The Major League Baseball season has officially begun and stadiums are pretty much at full capacity. What better way to celebrate than by planning to take your pup to the park to catch a game? Believe it or not, many of the MLB teams sponsor dog-friendly nights so that you can enjoy watching your favorite team with your furry friend right by your side. And aside from it just being plain old fun, it’s also a fantastic way to provide your dog with positive socialization and give him an opportunity to test out their obedience training and behavioral skills.
If you’d like to bring your dog with you to root, root, root for your home team, check out the list of teams below that have already confirmed they will be offering these awesome theme nights.
2024 Dog-Friendly Major League Baseball Games
Arizona Diamondbacks: April 16
Chicago White Sox: April 29
Cincinnati Reds: April 24, May 22, June 24, August 12, September 18
Detroit Tigers: April 30, May 14, September 10, September 25
Houston Astros: September 1
Kansas City Royals: April 23, May 21, September 3
Los Angeles Dodgers: June 2
Miami Marlins: April 29, May 20, June 2, June 17, July 7
Milwaukee Brewers: May 9
Minnesota Twins: April 22
New York Mets: April 2, May 13, September 17
Pittsburgh Pirates: April 23, May 7, May 21, June 18, July 2, July 23, August 6, August 27, September 10, September 24
San Diego Padres: April 3, April 30, July 9, August 12
San Francisco Giants: April 27
Seattle Mariners: April 29, May 29, June 10, July 2, August 7, September 12
St. Louis Cardinals: May 4
Tampa Bay Rays: April 14
Texas Rangers: August 16
Washington Nationals: April 5, April 23, June 3, August 2, September 10, September 27
What to Expect
We caught up with a spokesperson from the Washington Nationals who expressed their excitement for the upcoming Pups in the Park nights.
“There’s nothing better than being able to combine Man’s Best Friend and America’s Pastime,” they explained. “Our fans love having the opportunity to bring their dogs to the ballpark and Pups in the Park is one of our most popular Theme Nights year in and year out.”
Nationals Park features a designated Pup Zone in the Family Picnic area and features pet sitters from the Human Rescue Alliance and Fetch! Pet Care. There’s also a special pregame parade taking place on the first dog-friendly night, so you can show off your furry fan before enjoying the game!
“We look forward to continuing this tradition and welcoming more four-legged fans to Nationals Park,” the spokesperson said.
One way to set you and your dog up for success at one of these games is by utilizing AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) training. This program teaches good manners to dogs as well as responsible dog ownership to owners. By participating in CGC, your dog will learn how to accept friendly strangers, sit politely to be pet, how to walk through crowds, and more — all-important lessons that will certainly come in handy at MLB games!
Should You Take Your Dog to a Baseball Game?
Yes, if your dog:
- Is old enough to be around other dogs and people (at least 4 months of age)
- Is up-to-date on all required vaccinations and old enough to be around other dogs and people (4+ months of age)
- Is in relatively good health and can walk up and down several flights of stairs
- Does well on-leash and is not reactive toward other dogs or humans
- Does well with crowds, and loud noises such as fireworks and cheering
No, if your dog:
- Is unvaccinated or under four months of age
- Is a senior dog that would have trouble navigating stairs and being outside for an extended period of time
- Tends to get overheated
- Has reactive tendencies toward other dogs or humans
- Is exhibiting any signs of illness close to the day of the game such as cough, nasal discharge, lethargy, or diarrhea. These symptoms can be signs of potentially infectious illnesses and it would probably be best for your dog, as well as the other dogs in attendance, if they did not attend.
- Has issues with loud noises (fireworks, loud music, sirens, etc. will occur before/during/after the game)
For more canine baseball fun, find out which baseball teams have their own dogs!