I recently just got a pup so I was pleased to find a dog park fairly close to home. There's two separate areas: right side is for large dogs and left side is for small dogs. I like the separation because my puppy is still adjusting to other dogs/people. She gets scared easily by bigger dogs! It took a couple of times of visiting the park before my pup felt confident enough to play with the other dogs. Owners are usually nice and watch out for their dogs. There was only one instance where I felt annoyed at an owner. There is plenty of space for the dogs to run around. There's also a couple of water fountains. Overall, a decent park for my little pup! read more

I always give extra stars for a dog park that is completely fenced in. Being from San Francisco, it is uncommon to have a fenced dog park, so going to other cities is a plus. The dog park is fairly big. It is split into 2 sections (big dog/little dog), the only thing is that the big dog section has a fence in the middle. Not sure the reason, but I'm sure there is a good reason. As expected, the big dog side is a lot of dirt from the running around. The little dog area is nice and green, as expected, but it's not a big deal for me. read more

Pretty cute not many dogs when I can in with my pup besides a man and his 3 little pitbulls. It is a dirt area which has separated sections for smaller dogs. Has a small bubbler and a bowl. Some seat in areas for dog owners not much shaded areas however for the really hot days. My dog enjoyed himself and does the job especially if your close by. Would go again. read more

Watson Park - Dog Parks Near Me - San Jose, California

Went to Reed Street dog park on Thursday but it was closed for maintenance so I yelped the nearest one and stumbled upon this place. Probably one of the nicer dog parks I've been to and I've been to a bunch, all over SoCal and the Bay. Out of the 3 I've been to up here (Ed Levin, Reed, Watson), I'd have to say Watson is the best. Tons of grass, huge open area for both small and large dogs, water fountains for us and our pets, doggie bags on hand, and lots of seating/parking. Will probably be visiting this dog park a lot more now! My only gripe is that there is no shade for the small dogs side, on the large dog side there is. read more

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It's a nice, big, large, park with grass. There is some shade, seating, and water available for the pups. It is not the park's fault that people bring their dogs that clearly should not be there. If your dog is aggressive, humping, dominant. Please do not bring them around strange dogs. Simple as that. I am not saying don't socialize your dog, but do it around other dogs that you know in a controlled environment. The dog park is not a controlled environment at all. For example, balls are everywhere. It is doggy heaven with tennis balls. If another dog comes and takes my dog's ball, he lets it be. He has even had another dog take a ball out of his mouth and he does nothing aggressive. One time we went there and there was someone throwing a tennis ball for their dog, and my dog went in to pick it up. Their dog lost it and attacked my dog. Large claw/bite marks all over his side that we didn't notice until we got home. He screamed like a little baby. All she said was, yeah your dog took the ball. I just kick my dog to let him (or she) know that he (she) misbehaved. WHAT? So like I said earlier, the park is nice. Unfortunately it is the people (not their dogs), that bring the place down. read more

The only reason I gave this place 4 stars is because I believe you can't help who comes to a particular place. This park is actually inside of a park with a playground and soccer field, so you kind of have to drive way into the park before you see the dog section. I think the park itself is pretty cool. I usually try to go before 5pm because that's when it'll get a little crowded and me and my boy don't usually like it when there's too many people. They have two huge yards one for little dogs and one for larges. I like the little side because they have this small (I mean SMALL) hill that is awesome if you want to play fetch with your dog, but the large side is bigger overall. The large side does have this patch of dirt near one of the fountains that can get pretty muddy sometimes but usually it's not that bad, especially since they put a small fence around it. The only thing I don't really like about the park is the dogs, sometimes they'll be these little dogs in the large side that are usually not fixed causing a huge fuss and making all the dogs go crazy. I've noticed a lot of owners don't seem to pay attention to their dogs either and just let them go wild, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. Overall I like the park, it's calm and not a lot happens, but again I personally would go early in the day so you can get the whole park to yourself at least for a little bit :] read more

