EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR SMALL DOGS!

This is the third year we came to Myrtle Beach with our Maltese. We decided this year we would try some dog friendly activities. I found the Barc Park online & read the reviews & thought it sounded like a fun & safe place to take our dog. I was wrong!

The internet mentions that there are two dog areas. One for large dogs & one for small dogs. This is not true. There are no signs posted stating large & small dog areas. It is pretty obvious that the lake area is for large dogs & the smaller fenced area is for small dogs. When we arrived there were large dogs in both areas. We decided to try the larger lake area first since there were less dogs in it. We made it about half way around the lake before my husband had to pick up our 6.5lb Maltese. A large breed dog came running up to us & was jumping & snapping at our dog. The owner was about 100 feet from us with his other dog not paying attention. He did tell us, “Sorry about that.” I doubt he truly was since he didn’t stop his dog from jumping on my husband.

We then decided to move to the smaller area which still had large dogs in it. We were in there about 30 sec. before the first large dog (about 50lbs) came running over to us. My husband picked up our dog again since the dog was huge & we didn’t know its temperament. Good thing he did because another large dog (about 45lbs) came running up & the two larger dogs had my husband smashed between them while they were playing/fighting trying to get to our dog. If my husband hadn’t picked up our dog who knows what would have happened. The owners seemed oblivious to their dogs unruly behavior & when we mentioned that we read online that there were large & small dog areas they had no idea what we were talking about. We left after that & took our dog to the beach where he could walk safely without being mauled by large unruly dogs with oblivious owners.

I am so glad to see that there is a great dog park in the area. I havent been here yet but im excited.

As far as negative comments go on this board, I think you need to actually go to the park before you judge what the park may or may not look like. I think that with any open space, people do not always pick up after their dogs but you just need to make sure that you pick up after yours. I personally live on a lake outside MB and my dog drinks from the lake all the time. He has never been sick and I can only imagine that its the same at this park.

Good job Myrtle Beach for making a great park.

Iv'e read all these comments, and personally I would never take my dogs to that park! Too many people complainned of the pond being dirty, dirty drinking bowels. I would not want my dog drinking out of a community bowel! neglectful owners, with unattended pets and POOP TA-BOOT! Other dogs may carry fleas, and or possibly disease, and have an unpredictable tempermanent that could pose a threat to other pets as well as their owners. A bunch of people standing around chewing the fat instead of attending to their dogs? What the----? Sounds like a circus of sorts. Not a relaxing experience for anyone or thing.
I'm very protective of my pets and particular also. I walk them as much as possible, and they run and play in our home and yard. If you have no yard, There are plenty of places to walk your dog. Who would want to go to such a crazy place?!! A big free for all and too many dog owners with No common sense.
GOOD LUCK!

Like the park and where I lived where dont have one. The only thing that I like to see is people to read signs. Small dogs and Big dogs. My small yorkie dint mind his big for legged friends, but some didnt get along.

My dogs love this park. They really love getting into the pond and never have gotten sick from drinking this water or playing in it. Some dogs there get a little aggressive but most of the owners usually keep them under control. The park is really big and the dogs really like the extra big running room. We will be at this park all the time! :)

We love this place, only wish we had some of these up in New England area. We were visiting the area and we pretty much took the dogs there everyday and for the most part found everyone watched there dogs and picked up after themselves.

Most of the owners and dogs were friendly and disciplined the dogs when necessary, there are always exceptions anywhere you go, be it at a dog park or a playground with kids. So you just hope everyone uses common sense and watch your dog because of the ones that have none.

We did tend to stay away from the smaller area since we noticed a large group of people socializing and not really watching the pooches. People in the larger area tended to walk around the pond, kept the dogs moving and kept an eye on them.

People have to understand, dogs will be dogs. If your dogs is extremely hyper and wired and chases other dogs nipping at it's heels and tail to play, expect your dog to possibly be put down physically by the dog being nipped. Don't get upset at the dog or owner who your dog was nipping at. Dogs do correct other dogs behaviors without drawing blood even though it looks very physical. (This happened in the smaller dog area by a crazy little dog nipping quite hard at my 40lb dogs heels and tail with the owner of the nipper just saying, oh that is just the way he plays, Gee, maybe he should be trained a little not to do that.)

I might also suggest if your dog is EXTREMELY possessive of anything it is carrying in its mouth, don't allow it to carry anything. It may end badly one day especially if you have a large dog.

Most incidents happen because people can't read or they ignore their own dogs behavior or the behavior of other dogs that can lead to things happening. Keep an eye out for the signs and 99% of incidents can be stopped before it gets out of hand.

Again, this is great place for dogs and responsible pet owner.
LOVE IT!

