First walks in Washington, DC.
Washington asks for a leash on any public space outside a DPR dog park, plus a license and current vaccinations. The District’s own rules, the DPR dog park list, and how we suggest starting a new dog’s first week.
The rules, in short
From the DPR Dog Parks page and brochure, and D.C. Code §§ 8-1803, 8-1804, 8-1808.
- 1Leashed on any public space outside a DPR dog park
- 2Off-leash only inside a designated DPR dog park
- 3Annual dog license, worn on a collar or harness
- 4Rabies and distemper vaccinations by four months
- 5Pick up your dog’s waste
Hours, exceptions & the fine print
DPR dog parks are the fenced areas DPR designates with its own signage - a fenced field meant for something else is not a dog park. A first leash-law violation can bring a fine of up to $25, $50 for a second within 24 months, per DPR.
The first week
The same calm start we suggest everywhere - on Washington’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. DPR lists 20 fenced dog parks across the District’s eight wards - four of them:
- 1Shaw Dog Park - 11th St & Rhode Island Ave NW
- 2Upshur Dog Park - 4300 Arkansas Ave NW
- 3Alethia Tanner Park - R St NE & Met Branch Trail
- 4Lansburgh Dog Park - M St & Delaware Ave SW
The other sixteen - from Park at LeDroit and S Street to Langdon, Texas Ave and Virginia Avenue - are in the DPR list under Good to know, each with its ward and address.
Pins mark the park or its listed access point, not the exact off-leash boundary.
Good to know
Worth knowing
The annual license runs through DC Health and needs proof of rabies and distemper vaccination; it’s free for service animals, $15 for spayed or neutered dogs, $50 otherwise (§ 8-1804). At school grounds and public recreation areas other than dog parks, a dog must be leashed, tethered, or under the physical control of someone who can restrain it (§ 8-1808).
Sources
Sources: DPR, “Dog Parks” (leash law, the 20-park list): dpr.dc.gov/page/dog-parks. DPR, “Dogs in the District of Columbia” brochure (2024): dpr.dc.gov. D.C. Code §§ 8-1803, 8-1804, 8-1808: code.dccouncil.gov.
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