Packer Park Dog Off Leash Area

Packer Park is a large, partly natural reserve on Leila Road in Carnegie, serving Carnegie and Murrumbeena with open lawns, mature trees and walking paths wrapped around a velodrome, sports oval and adventure playground. The dog area is unfenced and shared, so it works as a proper park run rather than a contained pen.

The dog setup

The designated off-leash zone covers the open space north of the sports ground and east of the creek, and dogs must stay under effective voice control while off lead. Glen Eira rules put dogs back on leash within 20 metres of playgrounds, barbecues and picnic areas, and dogs are banned outright from the fenced playground, the velodrome, cricket nets, golf birdie cage and the bocce and bowls area.

Carry a lead at all times and pick up waste into the bins. Water bowls are provided and there are toilets and picnic shelters near the pavilion, though reports on cleanliness vary, so do not rely on either being pristine.

Max: the off-leash zone is unfenced, so solid recall matters here, especially on weekend mornings when the lawns fill with other dogs and cyclists spinning around the velodrome.

Worth knowing

Saturday and Sunday mornings between 9am and 11am and weekday evenings after work are the busy windows, while weekday mornings and early afternoons are calmer for nervous dogs. The creek-side paths and wetland edges add birdlife and quieter walking if you want to extend the visit beyond the lawns.

Getting there and parking

Access is via Leila Road and Hunter Street, with a car park near the corner of Leila Road and Dromana Avenue and extra bays near the pavilion. Several bus routes run along nearby Koornang Road and Glen Eira Road for anyone arriving without a car.

While you are out there

Left Field Eatery and Spilt Milk on Koornang Road are both a short walk or drive away for a coffee afterwards. The Pawfield Park Fenced Dog Park in Caulfield East is the nearby fenced alternative, and Lord Reserve Dog Off Leash Area is the other Carnegie option.

More options are on the Victoria dog parks guide and the Carnegie destination page.