You ought to contact Robin with this idea. A pet shower would be a terrific asset! I got the city to install the middle dog cather fence that seperates the two parks. It took a great deal of persistants but the job finaly was authorized!

While I do agree that the pond is filthy, the water bowls are general rinsed out on a regular bases and filled with fresh water.
My dog begs me to take her to the Dog Barc park. She is a huge fan of this place. I am there with her at least 3 times a week.

Yes I do agree that some people go there and do not watch there dogs and do not pick up after them.
Most people do watch the dogs and many times will announce to those who are not paying attention that they need to collect the poo that their dog produced.

Some dogs can be aggressive. Most of the time these animals are detained and removed immedialty from the park by the dog owner. However some jerks refuse to aknowldege the attacks. Thankfully this does not happen very often. When it does happen other take down a description of the dog, its owner and the car they arrived in. This information is given to the Park manager Robin. And she handles it with the law.

I will continue to take Lucy to the Barc park, she loves it. No way do I allow her to swim in the pond. That water is DISGUSTING!

I bring my c.spaniel there at least once a week. And we both love it there. I not only get to let my girl run free and get great exercise and socializing ...but you get to meet a lot of "dog people"! There will always be those people that do not follow rules, no matter where you go...but I have never had a bad experience at BARC. WE give it 4 paws up!!!

I visited this park while in MB during Christmas. My only issue was that some of the people who let their dogs off leash in the smaller area had no control, or cared to have any over their dogs trying to overwhelm smaller ones. The Smaller dog area had all large size dogs, maybe owners couldn't control theirs enough in the large dog area, which had all very well behaved large dogs that came when called and caused no problems with any other dogs. Dogs, like kids imitate what they see....

Great park.My dog loves it.
She gets absolutely filthy.I would like to see a hose added for washing down the dogs.

I do. Your'e there for your dog. Just watch him while you are there and everything should be fine and don't let him go in the water and if playing in the grass, bath him as soon as you get home and be selective on who your dog goes and greets or is greeted by (canine)

Oh and have a nice doggy bank account set up for vet bills in case you need it from all the hazards that are there.

I personally think when going in that lake a dog would have better luck not to get a skin rash if they are not bathed often, because their natural oils and ordinary dirt (that goes unseen, which all dogs have to some degree) would protect them from whatever nasty stuff is in there from years of being improperly treated. Some dogs it's a luck of the draw they get nothing and some get something once and then they are fine. Then there's my dog who gets a rash and then never again and now only pukes if any tiny bit gets into her mouth from swimming. The park says their not responsible, enter at own risk, but there's a line to be drawn for it is public place and is meant for dogs and it's so hot here dogs want to be in the water and if its going to harm an animal then it should be quarantined off, drained or fenced in. A fountain would not help this water at this juncture I firmly believe it needs to be drained, treated properly and a fountain(s) placed in it.

I've been going to the park for awhile now and it's getting quite expensive. There's probably a reason for why the dog park is 'free'. I don't know what they put or do not put in the lake and/or grass on the other side of the park but my dog got rashes from the lake and then a second time one of them drank the water maybe a teaspoon of it and puked for 3 days.

The city apparently just did maintenance or upkeep (treated the grass and lake and cut tree branches) but something new must have been placed in the grass for killing or minimizing fleas or ticks because there have been several dogs with weird skin issues ie. round circle infected marks (not ring worm) but when taken to a vet is undetected so far. I spoke to someone who's going to a specialist and they will be waiting for results to find out exactly what was placed in the park or are people bring contagious dogs in????? I'm sure it will soon be revealed.

It seems to just be getting worse. There also is a group of individuals that will berate other people (whom they don't even really know, but apparently dislike) and yell to them to pick up their dogs feces while that person is pulling the bag out of their pocket. Oh, but there dogs will poop all over the place (seen it several times and they don't once get up from their chairs to pick it up)

It's harassing and makes what should be a fun experience with your dogs into walking past street hoodlums or bullys. You will also be blasted on theirfacebook page of their barc park wall if they decide they do not like you. It's really strange...

Just beware, I'm finding a new place to go!! Can't afford it financially and second need to find a classier environment of people to allow my dogs to play in peace.

Visitor (not anymore)

We've been to a few different dog parks, and this is the nicest one I've seen. It would be nice to have a fountain in the water to keep it moving, but we haven't had any issues with the water. My dog is a golden retriever and that's where he spends the majority of his time, and his vet makes sure he has the shots and vaccinations he needs to protect him. I would say the majority of the issues would pertain to the dog owners, and not the park itself.

