First walks in Winston-Salem.
For everyday walks in Winston-Salem, keep your dog leashed and check that the route permits dogs. Washington and Jamison are two featured off-leash dog parks, not an exhaustive city count. The rules, the parks, and a calm plan for a new dog's first week.
The rules, in short
From the Winston-Salem City Code, the Forsyth County ordinances, and the city’s own pages.
- 1Everyday walks: securely leashed under a competent person's control; see the fine print
- 2Off-leash play: the Washington Park and Jamison Park dog parks
- 3Keep rabies vaccination current and the rabies tag on the collar or harness; see exceptions
- 4Routine pet licensing ended in 2022; special registration rules still apply
- 5At home: fenced, tethered with you present, or a secure enclosure (fine print)
- 6Check posted hours and dog-permitted routes: city walking trails and par courses prohibit dogs
Hours, exceptions & the fine print
Winston-Salem section 6-17(b) requires a competent person and a leash, chain, rope or other adequate physical control off the premises of the person who owns, possesses or controls the dog. Section 6-17(a) addresses unattended dogs outdoors at home: supervised tethering, adequate above-ground fencing with secured gates, a working underground system or a secure enclosure. Section 6-16 also applies county animal rules inside the city. County section 6-13 prohibits running at large, except lawful hunting without trespass, and requires a leash in public parks except designated fenced dog parks under responsible supervision and posted rules. The county defines a leash as no longer than nine feet. Its restraint definition also recognizes vehicles and secure enclosures and contains an event cross-reference; these are not permission for off-leash street walks. City section 6-12 prohibits leaving dog waste on other people's property, city property or streets. Pick up promptly. The city lists general park hours of 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; posted rules and closures control. City walking trails and par courses prohibit dogs. Do not extend that restriction to all greenways: check the specific route.
The first week
The same calm start we suggest everywhere - on Winston-Salem’s streets.
- 1Leash, quiet streets, short and sniffy - calm hours, near home, ending before your dog is wound up. An off-leash area is not day-one material for a brand-new dog.
- 2Sniffing is the point - let your dog pause and sniff instead of focusing on distance. More on the sniff walk.
- 3Settle first, explore later - more on the first days: a routine for a newly adopted dog and a calm start to every walk.
The dog parks, for later
Once your dog has settled. Two featured city dog parks, not an exhaustive count:
- 1Washington Park Dog Park - within Washington Park; separate areas for large and small dogs, with a dog water station
- 2Jamison Park Dog Park - 285 Meadowlark Drive, beside Muddy Creek Greenway; separate large and small areas
Check posted hours, seasonal notices and admission rules before visiting. The city parks summary lists three dog parks; this guide features Washington and Jamison only. Pins mark named park locations, not exact dog-run gates or off-leash boundaries. City walking trails and par courses prohibit dogs; check the specific route rather than assuming every park path is dog-permitted.
Pins mark the park or its listed access point, not the exact off-leash boundary.
Good to know
Worth knowing
Forsyth County ended routine pet licensing in March 2022. Current county section 6-10 still requires registration for declared dangerous dogs, and guard-dog/aggression-training provisions impose additional registration duties. County section 6-25 requires current rabies vaccination from three months of age; an initial vaccination becomes current after 28 days, and later doses follow the manufacturer's schedule. Section 6-26 requires dogs to wear the current rabies tag on a collar or harness, with exceptions for the qualifying shows, trials, training, sanctioned events and lawful hunting listed in section 6-10(e), while the owner or keeper carries the tag. Special dangerous-dog, guard-dog, quarantine and other restrictions still apply.
Sources
Sources: Winston-Salem current September 21, 2026 code, full Chapter 6; Forsyth County current December 15, 2025 code, full Chapter 6 and relevant restraint, registration and rabies provisions; county routine pet-licensing announcement; city parks; city walking-trail and par-course restriction; Jamison facility; official tourism dog-park guide. Rechecked November 3, 2026. Pins identify named park locations, not exact dog-run entrances.
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