This place was a neat little find. I'd give it between 4 and 5 stars. I compare it to the Lake Elizabeth dog park because they're about the same calibre. The large dog park is a bit smaller, and the small dog park is quite a bit bigger, but overall it's a great place to let your pooch run loose and play around! It's also a BIT excluded, so it's nice. I like Butcher dog park, but it's surrounded by street, so I don't know-- the ambience is different. Anywho, come here if you wanna have a fun time with your dog (especially of you all are friendly!). They don't provide bags, but like all dog parks, there IS a pooper scooper, so PLEASE USE IT if your dog does its business. Most owners, do, though. A lot better than at some other dog parks I've been to. read more

We came here for the first time last week with our Pug, Mushu. We usually go to Reed St in Santa Clara. Upon driving to the park, my other half kept complaining where are you taking us? I'm not sure what she meant because this area isn't as bad as I've seen in some other parts in the US. As we arrive, we see this gigantic dog park. There is a small and big dog park. I would say the small dog park is 50 yards. There is plenty of space for dogs to run. There's benches and picnic tables for people. However, I'm not sure how clean it is. Maintenance seemed okay. We chatted it up with some other friendly dog owners. I wish there were a few more trees as we went in the middle of the afternoon. If the park was closer to where we lived, we'd probably go more often. Will be back! read more

My boyfriend and I decided to bring our little pups here so they can get out and be more social. When it comes down to it, this place is roomy, especially for the big dogs. The small dogs area is under construction as of right now.. presumably repairing the grass. There's been one dog fight in the few months I've been here, and so if your dog gets into fights a lot, please come at a time where there's not many dogs. The most popular time to come is probably 5-5:30. Also, you see the cutest dogs and puppies every time you come. Be careful if you run though, make sure you wear tennis shoes. I've rolled my foot a couple of time because of how lumpy the area can be. Other than that, I love taking my little awkward dogs here. :) read more

This park is suffering from dead grass and not enough shade. The large area has been halfed to redo the turf in the small dog section and then the large dog areas will be done. The people and dogs seem nice. There is a water source and bowls/bucket. It has a leashing area at the entrance so dogs can't escape or get leash aggression. read more

Watson Park - The dead looking halfed large dog park. - Dog Parks Near Me - San Jose, California

We discovered the Watson park while driving on Highway 101. After some research, we were able to get to the park off of 101 near Jackson St. The dog park is great, and from what I know it just got remodeled in August. They have 2 areas, one for small and one for big dogs. Max (my dog) loves it, because the park is quite large and he can run freely from one end to the other surrounding by the new green fence. They even have some picnic tables and benches for us to rest and relax. I definitely will chose this park over the one I usually took Max in the past. I'd also love to take Oki here to play with Max next time he comes up from San Diego. read more

Not sure why other reviews complain about this park? Have they not been to other sj dog parks! This one has REAL grass and is nice and big! My dog loves to run here and there's always great dogs around. I can see how it might be hard to clean up after your dog since it's so big can be hard to see them going to the bathroom! I live on south side so we normally go to a dog park right near my house but my dog always comes home smelling like pee and covered in dirt. So this park is worth the drive :) read more

