed again before leaving, and your dog under control and in view the whole time.
The first week
The same calm start we suggest everywhere - on Lincoln’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 runs, for later
Once your dog has settled. Lincoln’s five city dog runs:
- 1Bowling Lake Park Dog Run - NW 44th & West Cumming Streets, about an acre for all sizes
- 2Mahoney Park Dog Run - near 84th & Adams, four acres plus a small-dog acre
- 3Rickman’s Run at Holmes Lake Park - east side of S 70th St, over 22 acres plus a small-dog area
- 4Roper East Park Dog Run - N 7th & Adams, four acres plus a small-dog acre
- 5Stransky Dog Run at Peterson Park - 4419 Southwood Dr, 2.55 acres plus a small-dog area
The posted rules: dogs only; handler carries a leash and uses it coming and going; control and line of sight at all times; feces picked up promptly and completely; no human food; park curfews apply. These are the dog runs on the city’s current page as of November 2026 - follow posted signs. Pins are geocoded from the named parks.
Pins mark the park or its listed access point, not the exact off-leash boundary.
Good to know
Worth knowing
Two separate deadlines people mix up: the rabies shot comes first - vaccination starts at three months, boosted at fifteen months and then every three years, with new arrivals vaccinated within thirty days and the vet’s tag on the collar (§6.08.020). The license follows once a dog is over six months: it runs to the last day of the month one year from the month of issue (§6.08.050), and fees are set by the city - check the current schedule (a surcharge has applied since October 2025). Scooping is its own ordinance: no feces deposited on public property or someone else’s property unless it goes into an approved refuse container or the owner consents (§6.08.155).
Sources
Sources: City of Lincoln animal ordinances page (§6.04.120 at large and control; §6.08.020 rabies; §6.08.030 licensing; §6.08.050 license term; §6.08.155 feces). City Health Department fees page (current license fees, updated October 2025). Lincoln Municipal Code, Title 6 Animals: encodeplus.com. City dog runs page (locations, rules). Pins: geocoded from named parks. All verified November 2, 2026.
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