If you live in Oxford like I do you will know that we are truly blessed to live here. We are privileged to enjoy such a historic and beautiful city, and yet are only a short drive away from some of the most famous countryside in the world.
What people outside of the city don’t always realise that the greenspaces within the city of Oxford are also very beautiful, making Oxford the perfect city for dogs and dog owners.
As a canine behaviourist, I am lucky enough to visit the city, the parks and the surrounding countryside every single day. To help fellow dog owners who live in and around the city, here some of my favourite and the most popular parks, along with the pros and cons for which one from the point of view of a dog owner.
Bury Knowle Park (Headington)
Located on the London Road in Headington, Bury Knowle Park offers a large and picturesque green space, a café, tennis courts, and even a library.
Pros:
- Bury Knowle is a very busy park, so lots of practice with other dogs and people for your pooch
- Very tame squirrels (due to being fed by humans daily), so great practice for your dog’s prey drive
- Lots of picnics so you can work on temptation
- Café in the park is dog friendly, so you can both stop for refreshments
- A quick walk into Headington and you will be met with lots of dog friendly cafes, pubs, dog friendly shops etc
- Ample parking nearby – both in Waitrose, and street parking only a few minutes’ walk away
Cons:
- A busy park means lots of triggers – if your dog is very excitable or anxious, it may be too much stimulus for them
- Pretty much all the exits lead to busy roads, so your dog’s off-lead skills need to be top notch to be safe and under control at Bury Knowle
Cutteslowe Park
At the top of the Banbury Road, you will find Cutteslowe Park – a popular greenspace for dog walkers and sports teams alike
Pros:
- Lots of parking (weekends and school holidays can be tricky thought!)
- Great café onsite that does genuinely good food
- Huge greenspaces, perfect for doing long line and off lead work with your dog. The playing fields at the back are particularly good for this, as you can see for miles in every direction
- The pond gives you chance to work with your dog’s prey drive, especially if they are particularly fond of birds. Beware of the swans however – they are not dog friendly! (and you should of course your dog is always under control around wildlife)
- There is a woodland area as well, giving you and your dog shade if needed, plus a different type of terrain to explore
Cons:
- It can get very busy during good weather and when the schools are out, so be aware of picnics, off lead dogs and off lead children
- Not a lot of shade (apart from the woodland area) when the temperature rises
- Lots of sports events take place here – your dog will need to be under extra control during these
Port Meadow
Tucked away behind Jericho, Port Meadow is less of a park, and more of an amazing, never-ending green expanse, complete with a river, cows, horses, and ample room to roam with your dog
Pros:
- When quiet, you will struggle to find a better place to be off-lead with your dog
- The easy access to water gives you the chance to let your dog swim
- There are some amazing dog friendly pubs within walking distance of the meadow
Cons:
- The free-roaming cows and horses, along with the geese, make Port Meadow a dog walk (especially off-lead) filled with lots of potentially dangerous encounters for your dog
- Parking isn’t great to access the meadow – your best bet is from the Wolvercote end
University Park
The most central of the parks, University Park offers the most perfect of Oxford settings – surrounded by university buildings, university sports teams, and a stones throw from the city centre
Pros:
- Central – as central as a park can get in Oxford
- Great outdoor café onsite
- The river and pond gives you chance to practice your dog’s behaviour around birds
- Big green spaces, perfect for recall training
Cons:
- Parking – the only nearby parking is very expensive. There are 2hr bays about a 10-minute walk from the park, if you park down near the Dragon School area
- Another popular spot for sports events, so keep your dog under control during the matches
- Some of the exits head out on to busy roads, so make sure your dog doesn’t venture out of the park
Shotover Country Park
By far the most woodland-type park in Oxford, Shotover gives you a proper countryside feel right at the edge of the city
Pros:
- You really do feel like you are in the countryside here
- Big spaces to practice all sorts of skills with your dog
- Lots of wildlife to work on that prey drive
Cons:
- Parking isn’t all that great
- Wildlife – great to practice with, but a lot of troublesome triggers if your dog has a very high prey drive
- You can often get taken by surprise by off lead dogs here. Dogs are not always under control, so if you have an anxious dog, control around other dogs is hard work here
South Park
You will not get a better view of Oxford than from the top of the hill in South Park – you will see the spires of Oxford alongside rolling green landscape. South Park can be found at the top and bottom of Headington Hill – in between Headington and Oxford city centre
Pros:
- Did we mention the view already?
- Lots of green space, great for training your dog
- Woodland area and open areas, giving you both shade if you need, and space to run around
- Lots of squirrels to tempt your dog, and therefore for you to work on that prey drive
Cons:
- Parking – there is none
- South Park gets super busy in the summer, so beware of students and their picnics
- The exits do mostly lead out on to busy roads
We have only touched the tip of the ice berg here with the available parks in Oxford, and we apologise if your favourite spots haven’t been mentioned. If you ever see an Oxford Dog Training Company t-shirt in any park in Oxford, please come and say hi – we will be more than happy to help you with your dog.