I love the newly opened (as of August 2011) Watson dog park! The grass is already showing signs of trauma on the big dog side, but people pick up their poop. There are some awesome people and dogs here, at least on the "big" side. I love that the park is split into large and small, but I wish small dog owners would stay on their side of the fence. I have a high-energy dog with a very strong prey drive and I worry that she will chase someone's Chihuahua. :p NO BAGS. However, there are now BYObag containers, and there are also (ew disgusting) pooper scoopers. That route is better for the environment, but feel free to bring your own biodegradable bags if the yuck factor is just too much (you can imagine how disgusting a pooper scooper gets when it's used day in and day out for a WHOLE LOT of dogs.) Large park. A little hard to find--it is easiest to access from the Taylor Street back side. You will see a little white road in Google Maps approximately where this back entrance is located. Or if you use the main entrance for the park, just keep driving through it until you get to the Taylor side. Dog parks are across from the giant soccer fields. The thing I love most is the space. Both sides are big--not as big as Hellyer, maybe, but a good size for a city park. Grass is still okay, and there is a muddy spot that... well, once it had a little fence around it to give it some time to de-mud and regrow the grass, but you can imagine what happened to THAT. This place can be busy in the early evening, right up until sundown--one time I went and there was a big group of German Shepherds who were tussling and rowdy, with a total of maybe 20 dogs in the park. That's probably the most active I've seen it, and usually it's more mellow. EXCELLENT group of regulars, people are usually quite friendly to new folks. I have to disagree about the poop, I seldom come across "stray" deposits--but then, I've been to some pretty bad parks, or maybe that person was on the small dog side where I've never been. I would not bring children to the large dog side, just because they're likely to get knocked over by bigdogs running around! read more

I am here at least twice a week with my Son and Hunny. The Dog Owners are pretty cool. Some Owners do need to keep an eye on their own kids though, because a few of them like to just have their Dogs go wherever they please without cleaning after them. HAVE SOME RESPECT PEOPLE! The park and basketball court is the place to go and I love how it's right down the street from my house. NOTE- OWNERS SHOULD ADD MORE BAGS ON A DAILY BASIS! read more

The City not having ANY focus on this park for many years really turned it into a near-wasteland. The continued lack of shade, and the continued disappearance of poop scoops means that on the volunteers were doing ANYTHING here, and the park has dropped significantly in quality. The good news is that the City is putting in 1.3 million to the entire park, and they are currently re-seeding the small dog side. The first part is going to take 4-6 MONTHS to complete. I highly recommend you go to a different park during this re-construction, and avoid this park until it is fixed. read more

Large dog breed -Great playing space - has quite a few benches for ppl - mostly dirt with patches of weed/grass - lots of dogs before and after the heat - not a lot of shade provided - my dog loves it here, me too read more

My dog and I really like this dog park. We go almost everyday and have made friends there. We try to always go in the morning. The humans and dogs that go in the morning are all well-behaved and dogs get corrected by their owners when they are being rascals. The afternoon crowd is a different story. There are no trees or shade in the small dog section, so it gets pretty toasty when the sun is up. See you guys around! read more

Great fenced dog park with natural grass. - Morning times are best because there are few dogs. - Bit crowded in evening but since its big dog park its great. - parking is free and great. - Two dog caged areas one for smaller dogs and other for bigger dogs, I will definitely recommend this dog park to all. read more

I use to come here before I moved to Chicago. My dog loved how there would be many different kinds of dogs who would come here. The grass would be green. Now all the grass is brown and died. It's so sad. The water doesn't even work. Dehydration would occur if I didn't come with water for my dog. This park used to be lively. I am not sure what happen. This is one of the closer dog park I had come to before. I do have to say this dog park is pretty big especially if you have a larger dog. It's very open space. Not too much shade though. Sad to say but I would look for a different park. Sad days. read more

City of SJ doesn't give a crap about this park. Flooding is well over and nothing is being maintained. The dog park is horrendous. Department of Parks and Recs doesn't answer calls due to high volume and leaving messages does nothing. Dog park is still closed for all you dog lovers out there. read more

If you are looking to bring your dog to the dog park, I advise you to go elsewhere! It is not being maintained at all. There is overgrown grass/weeds/etc and lots of rocks/dirt. The water fountains in the area aren't running either. If you are just looking for a playground for kids, basketball hoops, this park is fine. This review is solely for the dog park area. read more

Love this park! And the new renovations are beautiful! Can't wait for the small dog part opens up for me to be able to take my smaller dog

