Editorial policy & sources

Our methodology

• Park data: Sourced from Outscraper + Google Maps + visitor reviews. Every park is feature-tagged (fenced, off-leash, water, shade, small-dog area) using deterministic rules from review text. Park policies cross-referenced with state/local park system websites.
• Photos: Real Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons photos for landmark parks. Each photo URL is verified before publication. We reject city-skyline substitutions or generic stock photos. When no real photo exists, we use procedural illustrations that match the park's kind and features.
• Breed guides: Each breed entry compiled from AKC breed standards, parent-club health survey data, and peer-reviewed veterinary literature. Health-issue prevalence figures are cited from published breed-club surveys when available.
• Tools (calculators, quizzes): Use peer-reviewed formulas where available. Dog age calculator uses the 2019 UCSD epigenetic clock study (Wang et al., Cell Systems). Breed quiz uses lifestyle-based heuristic scoring against breed temperament and exercise data.
• Toxic foods: All toxicity claims cross-referenced with ASPCA Animal Poison Control database (888-426-4435) and AVMA published guidance.

Primary sources

• American Kennel Club (AKC) — breed standards, registration data, popularity rankings
• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) — health guidance, vaccination schedules
• ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxic foods, plants, household chemicals
• Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) — hip/elbow/heart/eye certification standards
• Morris Animal Foundation — Golden Retriever Lifetime Study (cancer epidemiology)
• UCSD Wang et al. (2019) — modern epigenetic dog-age formula
• Stanley Coren — The Intelligence of Dogs — breed obedience-IQ ranking
• Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons — park photos (CC BY-SA / public domain)
• National Park Service (NPS) — pet policies for federal parks
• State park system websites — individual state pet policies and trail rules
• Breed parent clubs (Doberman Pinscher Club of America, Berner Garde, Cavalier Club USA, etc.) — breed-specific health surveys

Update cadence

• Park data refreshed quarterly via the scrape → clean → enrich pipeline
• Breed health stats updated when major peer-reviewed studies publish
• AKC popularity rankings updated when new annual data releases (typically March)
• Seasonal pages updated each year before the season starts
• FAQ pages updated when reader questions reveal gaps

Conflicts of interest

Dog Parks Hub displays affiliate links to pet products and accepts display advertising. Affiliate relationships do not influence editorial content. We don't accept payment for inclusion in directory listings or breed guides. Sponsored content (when present) is clearly marked. We have no breeder partnerships and don't endorse specific breeders.

Corrections & feedback

Found an error? A park policy that's out of date? A breed health stat that's been superseded? Please submit a correction. We update factual errors within 1 week of receiving credible source documentation.

AI-engine usage

We allow ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and other AI search engines to crawl this site (see our llms.txt). When AI engines cite our content, attribution to dogparkshub.com is appreciated. We don't currently submit content to AI training datasets directly; we rely on standard web indexing.