It’s a balmy Saturday not far from Melbourne’s Yarra River when a handful of people with their pooches arrive at the Thomas Oval dog park, trying to avoid the heat.

David Davis and his husband, Jen Tan, are here with their two dogs – Mika (a six-year-old groodle) and Como (a five-year-old cavoodle) – who sniff and dart around this South Yarra gathering place. The dogs move with abandon, with Como squeezing her shaggy head between my legs as her owners chat.

“I’ve been coming here about three times a week recently because I’ve got a knee injury and can’t take long walks – but all the smells here are probably more than they encounter on a long walk anyway,” Davis says.

The couple live nearby, in a house with a small back yard. So the dogs come here mostly to have some green space to play in. “The dogs just love all the smells and interaction with other dogs – it’s like a sensory wonderland – plus the dogs can be off-leash here and it’s well-maintained,” he says.

But this dog park, like many others popping up around Australia, is much more than just a fenced patch of grass. It sits atop an elevated, tree-lined park. It boasts a separate gated “quiet zone”, sensory areas featuring rocks for climbing, sandpits to dig in and tanbark.

The science of dog parks has been changing. While they can now be found in all cities and most small towns around Australia, modern dog parks are designed in a highly technical way with a focus on dog socialisation, behaviour and management, according to Leanne Dowey, senior associate from Hansen Partnership who designed this park.

“For Thomas Oval dog park, clear direction from council in the early stages of the project was that they wanted the dog park to predominantly incorporate native/Indigenous plant species, permeable surfaces and nature dog play elements (rather than agility equipment),” Dowey says.

“Both the active and quiet dog zones include a sandpit. The active play zone includes hoops, a range of natural materials, shelters, mounded lawn and [a] large red gum feature log play element.”

There are now approximately 15,000 dog parks in Australia, according to Dogshare, an online platform designed to match dogs with dog lovers in their community.

But that number is set to grow. In Victoria, the Allan government recently released the findings of a pet census that showed dogs now make up 41% of all pets, and is offering grants of up to $300,000 to local councils to build and upgrade existing dog parks.

Louisa Larkin, the founder of CoPP (City of Port Phillip) Dogs Network, says she often travels with her dog around Australia, stopping at dog parks en route.

Some are much better than others. Among Larkin’s favourites is Sydney Park in Sydney’s inner suburbs, which is majority off-leash and has a small pool for dogs and a large cafe. Another is also in New South Wales: Albury’s Logan Road dog park features a clamshell paddling pool for the dogs that residents can fill with hoses provided.

Not all fun and games

The founder of Dogshare, Jessica Janson, says the best dog parks should now include features such as separate zones for quiet or smaller breeds, access to water and shade, waste disposal – including bags and receptacles – and clear signs instructing owners to take responsibility for their dogs’ behaviour in the park.

She places great importance on owners to ensure they respect the rights of other humans and dogs.

“To keep these places as safe and happy environments for everyone [dog owners] need to do their research and know which parks are dog friendly and on or off-lead,” Janson says.

“It’s so important to be a responsible dog owner – many dogs suffer from anxiety or reactivity and likewise young families or people who don’t feel comfortable around dogs have a right to quiet enjoyment of these spaces.”

Lesley Humphreys, a director of Paws4Play and LHM Consulting who has worked for 15 years with councils on public policy around dog parks, says there have been problems.

Her research demonstrates that fenced dog parks, more so than unfenced areas, generally attract poorly educated and behaved dogs, and owners who do not actively interact with their dogs or proactively intervene when they should. They also attract dogs that have been penned up in the back yard and have lots of energy to release.

“As ironic as it may sound, these dogs need to be exercised before going into the dog park,” she says.

“Dog parks are a real drawcard – and who doesn’t love to see dogs bounding around together?

“The problem is not all dogs are wired for the dog park.”

Humphreys says most owners generally aren’t good at reading their dog’s body language.

“Many owners do not realise that dog control regulations apply in dog parks and believe in the adage ‘let the dogs sort it out for themselves’. This can have traumatic implications for dogs, owners and other people alike.”

She says a good dog park will have multiple sensory elements such as rock clambers, rock beds, digging pits and sensory vegetation to distract pets from dog-on-dog activity.

‘Our dogs are our kin’

For Jennifer Bishop, who walks her four-year-old golden retriever, Daisy, in parks and beaches around Port Phillip daily and has used dog-friendly spaces for over 30 years, the most vital aspects of dog parks are that they have shady areas, water bowls and drinking fountains, clear signs and provide dog poo bags.

She says she has met many of her closest friends through dog parks over the years.

“Dog people consider their dogs to be their family, and the community around them as friends,” she says.

“For those of us who choose not to or do not have human children, or older people with grown children, our dogs are our kin. Our dog community are our coffee buddies, walking buddies, people we can help and those who help others.”

Beyond that, Bishop is a strong advocate for having well-trained dogs in parks, and providing large, medium and small dog areas – otherwise dog parks can feel like the wild west.

“Dogs racing up to other dogs biffing them or jumping on them is not ‘normal dog behaviour’ … similar to if you went to a human party and you have strangers running up to you, hugging you, punching you in the arm, without your permission.

“It’s just not good manners.”