I've been going here since the park opened up after construction and what I love about this park is that the majority of the humans here are very welcoming and friendly--regardless of what type of dog you have. In many other parks, people will give you the stink eye (or storm off) if you bring your G Shepard, Rottweiler, Doberman, Bull Dog, and most importantly any Pit Bull type breeds. Most of the people at Watson understand doggy behavior: that dogs bark, they chase, they wrestle, they play rough, they get bratty when their ball is taken away, and they will correct each other if needed. Also, there is this very nice man that walks around the large dog side with his chocolate lab (and I think a smaller dog) and picks up left over poo along the way. That is AMAZING! My Golden Retriever loves the park now. It took almost a year of regular park visits (2 - 3x per week) to overcome her fear. ------------------------------------------ I want to clarify for those who feel their dog gets 'attacked' by other dogs at the park. If your dog got 'attacked,' chances are your dog had serious injuries--or at least had broken skin. Dogs will often vocally correct and tackle (not 'attack') each other unless they feel their lives are at stake. Sometimes they correct because they gotta let other dogs know they have this bubble and prefer to not have it burst so suddenly. Other times they will correct because of inappropriate behavior or a play move that got too rough or uncomfortable. Seldom, dogs will correct because they are very uncomfortable at the park or they have a 'I'm a big, mean, bad dog and every body needs to know that I'm boss' attitude. Mostly it's the little dogs will have that mentality: little dog syndrome. Ill behavior dogs are there most likely because their owners know they need work and only other dogs can help remedy that. Don't always blame 'bad behaviors' on owners. Sometimes it's not their fault and they have done everything they can and still are. Sometimes it is their fault, but don't automatically assume! Understand that most people are there to give their dogs a good, fun life and to learn how to appropriately behave in the process! If you march up to somebody and bluntly tell their dog (which is most likely viewed as their beloved family member) that their dog is bad, aggressive, etc, you'll probably get an ~equally closed-minded reaction. If you have concerns, then let them know politely. It is their child you are talking about and you wouldn't like it if they did the same to your dog. Depending on the situation, try allowing your dog and other dogs correct each other. This helps with DOGGY MANNERS and in turn, doggy people manners! If you want the other dog learn how to properly play with your dog (and perhaps others too), allow your dog to correct him vocally and vice versa. After the correction, you can step in but most of the time dogs will freeze, reflect on what they just did, and then play again. Lastly, most dogs know which dogs to pick on, to play gently with, play rough, bark at, chase, and etc. They are able to assess each dog and determine which play is most appropriate for that particular dog. Sometimes it escalates more than they intended because they've gotten too excited. Furthermore, dogs don't 'learn' bad behaviors from other dogs (aside from marking and what not) but when it comes to play behaviors, if your dog suddenly plays really rough with another, don't blame that he learned it from that one other dog that kept punking on him the other day. Again, dogs assess other dogs' play behaviors and will adjust their play. read more

I used to frequent Watson dog park a few times a week up until a few months ago. They removed all of the grass and put in some danky looking fences making it look like a construction site! My pups used to love to roll around in the grass there, but now it's all dirt.. And what do you get when its all dirt? Buncha dirty pups! No thanks. Probably explains why there's hardly any other dogs there now, so my babies can't socialize with any other pups. Save yourself the time and go somewhere else! read more

