Dog walking rules

While walking your dog, you must follow a few rules.

  • Your dog must be walked on a leash (within built-up areas)
  • Forest and natural areas are generally off-leash. Often, however, some areas are marked where dogs are allowed to run loose.
  • Your dog may only run loose on a dog play area
  • Your dog is not allowed in children's playgrounds, sandboxes, playing fields, cemeteries and in Juliana Park
  • You clean up dog waste yourself. If you do not, you may be fined.

 

Guide or assistance dogs

Guide or assistance dogs (in training) do not have to be leashed. These dogs are also allowed in parks where "regular" dogs are not allowed.

Dog Playgrounds

There are over 100 dog playgrounds in the city. On such a grass field, your dog can run and play loose. This is allowed only if the dog listens well to his owner. His owners must also pay good attention to him. This is called 'being under proper supervision' (article 2:35, APV). You can recognize dog playgrounds by a sign saying 'dog play area'. A dog play area is not a dog toilet. If your dog does defecate here, you clean up the dog poop yourself.

Dog toilets

There are nearly 400 dog toilets in Utrecht. A dog toilet is a piece of grass, usually protected by a fence/hedge. You can recognize these by a sign saying 'dog toilet'. These are the only places where dog owners do not have to clean up dog poop. We clean the dog toilets once a week or once every 2 weeks. This depends on usage.