Dog Friendly News & Entertainment
This Is The Best City to Walk Your Dog, According to Recent Study
June Jasper
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Outdoor spaces are important for dogs. Lack of space to run around or socialize with other dogs can make a bad boy out of a best boy. When dogs are cooped up inside for too long, they can get bored, and that boredom often translates into trouble, like tearing up the contents of a canine’s forbidden fruit – the trash can.
It seems like it can be hard to give your dog the space he needs if you live in a city – especially since cities can feel cramped for even humans. However, not all cities were created equal and some cities are actually really dog-friendly.
To celebrate National Walk Your Dog Day on February 22nd, LawnStarter ranked the most dog friendly cities in the United States. To figure out which cities are the most pooch preferred, they compared 477 of the biggest U.S. cities based on four categories – access to dog-friendly trails and off-leash parks, quality, professional dog-walking services, and safety.
Here are the top five that made the list:
1. Colorado Springs, CO
While this Colorado city ranked lower in safety, it still managed to come in first when it comes to access to dog-friendly trails and off-leash parks. The 1,700 miles of dog trails helped earn Colorado Springs LawnStarter’s top spot in dog-walking friendly cities in the entire United States.
2. San Francisco, CA
This Bay Area city ranked number two overall, but ranked one when it comes to quality, according to LawnStarter. Frisco boasts 50 top-rated dog trails. San Francisco’s ample green spaces and appreciation of nature within its urban setting means that there’s plenty of room for dogs to run around.
3. Phoenix, AZ
Arizona might be known for its extreme heat, which isn’t the most dog-friendly, Phoenix makes up for it by providing pooches with places to beat the heat. Phoenix has 927 miles of dog-friendly trails, and some shopping malls even allow dog owners to walk their dogs indoors!
4. Boulder, CO
It’s not surprising that two Colorado cities make up the top five. As Guiselle Torres of Colorado Springs told the NY Post, “Colorado people love to be outdoors, so of course, we bring our dogs,” she said. “There are so many trails and outdoor spaces to explore.” Boulder actually came in higher than Colorado Springs in terms of quality! The average visitor ranking for its off-leash dog parks is a whopping 4.6. Not bad!
5. New York, NY
The needs of New Yorkers have made the Big Apple one of the more dog-friendly big cities. Less indoor space for people and pets translates to more outdoor space. Because apartments are so small, there’s a need for people to have a place to hang out with their dogs, and New York has some great outdoor spaces, like Central Park. Out of the top five, New York also had the highest safety ranking!
You should aim to walk your dog for at least 30 minutes a day, regardless of breed. It’s also important to switch up the places you walk your dog, since it keeps them stimulated.
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