Off leash areas...Annapolis MD.

HI Keva,
Welcome to I-dog, I am also a Marylander!!  I live about 45 minutes from Annapolis on the eastern shore.  I can tell you it is slim pickens on finding places to take your dog off lead around here.  I know its not super close, but  the beach is a great place to run your dog.  You can't do it during the summer months, but after Nov (I think) through the winter you are allowed to take your dog on the beach (Ocean City, Rehobeth).  That is tons of fun, especially if your dog like the water!

Keva,
 
[linkhttp://www.hikewithyourdog.com/ParksoftheMonth/BeachArticle.html]Here's[/link] a site that lists beaches you can take your dog to in various states.  And a related site for [linkhttp://www.hikewithyourdog.com/besthikes.html]hiking with your dog[/link] in MD (and other states). 
 
Hope this helps,
Amy

Welcome to i-dog Keva!  I'm in Maryland too, but I'm in the Baltimore area so I can't be of much help.  Are there areas along the Chesapeake you can take your pup?  Does he/she like to swim?

dasher: I haven't been the eastern shore yet, I work at an animal hospital right outside of Annapolis and a girl I work with lives over there.  I hear the housing is SOOO much cheaper over there, here it's getting outragious!!!  I live in a little itty bitty town called Shady Side (it's a peninsula with one road in and one road out...)  I don't think there are even any public beaches around here.  We have a public beach in my housing development but it's also itty bitty and I don't think dogs are aloud.  In Vermont I lived right outside Burlington which has a year round bike path that goes right up and down Lake Champlain (probably about 20 miles) and then all sorts of hiking areas and state parks along it.  I haven't even found a bike path around here...I thought with all the water there would be one.  I love to rollerblade with my pups (two aussies), it really wears them out good and they love to run but have yet to find a good place to do that either.  I also thought there would be more dog parks around here because there are so many people with dogs...but in the area I live a lot of the dogs live outside 24-7 it's heartbreaking...  When in the spring do the beaches open back up do you know?  My dogs (well atleast the female) love water (I got my male in November from a kennle in Missouri when he was 7 months, dunno if he likes water yet??)  There is a place around here that does agility training and I think that would be fun but I gotta get more settled and get all the moving bills situated before I start that I think...  I think I might get some PVC piping and play in the back yard to start though []  Thanks again for your advice!

amylu:  Thanks for the site I am bookmarking it, any help I can get! 

cumasmommy: Baltimore area isn't too far I read about some good hiking up there actually.  Plus we head up that way to hit Ikea and Costco, Arundel Mills has the closest costco and so we just head to Ikea from there.  Hey hows the Maryland Zoo at Baltimore I always hear them talking about it on 98 ROCK. 

Thanks to everyone's advice!

I also live near Baltimore.  I know Cuma's mommy can tell you more about where to bring a dog up here than me because I am just getting into it, but there is a dog park in Canton that I hear is good.  I will be going there when it gets warmer.  There are also good hikes at Loch Raven Reservoir and Oregon Ridge and Patapsco Valley State Park oh and Gunpowder Falls State Park. 
 
If you all want, I'd be happy to organize a Maryland Idoggers get together for April or something when it will be somewhat warmer (although heck, tomorrow it could be 65 with the inconsistent weather we've been having!)

smilee: I would be totally interested in that, I really would like to meet some people around here with some similar interests!  

OK, let's see what the others say.  Katie (Cuma's mommy) and I actually met a few weeks ago to go to our first dog show.  It was fun and I am sure I will go to more.  Actually, April 21st I plan to go to one in Timonium but I think it is a Friday so people who have work can't go (I will have spring break since I am a teacher). 
 
I'd be up for meeting to hike at Loch Raven but I don't know if hiking is best for a bunch of dogs meeting for the first time.  Maybe at Canton dog park since it is fenced in.  Although I think they have a small dog area and big dog area. Would Zoe be the only "small" dog of the group?  She likes big dogs so I am not worried about that but play wise at a dog park I think she belongs in the small dog side hehe. 

Keva- I have heard of Shady Side, you are right the price of homes in the Annapolis area are crazy, unfortunately where I live is not much better. A few years ago things were reasonably on the shore, but now its near impossible to find anything affordable. I did a search for the beach ordinances and this is what I found:

"Animals are not allowed on the beach or boardwalk at any time between May 1 and September 30 by Town Ordinance. Any person or owner of a dog must remove any waste deposited on public or private property not owned by person or owner in possession of said dog. Also, dogs must be kept on a leash when being walked in and around Ocean City at any time."

So it looks like we have until May 1st until the dogs are "banned" from the beach. Personally I hate crowds so I love going to the beach in the winter, its great. I have yet to take Dasher, but hopefully this fall I will have some time...