Designing the Perfect Dogpark!

(I am posting here since this seems to be the most active group and I
could not find another one more suitable)

We are organizing to open the first off-leash recreation area (dogpark)
here in Grand Prairie. We have five flat acres with no trees. Since
this is truly virgin territory, your comments on how it should be
designed would be very helpful. Plus, what you have seen that is
really great. To get you started, here are some questions:

How do you feel about artifical turf, like they use on soccer fields?
Have you ever been to a dogpark that has such a surface and how was it
holding up.

How should our 5 acres be divided up, other than an area for big dogs
and an area for little dogs?

Should the areas be square/rectangular or oval/round or L-Shaped, or
?????

Should there be a walkway around the park inside the fence?

Until we can grow natural shade, what do you prefer?

Should the area be left flat or graded into different levels?

What is the one thing that you have seen in a dogpark that really
impressed you?

Deb from Texas wrote:
> (I am posting here since this seems to be the most active group and I
> could not find another one more suitable)
>
> We are organizing to open the first off-leash recreation area
(dogpark)
> here in Grand Prairie. We have five flat acres with no trees. Since
> this is truly virgin territory, your comments on how it should be
> designed would be very helpful. Plus, what you have seen that is
> really great. To get you started, here are some questions:
>
> How do you feel about artifical turf, like they use on soccer fields?
> Have you ever been to a dogpark that has such a surface and how was
it
> holding up.
>
> How should our 5 acres be divided up, other than an area for big dogs
> and an area for little dogs?
>
> Should the areas be square/rectangular or oval/round or L-Shaped, or
> ?????
>
> Should there be a walkway around the park inside the fence?
>
> Until we can grow natural shade, what do you prefer?
>
> Should the area be left flat or graded into different levels?
>
> What is the one thing that you have seen in a dogpark that really
> impressed you?