Looking to travel and not sure where you and your family, including your four legged family member, should go? Picking places that will welcome your dog with arms as open as those that welcome you can be tricky, so here’s a list of the top 10 dog friendly cities in the United States. All photos are from Flickr.com and the dogs in the photos are in the cities listed.
10. San Diego, California
Thanks to the warm climate, this is a year round playground
9. Long Beach, California
Home to the Most Beautiful Bulldog Competition, Easter and Howl o’ween parades, and the only off-leash dog park in LA County. With restaurants and bars that cater to both people and their dogs, this is a great spot to enjoy a refreshing lunch while your dog enjoys dog treats right next to you.
8. Carmel, California
Home to the pet friendly Cypress Inn on Lincoln Street (co-owned by the legendary Doris Day), this city is great for the active pet family as it features numerous walking tours to enjoy the towns scenic charms.
7. Portland, Oregon
Home to The Lucky Labrador Brewing Company, this brewery is the perfect place for you to take the edge off after a long day of travel with one of their dog-inspired brews while your dog relaxes beside you. If you need something to wake you up instead, the Iron Mutt Coffee Company is perfect for getting your caffeine fix while your dog enjoys either a Himalayan Dog Chew from you, or a free dog biscuit from the employees.
6. Seattle, Washington
When staying in Seattle, the Pensione Nichols Bed and Breakfast should be first on your list thanks to their pet-friendly standards and great location. From there it’s easy to enjoy many of Seattle’s pet-friendly amenities, especially since well-behaved dogs are allowed on all of Seattle’s buses and trains. Couple that with numerous eateries that welcome well-behaved pets and it’s easy to see why Seattle is one of the top pet-friendly cities in the country.
5. Chicago, Illinois
While the Cubs might not be winning the World Series just yet, the White Sox do offer a Dog Day baseball game every spring. Numerous upscale hotels such as the Hotel Burnham and Hotel Monaco welcome dogs of all sizes, and Lake Michigan offers more than 18 miles of paved trails that are great for exercising both you and your dog. At the end of the day, swing by Cucina’s on either N. Sedgwick or W. Diversey where your dog will be served a complimentary bowl of pasta.
4. New York City, New York
Many of the most upscale and fashionable hotels in this city open their doors to dogs, including the Soho Grand Hotel and the Muse Hotel. The NYC Dog Walking Tour is a great way to see the city and get your dog some much needed exercise, and of course there’s always a carriage ride through Central Park to really enjoy the sights of the city.
3. Orlando, Florida
When in Orlando, be sure to visit Sam Snead’s, the location where Governor Jeb Bush signed the doggy dining law that allows well-behaved dogs to sit with their owners at outside locations. Thanks to the location of Disney World and Universal Studios, many hotels in the area are pet friendly and even offer dog-sitting services while you and your family go and enjoy the park.
2. Colorado Springs, Colorado
All about nature and the great outdoors, Colorado Springs is a great place for dogs that love to romp and have fun. With numerous nature preserves and parks where you can let your dog off the leash and just run and enjoy themselves, it’s easy to forget that Colorado Springs also offers many pet friendly hotels where both you and your dog can be spoiled and pampered.
1. Austin, Texas
Boasting 12 off-leash parks, Austin is a dream come true for both pet owners and the pets themselves. Whether cooling off in the creek at Bull Creek District Park or taking a tour of the city in horse-drawn carriage, there are plenty of ways for your dog to enjoy themselves while in Austin. A large number of restaurants and stores welcome dogs, so be sure to take them out with you when you’re hitting the town and enjoy the sights of this beautiful Texas city with your best four-legged friends.
18 Comments
Don’t come to New Jersey as a Homeowner and taxpayer you are not allowed to take your pet in public parks Shame on you New Jersey and the community where I live
I have mixed feelings about this list. As a New Yorker, which is # 4 on the list, I appreciate that Central Park has off-leash hours until 9AM and after 9PM, but that’s about all. Dogs are still not allowed on buses or subways or in restaurants or stores, or in the Post Office, no matter how well behaved.
