It is surely one of New York’s grandest sights, if you are a dog: Prospect Park on a sunny fall morning.

There, during off-leash hours, the linked fields of Long Meadow transform into a canine fantasia. Acres and acres of green grass abound, along with hills and grass and trees and grass and, off in the distance, more grass.

And dogs, of course — hundreds of them, freed from their fuddy-duddy humans, playing chase or clumped together in growly play-scrums or taking off on wild-eyed sprints, tongues waving like pennants. There are more tennis balls flying than in the early rounds of the U.S. Open. The butt-sniffing opportunities are nearly infinite.

What dog wouldn’t love this?

Ours, it turns out. Lemon is a Shih Tzu mix with many fine qualities, but courage is not one of them. When we approach the open fields during off-leash hours, her 16-pound body tenses visibly. The slightest foray onto the grass prompts a frantic scamper back to the asphalt.