I've been bringing my dog there for years. We've never had an issue with aggressive dogs, but I've seen it happen to other people. The responsibility definately lies with the owners. When I notice a dog that's unusually aggressive, I walk away from it and make sure my dog does too. Some people just stand there and watch, not doing a thing about until the animals actually end up fighting. That has nothing to do with this particular park. We've been to many different parks and beaches and there's always going to be some irresponsible dog owner there, but since I can't change that I just stay away from them when I notice them.

My dog is very socialized and he's been my traveling companion his whole life. We've been in many different situations with new people and animals, but I realize a lot of people are not that way with their dogs. I think the best advice for bringing your dog to a park where they can run free is to pay attention to how the other animals and their owners act. You'll know which to stay away from. I also think its best to keep the dogs moving. I see so many people just stand or sit in one area rather than walk their dogs around and let them discover different things.

This place is absolutely filthy. The water bowls are filthy, the poo is everywhere and most of the people are to busy into their group talks to pay any attention to what is going on with their pet. The park should be completely shut down.
The people that go here DO NOT OBEY THE RULES!! It has been said here, they do not watch their dogs and other dogs get hurt. That is very true!
I took my Bichon boys there one time and I will never go back. I am afraid they will catch a bad infection from all the filth! and possibly get hurt by a lot of very aggressive unattended dogs. This place needs to look at other dog parks in other states on how to properly maintain and run a dog park. This is a disgrace and very unfair to all dogs and owners that need a safe clean place to take their dogs.

PS: To the person that said they have never seen an attack there, you have been real lucky so far... but...keep going and unfortunately for your dog... YOU WILL!

Puppy shouldn't have been there at 10 wks, there's an age minimum of at least 4 mths. Who's irresponsible??...the guys that doesn't read the rules of the park.

The rules clearly state that dogs younger than 4 months are not allowed in the park. The reason for this is twofold. First, at 10 weeks, your dog has not had all of it's vaccinations, and is therefore susceptible to diseases. Secondly, at younger than 4 months, your dog has neither the size nor the temperament to deal with full grown dogs who do not consider your dog a pack member. I've been visiting the park 3-4 times per week for several months, and have yet to see a dog injured or maliciously attacked by another dog. Your dog was by far the exception, and you are culpable because you violated the park rules and put your too-young dog into a dangerous situation.

My boyfriend & I take our pit mix to the barc park almost every day and have for the last few months. She loves it. It's a great place for her to run off all her energy. To some of the other comments above.
#1 READ THE RULES BEFORE YOU ENTER! Puppies should be 4 months or older!! If you don't know how your dog will act around other dogs it's simple- Don't bring them! USE COMMON SENSE! And don't assume that just because your dog is a non aggressive breed that it won't be aggressive towards other dogs!!! Well guess what, ALL DOGS can be aggressive!!! I've heard stories of labs and goldens to spaniels and jack russells that have malled their owners, children, other animals etc. A lot of it is how you train your animal, how it is treated, etc. and also knowing the signs of your dog & other dog's body language!!!!
Anyways back to the park, I have heard several stories about "rashes" from the water. Our dog LOVES the lake and we have never seen an problems with her health from it. Maybe those dogs got rashes because their owners don't properly bathe them after they've been in the water? Or could be a reaction to something else entirely. The park is in a wooded area. Which means there is a great possibility for poison ivy and the likes.
We have met many different people at the park. Many like ourselves that are regulars to the park. It's pretty basic, if you use common sense and know how your dog acts around other dogs before bringing them to the park its a fantastic place! Not to mention pay attention to them! Yes it's nice to let them run loose but that doesn't mean you should just pay no attention to what they are doing! They are just like children! If you ignore them they tend to get in trouble!!!!!
This is a great place and as long as everyone follows the rules and keeps an eye on their dogs, it should stay that way!
Wish they had more places like this so everyone could enjoy them all over the country!

"I just wanted to know if you have any plans to put fountains in the ponds at the Dog Park in Myrtle Beach? My grandma's dog got a rash and the vet seems to think it's from the water at the park. The vet also said that a lot of other dogs who go to the Dog Park have the same problem. Have you heard of this? Is there anything they can do to make the ponds cleaner?
It's a great place, but a lot of people aren't sure about the water." -Visitor

My golden lab who has just been to the beach as a puppy, and could not be turned loose yet. She took to this spot right away. Hitting the water full force playing with the other pups. What a great day. Ha ha guess you cats will have to find somewhere to swim.

Don't get me wrong this is a great place for dogs .But some of the owners were very stand offish and quite unfriendly.

You might want to actually read the posted rules on both park entrances.... it clearly states that a dog must be at least four months old to even be in the Barc Park.

