Wood chips and a fake fire hydrant are not enough for Tahoe’s dogs.

An infusion of play structures will be arriving at the dog park in South Lake Tahoe.

South Lake Tahoe police Sgt. Josh Adler told the City Council last week to expect things like a tunnel, balance beam, split log and jump.

Dogs will soon have more to do than sniff each other at the South Lake Tahoe dog park. Photo/LTN file

The department’s K9 units will be allowed to use the features for training. And they will also be used during the annual K9 trials in September.

When the police dogs are training the big dog area will be off-limits to the public, but the small dog area will always be open. Adler expects the police dogs to be at the park a couple hours a month. The public is welcome to watch this training.

The money for the features – which is not to exceed $20,000 – is being split with the city paying 80 percent and the South lake Tahoe Police Canine Association picking up the remainder.

South Tahoe had been borrowing canine equipment from Douglas County. But those plastic apparatuses are breaking down and need replacing.

The features will be placed in the back of the park, so the bulk of the area is open for the dogs to run around in.

— Kathryn Reed