Ted Ajani Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

Ted Ajani Reserve is a large community sporting ground at 290 Thompsons Road in Templestowe Lower, and its ovals double as an off-leash area whenever organised sport is not using them. It is a genuine local favourite, with wide open grass for a proper run in a suburb short of big unfenced spaces.

The dog setup

Manningham Council designates the reserve as off-lead, and the ovals are available around the clock except when club training, a match or a booking is underway, at which point leads go back on. Dogs must be under effective control at all times, and leashed within 15 metres of the playground, the permanent barbecue areas and any active sporting session. Waste bins sit near the pavilion, and drinking water taps are by the playground in the south-east corner.

Worth knowing

The fencing around the oval is low sports railing with gaps at the entry points rather than a secure enclosure, so a dog that bolts needs watching, particularly near Thompsons Road. The reserve also carries a playground, outdoor gym gear, tennis courts and cricket nets, and the pavilion has public toilets and picnic tables. Weekend mornings draw the crowd, and winter weekends often see the ovals booked out for football and soccer, which cuts into the off-leash space.

Max: check the ovals before you unclip. Junior sport bookings run most of Saturday here in winter, and the rails with gaps will not hold a dog chasing a ball onto Thompsons Road.

Getting there and parking

There is a dedicated off-street car park on Thompsons Road, including accessible parking bays near the pavilion. Bus route 903 runs along Thompsons Road for anyone coming without a car, and the local path network links the reserve toward Manningham Road for an on-lead warm-up walk before the off-lead run.

Pair it with

Shaeahans Reserve Dog Off Leash Area is the other off-leash option in Templestowe Lower if the ovals are booked out, and Banksia Park Fenced Dog Park in Bulleen is the nearest fully fenced alternative a short drive west.

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