10 Things to Bring to a Dog Field Hire (2026 Checklist)
The honest answer to "what should I bring to a dog field hire?" is: less than you'd think. A private secure field handles the basics — fencing, space, often poo bags and bins — so your job is mostly about your dog's comfort and a smooth visit, not equipment. Below is our 2026 checklist of the 10 things worth bringing to any private dog field hire, including The Dog Play Park in Biddulph, voted Best Dog Field in Staffordshire two years running. We've also flagged what most fields — including ours — already provide, so you're not lugging extra gear for nothing.
Do I need to bring poo bags and water?
Usually not, but check first.
At The Dog Play Park, waste bags and bins are provided, and there's a tap on site. Plenty of fields do the same, but it varies — some private fields are genuinely bare paddocks with nothing on site. A quick look at the booking confirmation or a message to the field usually answers this before you arrive. If in doubt, bring your own anyway; it costs nothing to have a spare bag in your pocket.
What are the 10 things worth bringing?
1. Water and a collapsible bowl — even if there's a tap on site, you just never know - especially if it’s super hot to keep them hydrated in the car.
2. High-value treats — not your dog's normal kibble. A private field is the perfect place to do recall practice or basic training, and it works far better with treats your dog genuinely wants.
3. A long line (5-10m) — if your dog's recall isn't fully reliable yet, a long line lets them have far more freedom than a 1-2m lead while you build confidence. Useful for first visits especially.
4. Your dog's favourite toy — a tennis ball, a tug toy, a flirt pole. Agility equipment is great, but most dogs warm up fastest with something familiar.
5. A towel — for sandy paws. Keeps the car (and you) cleaner on the way home.
6. Weather-appropriate layers — for you — an hour outside in Staffordshire weather can mean four seasons. A waterproof or an extra layer takes up no space and saves the visit if the forecast changes.
7. A first-aid basics kit — plasters, a tick remover, and any of your dog's regular medication if they're due a dose during the visit. Most visits won't need this. The ones that do, need it immediately.
8. ID tag and microchip details up to date — a legal requirement in the UK regardless of where you're walking, but worth double-checking before any new environment, however secure.
9. A familiar blanket or bed (for puppies and nervous dogs) — if this is a new dog's first time somewhere unfamiliar, something that smells like home can take the edge off in the first few minutes.
10. A camera or phone, charged — first proper zoomies, first time meeting the agility equipment, first time a nervous dog relaxes enough to play. These moments happen fast and don't repeat themselves.
What does The Dog Play Park provide so I don't need to bring it?
Waste bags and bins, a tap for water, full use of the agility equipment (jumps, tunnel, weave poles), seating, and a tea & coffee honesty box for the humans. The field itself is sand-based — no mud — so even after rain, a quick wipe-down is usually all that's needed rather than a full hose-down.
Every booking is sole use. The field, the equipment, and the hour are yours — nobody else's dog, nobody else's schedule.
What should I leave at home?
Anything that isn't yours to bring near other dogs' future sessions — strong-smelling treats that might attract wildlife, or anything fragile that doesn't belong outdoors. Beyond that, there's genuinely very little to avoid. The whole point of a private hire is that the usual public-park considerations (other people's dogs, other people's children, shared equipment) don't apply.
Is there anything different to bring for a first visit versus a regular one?
First visits benefit from a slightly heavier kit — the long line, the familiar blanket, the camera — because you don't yet know how your dog will react to having an entire field to themselves. Some dogs sprint immediately. Some freeze and need a few minutes to settle. Both are completely normal, and having the right kit on hand for either reaction makes the visit smoother.
Regular visitors tend to travel lighter — water, treats, a favourite toy, and that's often it. You'll find your own rhythm after a session or two.
Ready to book?
The Dog Play Park is on the Staffordshire-Cheshire border in Biddulph, around 20 minutes from Congleton, Macclesfield, Leek, Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent, and the Bosley Cloud area. Floodlit evening sessions run year-round, so a midweek slot after work is just as workable as a weekend morning.
See what's included and book a session →
