Southern Reserve

Southern Reserve runs along Police Road in Mulgrave, in Melbourne's outer southeast, and it is the suburb's headline dog park because the whole reserve is designated an off-lead area by the City of Monash. It is open 24 hours, and the grounds pack in an oval, tennis courts, cricket nets and a playground, so the dog space shares a fence line with a busy community sports precinct. Parking is along the Police Road frontage, and the reserve is big enough that a dog can get a genuine run rather than a lap of a pocket park.

Dogs are allowed off lead, but the council's conditions are worth reading before you unclip. Dogs must be under effective control at all times, and they are not permitted on the sportsground during organised sport. If a cricket match or footy training is running, the oval is out of bounds and you will need to keep to the edges of the reserve until play finishes. Weekend mornings are when the sports program is most likely to claim the ground, so if a fully open oval matters to you, aim for a weekday visit or call ahead.

Worth knowing

Fencing is the detail that trips people up. The council describes some areas of the reserve as fully or partially fenced rather than presenting the whole oval as a lockable dog enclosure, so do not assume every boundary is dog-proof. Confident recall matters, particularly near the sportsground side where cricket balls, runners and other dogs pile up as distractions. For a fully fenced run with lockable gates you may prefer one of the smaller reserves nearby, and keep the playground side in mind if your dog is unsure around children.

More walks nearby

Mulgrave has a cluster of off-lead options beyond this one, which is why the suburb works as a full dog-day outing rather than a single stop. Sabina Park is the general-purpose reserve with its own off-lead status, and Whitehaven Crescent Reserve, Freeway Reserve and Gladeswood Reserve cover the smaller suburban circuits between them. Afterward, Troublemaker Cafe is a handy dog-friendly coffee stop, with Little Mavros as the backup. Find more in the Mulgrave destination guide or the Victoria dog-friendly parks list.