Dogs in NYC

tribeca is great, there are a few dog parks and daycare and close to the esplanade.
i am in bpc and cannot imagine having a dog anywhere else. we have the esplanade, battery park, a new dog run, lots of trees and little traffic. we actually use the daycare twice a week in tribeca and it's a nice walk to and back.

RE, what daycare do you use in Tribeca? Are you happy with it?

Thanks.

We use SPOT, very happy with it. Great, very clean facility, great hours, good package deals, and lots of a la carte services, ie bus. And they have a webcam. And most important my dog loves it.

art,
the answer to your question is dependent on your dogs' personality and training. does your pooch listen well to you off leash? have you ever had he(she) off leash in a park amongst other dogs?
if you answer yes to these questions and your pooch is well trained than there is no equivalent to Central Park as a resource. Nabes like b heights and tribeca as well as many other hoods have excellent enclosed dog runs. if your pooch can't be relied on to come when called or gets too excited around other dogs these enclosed spaces are best. if however he listens well off leash hours before 9am in central park can't be beat. it is truly doggie disneyland.
as for daycare there are plenty of facilities throughout the city. i personally would never recommend doggie daycare as it is a choice made by those who humanize the needs of their pooch. all dogs really want is lots of exercise. 3 long walks a day will offer your pooch this necessity. supervised socialization should be the role of the owner or experienced dog professional. i'm afraid doggie daycare is traumatic to a lot of dogs(its case specific i am not denying re2009's claim that his dog loves it). the other major downside to doggie daycare is increased "social" sicknesses. Much like a kindergarten class doggie daycare is a breeding ground for communicable illnesses.
wish you luck on your move. hope the pooch adjusts.

RE2009--I have been checking out the SPOT facility online for when we finally move to BPC. You mention it is clean and that is one of my top priorities! Have you ever boarded your dog there during vacations? Any other comments you could offer.....?

Madison Square Park has a great dog run. You might talk to some of people there who have dogs and see what they say or recommend.

My last clients with a decent budget and a golden retriever picked a park block on the west side -- and since you've got a boxer, who presumably wants to run a bit, I would try for a location near Central Park if you can.

ali r.
DG Neary Realty

In terms of bang for your buck i would suggest brooklyn heights. They have multiple parks there, including the brooklyn bridge park that spans all along the waterfront and will include another dog run: http://www.brooklynbridgeparknyc.org/. The dog run at hillside park in bk heights is one of the largest and more popular, one that we take our dogs to very often: http://www.hillsidedogs.org/ - and you'll be able to have more space in brooklyn, which has been important for us, since we have two medium sized dogs. There are great dogwalking services all in and around bk heights.

Otherwise I woudl suggest UWS since there is nothing quite like off leash hours in central park. We have been to the one in prospect park in brooklyn, and it's doggie heaven. As long as you go after 9pm or before 9 am.

You should also check out urbanhound.com.

Good luck!

> off leash hours in central park

what? are they allowed to go around unleashed? what about the people that don't like or are afraid of dogs?

I like the eastside - 402, 50s, not too congested on weekends on sidewalks, plenty of dog lovers, not too noisy - but that's my opinion. Anyhow as to dog runs you might want to check out the NYC Parks Dept web site:
http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogruns

notadmin - ummm, don't go to the park during those hours. we don't have a dog, but i do have an almost 2 year old who will sit in her stoller much more willingly for early morning walks if there are lots of dogs running around for her to watch. it's great actually!

I would post this question on urbanhound.com

"Madison Square Park has a great dog run. You might talk to some of people there who have dogs and see what they say or recommend."

Yeah, I'm by no means an expert here, but it seems to be one of the bigger/nicer dog runs in town... and then, cross the street onto W25 or 26 I swear I saw two doggie day care places on the same block. Big ones, too.

Fleur - I don't use them for boarding but know people that have and are happy. I can also give you a good reco for a dog sitter. Is there a way for us to email each other. I may even have a free pass to spot. The best part , very clean, well run , lots of add ons if you need them , ie van service. They take both small and large dogs as they have two seperate play areas

Hey RE2009--sure email me at jweinreb@comcast.net and we can chat--

moxie,

Thanks for your comments. And no I can't trust my boxer off leash. He's 18 months old and . . . a boxer. Though we are working with a trainer, I don't imagine he will be ready (or I won't be ready) for off leash action anytime soon.

And thanks everyone else, great food for thought here. I had visions of a cool loft in Tribeca, might have to head uptown or to Bk.

art, can't you take your dog on some trial runs?

many of the dog runs are great for dogs, but some are not so great for the owners. for example, the carl shurz dog areas are great, but the owners are often bordering on psychotic.

the madison square park ones are lovely (I really like the people there). the central park and downtown west ones are also great.

aboutready: I think that's a good idea. I feel like I'm searching for a school for my child (which I don't have). Exhausting. But I'm not going to be happy in the city if my dog is miserable.

A lot of the parks have off-leash hours.

http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogruns

dog spa and hotel on 25th between broadway and 6th. my dog loves there.

don't go to biscuit and bath. my dog went there and got bitten on his ear at very first day - and they wouldn't admit it. horrible custom service too.

overall Chelsea is very dog friendly. The deli downstairs always gives my dog a cookie every time we go. The dog park at union square is very social place but sometimes they have some agreessive dogs there.

I also love the dog park on houston street by hudson river. very pretty spot and they have a little pool there.

yeah, those are the ones I'm thinking. That hood is dog-crazy.

art- tribeca is great for dogs!!! another fabulous place is the village.
Love the park and they have a great dog run... we were there last weekend and walked thru the village over and through soho. very, very dog friendly, bowls of water out for the dogs and treats behind the counter.
i will echo the comment on biscuits and bath... i have heard nothing but bad things, and it is not isolated to one or two locations. hard to find daycare that has the right mix of running a business and loving animals.
it is like school for kids, the first day i put my little guy on the bus to daycare i knew what it's like to put your child on the bus for school. what if something happens, he gets lost, his id comes off, one of the other dog picks a fight..
i know it's NUTS, but dog lovers understand!