Well, it's been awhile, my min-pins are 3 years old now. The nice green grass is not so nice anymore. It's weedy and lots of dirt areas. No doggy bags, each time I go I bring the plastic bags I save from grocery stores when purchasing fruits & veggis, and put in there, but don't think anyone else cares to do that, self-centered people don't think about others. I step in poop when I walk across the patchy grass now, and have to wash my shoes off and scrape poop off often when there. The small dog area needs some big trees for shade, and heavy dog bowls for water, if anyone could donate them, (if you don't need anymore) that'd be nice. There needs to be more pooper scoopers, I know it's hard to even keep pooper scoopers since people steal those too, can't believe someone would want to steal a nasty pooper scooper, but I think they do. There should be a sign explaining that small dog's area is for LITTLE Dogs, since many people bring their large dogs in there and I've witnessed aggressive dogs attacking another innocent dog. The people seem to think they're an exception to the rule, that even though they have a large dog, it's okay for them to be in the little dog area. I wouldn't think of taking my mini-pins into the big dog area, why are they so rude? Not sure that answer, maybe just self-centered people who don't care about other's dogs but their own. We've had to leave a few times due to large aggressive dogs in the small dog area. Owners don't like it if we say something about their dog. Several people sit on the bench texting the whole time they are at the park, and their dog just lays around there. If they'd get up and walk around then their dog would enjoy the dog park so much more. Pretty lame that they come there for their dog, and then ignore the pet most of the time. They don't even see when pooch is pooping, as they're so addicted to their phone. Otherwise, the Watson Dog Park is fairly okay, just needs TLC and signs indicating to people that if they have big dogs, it shouldn't be inside the little dog area. These little dogs can't protect themselves like a big dog can, and lots of little dogs have attitudes too which start trouble with big dogs, best to keep out if your dog is big. I hope that in the future Watson Park will plant some bigger trees. Dogs like shade and humans do too! Another brilliant idea; a medium-size dog area, there's some land not being used right next to the small dog area, why not have a medium size area? read more

Finally went to this park after seeing it off the freeway. The park is pretty dirty with poop everywhere and no grass . It's pretty disappointed especially how big it is. Pick up your dog poop!! read more

I'm giving this a one star because the park was closed and there was no information at all on the SJ website that they're closed! I will update again once we got a chance to take my dog here. I think they are opening sometime June or July/ read more

I absolutely love this dog park! I've been to quite a few (Ed Levin County Park/Dog Park, Ryland Dog Park, and Peter D Gill Memorial Park) and this one is by far my favorite. I can only go into detail about the small dog area because I've never actually physically been inside the large dog field. Pros - Separate small and large dog area - Lots of room on both sides of the field - Pooper scooper available in case you forgot your own bag - Water fountain with two dog bowls (every time I arrive, there is always plenty of water already filled inside the bowls) - Although I never use them, benches and tables are provided for your convenience - Plenty of dogs during the afternoon and evening (I have never visited it in the morning so I can't vouch for that) - Friendly owners who understand the temperament and behavior of our furry friends Areas of Improvement - Little to no shade on the small dog side - Although the field is plentiful of grass, it is a bit inconsistent throughout Cons - At least from what I can see and hear in the large dog area, I have witness 3 - 4 aggressive dog fights as well as very rude dog owners who argue with those around them. I have only had one sour minute-moment experience and that was when a woman in the large dog field was snapping at me to close the gate when I entered the small dog field. I was having a hard time untangling my senior dog and pup for a quick second from their leashes and had pushed the gate to close but I guess it hadn't entirely. She literally snapped at me and turned to her friend while saying something and giving me a dirty look. I didn't say anything other than "Thank you for notifying me" and I understand her concern but a simple and friendly reminder to close the gate is sufficient enough. Her attitude showed through her dog, who ended up leaving the park early due to his/her dominant-rearing behavior. This is not really a con because the park does not have control over who visits. if anything, there are just pros and areas of improvement. As long as my pup is having a great time, I do not mind anything at all! I definitely recommend giving this park a visit! read more

Because Watson is so close to home, I come here to tire out my baby. Anytime after 5pm is when all the dogs come out to play, their owners congregating in a huge social circle with the other regulars, talking about their dogs' every move. Perhaps, more interesting than watching my corgi try to wrestle a Alaskan malamute. But anyway, this park has a decent amount of benches, tables, pooper scoopers, water bowls, parking... etc. Though, beware of some aggressive dogs in the larger areas who are possessive of their toys and don't like to share. Also, the huge muddy puddle near the water fountain and table benches. Dogs will tend dip their paws in the puddle of mud to cool down. :( read more