Considering I can take my dog into any mall and any store in that mall, I consider Orange County way more dog friendly than San Diego. Also, off leash parks? I know San Diego has a ton and so does Orange County. Southern California should have been it’s own number.
If you have never been to Park (Bark) City, UT, they you have no idea as to how friendly this dog town is! Every person just about has a dog! Nestled in the mountains of Utah at 7000 feet, there are plenty off leash trails and parks to enjoy hiking, biking, skiing with your dog! Just saying… 🙂
I can’t believe Old Town Alexandria didn’t make the list!! I’m from San Francisco, (very dog friendly) and was pleasantly surprised Old Town is even MORE so. The community pools here even do a dog swim day…it’s a great place to live with a labrador.
Thanks for the information. Sounds like Old Town Alexandria is a great place for you and your canine friend.
They should have included St. Mary’s, Georgia! There is a water park there that opens its last day of the season exclusively to Dogs. (Imagine a bunch of dogs in a water park). There’s also some sort of Dog training summer camp, and many shops sell homemade treats and what not just for pups. The city is also putting in a lot of money into some sort of large dog park. The Bed and Breakfast we stayed at even allowed your canine to check in.
Minneapolis from a dog park perspective is as good as anywhere. There are a number of dog parks, most of them in pretty good locations. The south Minnehaha Dog Park is probably the best dog park in a large metropolitan area in the country. Where else do you have a beach to swim on, trails through wooded areas to walk off leash for up to a mile one way, and squirrels to be chased.
Denver and Boulder are great dog cities. Denver has many dog parks and two in particular that are huge — 350 and 150 acres. One is in Cherry Creek State Park and has a gorgeous creek flowing through it where dogs can swim and play in the water. The other has gorgeous views of the Rockies and the Flatirons. Boulder, on the other hand, has a great many parks and hundreds of miles of trails, most of which nestled in the foothills, where well-behaved dogs with a Boulder dog tag ($18 for non-residents) can be off leash. Additionally, the area around Denver and Boulder (and of course Colorado Springs) has several fourteeners (mountains that are 14,000 feet or above) that athletic dogs can hike. Come here any Sunday in the summer months and you’ll see dozens of dogs of all breeds and sizes hiking with their owners all the way up to the summit. BTW, the city of Boulder has passed an ordinance whereby dog owners must be referred to as “dog parents” in official literature and communications.
Asheville, NC is very dog friendly as almost all of the restaurants are side-walk "cafes" and allow pets. Numerous stores allow pets as well, and a lot of dogs congregate with their owners in the center city park. You cannot walk down an Asheville street and not pass a dog. It is a great environment being 10 minutes away from awesome hiking with your dog!
Richmond, Virginia, is pretty dog friendly, and in fact made a similar list from one of the dog-centric magazines a few years ago. Large proportion of veterinary services, several dog parks, a number of animal rescue groups, and a dog friendly mall, Stony Point Fashion Park.
I think it would be more interesting it the list was about the 10 most dog friendly cities in the world, and capture unique details in each city that makes it perfect to have a dog.
Thanks for the info..it helps me a lot in terms of traveling with my dog…
Why is Boston not one of the top ten? You can take dogs on buses, subways, and boats. You can't do this in NYC.
Micky
Savannah, Georgia's Historic District is also dog friendly. Many vacation rentals in the downtown Historic District allow dogs (up to 20 pounds). There is also a nice dog park, called the Mother Matilda Beasley Park, located on East Broad Street in downtown Savannah.
Such an important thing to note when traveling…I travel a lot with my dogs and it's always nice to know that the lot of you will be most welcome!
Kimberly 🙂
TerrierLover.com
ahhhhh the dogs so so so so so so so so cute
I copied these as places to visit with my 2 family members journey and Javanni, my 3 year old maltese……………………..ALSO it might be a good idea to publish the worst dog cities…………..Bend Oregon has to be no. 1 worst dog city. It’s almost impossible to find a place to live and the landlords gouge you with deposits and extra Rent. So people give up their pets to the kill shelter . The Humane Society of Bend charges hundreds of dollars to get your pet back if its lost.. Very unfriendly dog town.