Owning a dog in the City does not come with a manual of rules and etiquette (sadly), so we thought we would write a post on behaviors we find can be mistaken as selfish when having a dog in the City.
For the love of God, please don’t put your dog on the seats. I know that this is a very controversial area, but the seats are humans (sad but true). While Fido is allowed to do whatever you want in the comfort of your own home, public transport is a communal space and as dog owners we have to be respectful of the fact that other people need to sit on the seats (they paid for a ticket after all). We also need to be mindful that other people will sit on the seats long after we have left with our dog, and there is no sure way to have a business person curse your name than when they sit in a seat and get up covered in dog hair!!
If your dog absolutely cannot sit on the floor, bring a blanket to cover the chair to be respectful to your fellow passengers.
As above, don’t put your dog on the chair. Bring a dog bag if Fido absolutely cannot sit on the floor.
Not everyone likes dogs, and I am sure Miss/Mr Businesswomen would not be happy to have your dogs fur all over their nice suit.
Again, don’t let your dog on the seat unless you have a blanket and have asked the drivers permission (remember this isn’t your private car). There is nothing worse than trying to get into a taxi only to be told by the driver that he has had previously bad experiences with dogs so won’t take you. I have sometimes had to go so far as give a taxi driver a $20 deposit as a precaution for damage (of course i have always got it back, but when we lived in NYC, getting a yellow cab was hard enough without having a dog with you). Also, make sure your dog isn’t car sick and has already gone to the loo. As obvious as it sounds, don’t let your dog pee in a taxi!!
Your dog does not need to be sitting at the table while you eat. Not only can this encourage bad behaviors in dogs, but it is also disrespectful towards other diners, the wait staff and the chef who probably didn’t intend for their meal to have a little added dog fur on it. Of course, if the restaurant is super dog friendly and brings Fido a bowl of food/ water, then to hell with it. However, most restaurants tolerate dogs in order to get your custom, so don’t be the asshole with the bad dog that gets all dogs banned.
Also make sure your dog is quiet and well behaved and isn’t likely to lift its leg.
Don’t let your dog pee on someone’s bike. That’s someones mode of transport and I am sure they would rather not have dog urine increasing rust and making their legs smell of pee. Just be respectful.
I also don’t allow my dogs to pee on peoples flowers or private dustbins while out and about in the City. Allowing your dog to pee on trees is a difficult one. If the tree is well established, it shouldn’t be a problem, but if it is small or looking a little worse for wear, don’t let your dog pee on it as urine can potentially damage it/kill it. Same goes for the adorable sidewalk gorilla gardens that pop up randomly in the City- not many plants can survive dog urine, so don’t let the plants die.
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