The Sheepfold off-leash area at the Middlesex Fells: the rules

DCR's page on dogs at the Fells calls Sheepfold Meadow a designated off-leash recreation area where dogs are free to run and play, and the first of its meadow rules draws the boundary: dogs are allowed off leash only in the designated area. Everywhere else in the Fells the leash stays on. The second rule covers the crossing. Keep your dog leashed when entering or leaving the off-leash area, so the unclip happens inside the meadow and the clip happens before you walk out.

The third rule is the one people forget. You must always have one leash in hand for each dog you bring into the area, so a leash is never left in the car or hung on a post. With two dogs, that means two leashes in your hands, ready to use. It is a practical rule: if a scuffle starts, a dog heads for the exit or a child comes near, you can clip on the right dog at once. DCR's statewide guide asks the same of the owners at every off-leash area it runs.

Four of the meadow rules are flat prohibitions. No dog may be left unattended in the area, so you stay in the meadow for as long as your dog is loose in it. No aggressive dogs are allowed, and no dogs in heat, which keeps two common causes of trouble out of a shared space. And there is no digging, a rule that protects the meadow itself; a dog that starts excavating should be called away and given something else to do before the hole grows.

The fifth rule is about people: children under 13 must be supervised by an adult. Dogs at play run fast and bump hard, and a child can be knocked over or chased without any dog meaning harm. If you bring children, keep them beside you and ask them not to run among loose dogs or carry snacks into the group. DCR's Fells page also asks owners not to let even a friendly dog approach other dogs or people unless invited, and that applies to children too.

The Sheepfold asks for a dog that plays well with strangers and still turns around when called, and that combination is what our playgroups and Academy days work on. Daycare puts your dog with 7 to 10 others matched by size and temperament, under our handlers' eyes, for $42 a full day or $33 a half. Dogtown Academy, $89 full or $69 half, adds training and one-on-one trainer time every day, fear- and force-free and built on positive reinforcement. Our handlers never take dogs to the Sheepfold or anywhere else in the Fells.

Every new daycare or Academy dog starts with a free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and a current license from your town. Stoneham, where the Sheepfold sits, is outside the Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up. The drive from the Sheepfold to 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester runs north on I-93 and then along Route 128, about 45 minutes outside rush hour by our estimate.