Pizzey Park Fenced Dog Park

The fenced dog park inside Pizzey Park at Mermaid Waters is the fully enclosed, agility equipped corner of one of the Gold Coast's biggest off leash precincts. Mature pines give it shade, the City of Gold Coast manages it, and the fence is the whole point: dogs that need containment, or a recall that is still a work in progress, can play here without a slip-up turning into a search party.

The dog setup

Inside the fence you get agility obstacles for training and stimulation, a water tap with bowls, waste bag dispensers, bins, benches and picnic tables. Effective voice control is still required even inside the enclosure, and the playgrounds and sports fields across the wider park are off limits to dogs. Outside the fence, Pizzey Park's broader off leash area runs down to a lake with walking tracks and a designated dog beach for swimming, so a session here can end with a wade.

Worth knowing

The fence and the obstacles make this section the pick for puppies, nervous dogs and anyone starting agility work, but the walls also mean all the local dogs funnel through one gate. Read the yard before you enter, and step back out if play turns one-sided. A public toilet sits within reach for the humans.

Getting there and parking

Access is off Pizzey Drive at Mermaid Waters, reachable from Southport-Burleigh Road, with entry points also via Bardon Avenue. Free parking is plentiful, and several bus stops sit within walking distance, which is unusual for a Gold Coast dog park.

Max: The fence is the reason to pick this section over the open lawns. Start here where a slip-up stays contained.

When to go

Weekend mornings from about 8 to 11 and late afternoons draw the regular crowd. For a timid dog or a first agility session, a weekday mid-morning is far quieter. The pine shade makes summer visits workable, but the middle of a hot Gold Coast day still asks for a morning start.

Close by with the dogs

For the open, unfenced side of the precinct, Pizzey Offleash Dog Area covers the lake lawns and beach. After the park, Mercado on Markeri Street and Two Birds One Stone Q both take dogs at outdoor tables.

Plot more outings on our guide to dog friendly parks in Queensland or browse what else suits dogs around Mermaid Waters.