First walks in Orlando.
In Orlando, a dog off its premises stays under a competent person’s control on a leash, cord or chain - county rules the city has adopted, with exemptions detailed below - and off-leash play is reserved for designated dog parks. The city’s own rules and how we suggest starting a new dog’s first week.
The rules, in short
From the Orlando City Code and the adopted Orange County Animal Services Ordinance.
- 1Off your property: a leash, cord or chain, a competent person in control - hunting, shows and designated dog parks excepted (fine print)
- 2Off-leash play: designated city dog areas - three featured in the list
- 3Rabies shot from four months - the tag stays on the collar whenever out
- 4Scoop on public ways, in parks and on others’ property - every time
- 5Keep pets off park benches, fountains and picnic tables - and out of city lakes
- 6Breaking these rules brings civil penalties under the adopted ordinance (fine print)
Exceptions & the fine print
Orlando enforces the Orange County Animal Services Ordinance as its own (City Code §6.01). A dog is "at large" the moment it is off its premises and not "under a competent person’s control by means of a leash, cord or chain" - and permitting a dog to run at large is prohibited (§§5-29, 5-33; the code sets no leash-length cap). The written exceptions: a dog under supervision while hunting or doing agricultural or ranch work, in a competition, trial or show, or inside a designated dog park (§5-29). No service-dog exception appears in the at-large rule; police dogs are excepted only from the tag requirement (§5-38(f)). Violations are civil infractions under §5-52.
The first week
The same calm start we suggest everywhere - on Orlando’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. Three featured city dog areas - not an exhaustive list:
- 1Lake Druid Park - 899 Coy Dr. - fenced dog run with separate small and large areas, double-gated entries
- 2Park of the Americas - 201 Andes Ave. - separate fenced small and large dog areas, waste bags provided
- 3Constitution Green - 300 S. Summerlin Ave. - the city directory tags a “Large Dog Area”; follow the posted signs
All three are city parks with designated dog areas, and leashed dogs are welcome in the rest of each park. City park rules keep pets off benches, drinking fountains and picnic tables, and out of city lakes. Pins mark park locations, not exact dog-run entrances.
Pins mark park locations, not exact dog-run entrances. The Park of the Americas pin is the Andes Ave entrance - follow park signs.
Good to know
Worth knowing
There is no county pet license to buy - the rabies tag is the registration. Every dog four months or older must be vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian, and the only excuses are age or a vet’s written health exemption - and then the dog stays confined until it can be vaccinated (§5-37). The tag stays on the collar whenever the dog is out of the house; shows, grooming, kennels and vet-ordered removal are the written exceptions, and police dogs are exempt while working (§5-38). Whoever has the dog must remove anything it leaves "on public ways, recreation areas, or private property" (§5-42(b)). Fees under the ordinance are set by county resolution (§5-39).
Sources
Sources: Orlando City Code §6.01 adopting the Orange County Animal Services Ordinance (§5-29 definitions; §5-33 at-large; §5-37 rabies vaccination; §5-38 tags; §5-42 nuisance; §5-52 penalties): library.municode.com. Dog parks and park rules: city parks directory and city park rules. Pins: park locations - Lake Druid at its verified fenced dog run; Park of the Americas at the Andes Ave entrance; Constitution Green at the park’s NE corner, west of S Summerlin Ave. All verified November 3, 2026.
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