The last time I was at the MB Barc Parc was when my Lab was a 10 week old puppy; I had never been before. My 'Baby'; who is neither too friendly (obnoxious) nor too shy was BITTEN clean thru one of his ears simply because an irresponsible person who was paying no attention whatsoever to his Pit Bull.
I also found the pond water disgusting filthy; there is no proper cleaning/drainage system; and Poopy Bags? I saw maybe 1/4 of people actually using them; the rest irresponsibly left their pet's 'Waste'. In all fairness, it is the dog owners who ruin it for the Park itself; but here's a FACT - When I took my Lab Baby to the vet for his pierced ear, TWO vets actually told me they see more injuries to innocent dogs than they should because of Parc incidents. Many Licensed Veterinarians here do not condone the Barc Parc whatsoever from those I have talked to. Your dog might have it's shots, also, but how do you know who else's does? And God forbid, my Lab's ear was the only thing 'bit clean through' that day. Aggressive dogs at any time can turn. Before the ear incident I actually had to tell another idiot dog owner whose little maniac was clearly getting way, way, too rough with mine. Difference between me and some - not all - of the idiots who bring their dog to Barc Parcs - I am RESPONSIBLE. Oh, and yes, I have NEVER been back nor will be.
I brought my Lab to see if he might like swimming since we were building a house with a pool. He did, and we have now adopted a rescue dog to keep him company. He also has many play dates with dogs that I KNOW AND TRUST thru friends and neighbors. Like I said, ask your Vet their honest opinion.

Great dog run!

i think the lake is a good way for dogs to learn to swim in a legal place. My dog just loves getting wet!

The Barc Parc is finely equipped. The parking is in the back where there are two areas that you may enter.
One area includes a lake for the dogs to swim in. Each entrance is double gated! Occassionaly the park is temporarily closed for maintenance.Bags are available for waste. A porta potty is located closer to the lakeside entrance. We should be very, very thankful for this wonderful park, and not complain about it, but take care of it. DO NOT ever avoid maintaining your pet with the most important vaccine, which is for Parvo.If you are concerned about the water, then have your pet vaccintated with a bordatella shot.I do agree that a fountain might help maintain the water. However, my dogs have played at the park for many years, and have remained healthy.We love you and your pets! Love,Jerry,Onny,and Hope...(the Happy Labhounds)

We took our dog to the park today (Jan 6) only to find it locked with a notice on the gate it was closed for maintenance. Does any one know when the park will re-open or why it's closed? We visit here several times a year from Pennsylvania and our dog loves the park. We were hoping to be able to take her this trip, as we don't have any dog parks near our home.
ANSWER: The park was closed January 6-7 for maintenance according to the park service and will close again for two days in early April. They hope to do two days of maintenance every quarter but these times are not currently scheduled or announced.

Please tell me exactly where it is. We asked and asked at the commons and no one knew. Thanks.

ANSWER: Get off the highway at Howard Pkwy and make a left onto Mallard Drive. The dog park is about 200 yards on the left side of the road. It is in the old retired army base. The marker on the map should be nearly exact.

My boyfriend and I take our two dogs to this park at least once a week. We love it. The only thing is, there is no drainage in the lake so it really is a little mucky. I'm not sure how safe it is for the dogs. Overall, we have had good experiences here!

My husband and I take our golden retriever to Barc Park at least once a week.  We come all the way from Calabash, NC.  Sophie, our dog, loves it!   She can't get enough of fetching the ball out of the pond.

 THERE IS A BATHROOM AND ANOTHER ENTRANCE down from the smaller dog area.  You just have to drive just a tiny bit farther down.

I just wish there were another Barc Park in North Myrtle Beach so we wouldn't have to drive so far.  It's 40 miles one way for us.

We live in the area and often take our dogs to the Bark Park.  It is a wonderful experience for the dogs -- it teaches them sociability and for the most part, most dogs are friendly and not aggressive.

However, on our recent trip there, we found the regular parking lot fenced up and the gates locked on the street side of the park.  A new parking lot was added in the back and access to the large, pond area could only be accessed through the smaller enclosed area.  Usually, I don't go through there because during morning hours, there is a coffee clatch of people there with rather unfriendly dogs, and I wish to avoid those dogs.  Now it is the only way in.  Also, my husband lost his leg a few years ago, and doesn't have the stamina to walk the distance needed to access the larger area.  He was forced to sit in the car while I played with the dogs.

I love the bark park and will continue to go, but it really should be accessible by handicapped people and there should be a separate access to the larger area.

I might also add that there used to be a porta potty there and didn't see one this time.  It's still a great place for your dog.  And my dogs do not care about anything I have just said.  They had a great time anyway.