Sometimes walking your canine companion can be a drag -- leash laws, narrow sidewalks, traffic, pooper scoopers, and glares from the neighbors as your faithful friend lifts a leg near a nice bed of petunias. That's why on any reasonably nice day -- especially weekends -- hundreds of pooches and their people can be found playing fetch, running, or just lounging around at Shawnee Mission Park's off-leash dog area. The 50-acre area (an expansion last spring nearly doubled its size) is a dog's dream: hiking trails and grassy fields surrounded by woods, and even an area of lake dedicated to doggie paddlers. And it's pretty amusing for the humans too -- there's nothing quite like spending your Saturday playing guess-the-breed or watching a friendly game of chase between a Great Dane, a poodle, and a Pomeranian.Loose Park
