The Major League Baseball season officially begins on March 28 — the earliest opening day in history. And 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 his obedience training and behavioral skills.
We caught up with a spokesperson from the Washington Nationals who expressed their excitement for the upcoming Pups in the Park nights this year.
“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 in 2019 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!
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.
2019 Dog-Friendly Major League Baseball Games
Arizona Diamondbacks: May 10
Atlanta Braves: April 7
Cincinnati Reds: April 25, May 14, June 17, and September 3
Kansas City Royals: April 29
Milwaukee Brewers: July 16
New York Mets: April 22, May 21, and September 26
Pittsburgh Pirates: Every Tuesday home game
Seattle Mariners: April 14, May 28, July 22, and September 12
St. Louis Cardinals: May 25
Washington Nationals: March 31, April 27, May 26, June 13, September 13, and September 28
For more canine baseball fun, find out which baseball teams have their own dogs! While you’re at the game, don’t forget to share your best photos on Instagram using #ThisIsAKC.