:( I was super excited about this park and couldn't wait to take my dear dog there. We decided to walk to the park but quickly realized that the whole park was gated. We walked all the way around to find out the the park was under construction and other dog owners showed up disappointed too. Sadly, we walked back home and hope for it to finish construction soon. Off to another dog park until this one is open. read more

This park is a tiny little neighborhood gem that is right in the heart of the eastside. The grounds are kept nice and clean and the football/soccer area is kept well maintained as well. There is paved sidewalk throughout the park, plenty of grass, and a small playground with basketball hoops as well. Its a quiet little neighborhood park that gets the job done. read more

Watson Park - Dog Parks Near Me - San Jose, California

This is a great dog park if you want to let your dog burn off some energy. The owners were all nice and friendly. Forgot to bring toys and was able to use one here at the park. Plenty of parking and not too dirty. Grass needs to be cut more often but not too bad. Both large and small dog areas are big. Pretty convenient location. read more

As most other people have mentioned, the small and big dog park are mainly made up of dirt. Also there are foxtails, spurs, and dry and sharp grass in the vicinity as well. I went today and there was not any running water on the small dog side. Pretty disappointed with that and how barren the park was. One plus however is that there is plenty of parking. read more

I really enjoying taking my pup here. It's a good, open environment for all types. My family and I always meet cool folks and adorable k9's. Love it here! read more

I really like the dog park and the rest of the park also. It is a nice activity park with the soccer field, basketball courts , walking areas and the nice playground for the kids. A great improvement over the old park. Very pretty views of the hills and James Lick observatory. Really lovely on a clear day. definite gem for the neighborhood. read more

Worst dog park I've ever been to. No poop bags, all weeds and no grass. It's just a giant dirt area with broken dog toys but no dogs in sight. The only positive of this park is the size. Don't waste your time like I did. read more

This is the only dog park I've been to so forgive me if I am too easily impressed. I've come at different times of the day and it never gets too crowded. My pup Ella is super shy so it's better for her to have some space sometimes. There are never any poop bags so always bring your own. The pooper scoopers are pretty disgusting but hey, at least they have some way of cleaning up after your dog. I have yet to experience any muddy areas of the park as others have mentioned. Ella likes to hang out by the tables/concrete area anyway. It's nice that they have that area at the end if you want to have lunch outside. I've seen a few people bring sandwiches as they let their dogs run around. The last couple of times I went, there have been some larger dogs that come along with their smaller companions into the small dog area. Only once did the larger dog play too aggressively with a smaller dog. Everyone was okay but most people left after the mini scare. There isn't any shade so come prepared to bake! read more

We used to be big big fans of this place -- went about 4 times a week. However, it got to the point where there were simply too many large dogs in the small dog park. I get it that people think their dogs are well behaved and can handle small dogs, but after seeing two 50lb+ dogs get in a fight it just isn't worth the risk to have our little guys playing around. On the plus side the park is huge so if you have pups that love to run this is a great place for you, just be sure to bring bags since there aren't any provided. read more

I really love this park. I think that it is much improved since re-opening. There is two sections--one for big dogs and one for small dogs. This park is always clean and people seem really friendly. I would have to say that my only con is the lack of dog bowl for the water station. I would recommend bringing a collapsible dish to put water in. read more

My pup loves this place!! We recently moved to San Jose from LA and we didn't know where to go. We went to 3 different dog parks and this one takes the cake! Parks like Butcher Park have fake grass and my pup doesn't like to run or play in it, once I brought him here, he ran for an hour straight, needless to say, he was a happy guy. Totally recommend this place. It has 2 separate areas, one for small dogs and another for the larger dogs. Both sections are pretty big in comparison to the other parks we visited. 2 thumbs up. read more