Joaquin Miller Dog Play Area is a dog play area located at 3590 Sanborn Drive in Joaquin Miller Park. Unlike most city of Oakland parks, dogs were allowed in Joaquin Miller Park even before 2014 changes, but on leash. The dog play area is a place where they can play free.
When you drive into the park, if you drive past the initial parking lot and keep going, the dog area is on the left and there are additional parking spots for the play area. There are separate areas for big dogs and small dogs. At peak times there are dogs in both areas, but if you go at "off" hours, you can generally have the place to yourself. You can access the dog park even if the gate on Joaquin Miller is closed—just park and walk in. This play area is nothing fancy—just a fenced in wood chip area, but it's generally friendly and pretty clean, and surrounded by tall redwood trees.
During the summer and fall, the dog park closes periodically to serve as parking for performances at the nearby Woodminster Amphitheater. For a list of closure dates, check the ODOG website