Calgary parks
Pearce Estate Park with your dog
Pearce Estate Park sits in a curve of the Bow River at 1440 17A St. S.E., with a 15 hectare reconstructed wetland, ponds and a stream, a playground, Harvie Passage access and the Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery. The City's page lists nuthatches, catbirds, tree swallows and coots among its common species. We like it for leash practice for the same reason it is hard: everything in that setting pulls at a dog's attention.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
Leash rules here
The park page is silent on dogs, so the bylaw decides.
The City's Pearce Estate Park page lists Harvie Passage access, the wetland, ponds and stream, a playground, bookable picnic sites, and pathways and trails. It says nothing about dogs, and the park is absent from the City's off-leash locations list, whose southeast section names two Inglewood areas but not this one. So the general bylaw applies: keep your dog leashed unless a posted sign says otherwise, and on a pathway the leash can be no longer than two metres.
The Inglewood Bird Sanctuary is a separate City site in southeast Calgary, at 2425 Ninth Ave. S.E., and its page states that no bicycles or dogs are permitted on site, except assistance dogs. The City's dog off-leash areas page repeats that no dogs are allowed in the sanctuary or the Inglewood Wildlands. It is an outing without the dog. Back in Pearce Estate, the playground is off limits too: the City keeps dogs at least five metres from no-dog areas, signed or not.
- Leash on across the park
- Two-metre leash on pathways
- Sanctuary bars dogs, assistance dogs excepted
- Five metres back from the playground
Why leash discipline
Water, birds and a playground turn a walk into a test.
The wetland edge, the ponds and the river curve are where a dog's nose takes over. What we see on the leash is plain enough: the dog leans into the collar at every flush of wings, the line goes tight, and the owner is steering rather than walking. Loose-leash walking is the skill we work on for that. We teach it with markers and rewards first, then proof it around real distractions; a catbird lifting out of the brush is the kind we mean.
On-Leash Foundations is a two-week board and train at $1,865 plus GST, built for dogs who drag, lunge at squirrels or treat the leash as a suggestion. It works on loose-leash walking, heel, sit, stay, down and place around everyday distractions, and includes lifetime phone and email support. Behaviour Rehab is built for the barkers and lungers and starts with a full assessment. Which one fits is decided at the consultation, and a smaller program is recommended when it is enough.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Are dogs allowed at Pearce Estate Park?
Yes, on a leash. The City's park page does not mention dogs and the park is not on the off-leash locations list, so the citywide rule applies. Keep at least five metres from the playground.
Is Pearce Estate Park off leash?
No. It does not appear on the City of Calgary's list of off-leash areas. The southeast section of that list includes two Inglewood community areas, but Pearce Estate Park is not one of them.
Are dogs allowed in the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary?
No, apart from assistance dogs. The City's sanctuary page states that no bicycles or dogs are permitted on site, except assistance dogs, and its dog off-leash areas page adds that no dogs are allowed in the sanctuary or the Inglewood Wildlands. It is a separate site from Pearce Estate Park, so plan it as its own visit.
What training helps a dog who pulls toward the water and birds?
Loose-leash walking taught with markers and rewards, then proofed around real distractions. Our two-week On-Leash Foundations board and train works on exactly that, and every board and train includes a handover lesson so you learn to hold the standard yourself.
Keep reading
A slack leash by the river
Tell us how your dog handles birds, water and passing dogs. Book a consultation and we will map the right program, honestly.
From real owners
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