Enjoy your dogs outside. Just don't let your dogs crap in the building. And if they aren't allowed, they aren't allowed.

Stupid DOGS for Stupid people.. You should live together

Ok RE, I won't give up my search in Tribeca. Thanks for the encouragement!

And I don't understand the mentality of people who chime in on blogs for the sole purpose of lashing out, calling people stupid.

It's very bizarre. Does anyone get it? What's behind that behavior?

art- ignore it.. like everything in life there is good and bad. this is the bad of internet/blog.
there is a certain group that hijacks the threads with nonsense. it's kind of like road rage. i'm sure it a case of extreme insecurity.

BG my dog does not crap in the building, but sometimes i do in the lobby.

Oh --BAD BUBBLES!!!

central park

I've met some very nice people and friendly dogs at the Union Square dog park. There are several neighborhoods that are close by, including all of the Village neighborhoods and Chelsea. Central park is also a great option if you'd like to live on the upper west side. You will likely be less than 3 avenues' walk to the park, and if you are also active, there are great trails for running with your dog in central park, as well as off-leash hours in the wee hours of the morning.

Welcome to NYC.

Just take care of your own dog's crap.

Lots of great comments here. NYC is very dog friendly. I will echo some comments above. A lot depends on your dog. I can't take my dog to Central Park because I dont trust her off-leash and she is squirrel CRAZY so I am constantly tugging at her. My favorite dog run (of the ones I have visited) is in the Village (Washington Square Park). Of course, the dogs there are nicer than the people, but even the people are OK.

Beware doggy day care places. My dog picked up a nasty infection in one and my vet advises against them for this reason. If you have 5-6Gs for rent, fido will be better off with a dog walker.

New York is not dog friendly, it is dog obsessed. There's a big difference. Many owners are no better trained than their yappy, out of control, pampered friends.

I can see them from 100 yards away, their shit machines uncoiling spring loaded venetian leashes so that people are forced to detour, lest they be tangled amid a thousand "ooo sorry's." Yeah I see them, and so does my dog, who quickly switches sides to avoid all contact. As the two approach, the owner begins to make eye contact, "friendly?" they ask. My dog paws her forehead, feigning disgust, as if to say, "Jesus, can we not just walk in peace for once?"

The ones who have crossed the threshold from obsessed into delusional territory are not in the slightest bit hesitant to approach during the most sacred of moments between dog and owner. When i have handed the blue baggy and she has finally selected a consecrated piece of curb upon which to conduct her business. "Friendly?" they ask. "No, shitting," I say.

spinny, that was rather falco-esque, albeit with much better typing and spelling.

Spin... Great writing. Maybe even literature.

I've seen some of Falco's stuff lately, my guess is his kid recently showed him how to right click on the words underlined with dotted red lines.

there has been significant improvement, but it appears random. not that i care. writing such as yours above and falco's shouldn't be hindered in any way.

as a dog walker and trainer let me commend flatiron for sharing the doggie daycare story. i promise i have many more horror stories i could share.
as for spin's story i find it hilarious as it happens to me 5x a day. the funnier part is almost all folks that open with the phrase "friendly?"...have an untrained, crazy dog on the other end of the leash. what exactly makes these folks assume you want to stop and interact? do you see strange moms crossing each others paths with strollers stop and say "is your baby well behaved?" or "look i have one of those". i like the response "no, shitting" mine is "we're exercising not socializing have a good day".

"New York is not dog friendly, it is dog obsessed. There's a big difference. Many owners are no better trained than their yappy, out of control, pampered friends."

Agreed 100%. The frustration with dogs is usually the frustration with dog OWNERS.

Lots of complete idiots there.

By far my favorite dog run is in Tompkins Square Park. Lots of boxers there. It's big, has good drainage, and chill owners. If you don't want to be that far East, I recommend either Union Square or more central Village. If you're in that area, you will have close proximity to Washington Square and its run and Union Square and its run, as well. Lots of good walking, lots of dog-friendly shops that have treats and welcome dogs in the store.

As for doggy daycare, I pause a bit. We have a great walker who cares for the dog and provides us with home-boarding services when we're out of town. Our dog always come back exhausted from his walks. I highly recommend that route. Plenty of socialization, a great person who cares about your dog and good exercise.

moxie, can you share your thoughts on daycare. my guy has a walker part of the week but just does not seem to be enough!

We moved to the UWS from Gramercy with our Golden Retriever. I agree with other posters that off-leash in Central Park just cannot be beat! In addition to urbanhound.com, also check out the Central Park Paws events. They host a monthly "social" call the Bagel Bark. Very fun.

On dog runs: our experience is that dogs often get more territorial in confined spaces like runs. In big open spaces like the park, there is plenty of room for everyone. Balls and toys can also become a problem in some runs.

On day care: we use a walker 2X a day, 5 days a week. Between the walks with the walker and time out with us, our dog gets about 6 walks a day (including an hour of run time in the park.) That may sound excessive to some, but we have a big, active dog and are committed to her health and fitness.

TripleP...that absolutely does not sound excessive. you have stumbled upon my mantra for insuring a dog's happiness..."a tired dog is a happy dog"..
RE2009..can u tell me a little about your pooch(breed,age,how social he is)?

My brother in law just sent me a memo from his new building that some peiple washed a dogs bed in the common laundry. Animals are nasty and peiple should infect others who don't choose to be animails owners.