How Dog-Friendly is your City?

Living in Tasmania, in a beautiful little suburb approx 40 minutes out of Hobart city, is a secret little treasure called Park Beach. As the name suggests there is a beach, dog friendly at that! Priveledged to live only a few streets from the beach, I can say this region is home to a number of our four legged friends, with I know, in our street alone, almost every second home owning a dog, or two. Happily, owners are responsible too, every day you will find dogs walking on a lead with their owner, never or rarely is a dog seen straying on its lonesome. Its a real pleasure to walk with my dog and cross paths with other like minded dog lovers takeing their friend for a happy and healthy adventure. As mentioned, Park Beach, is a wonderful environment for people and dogs to enjoy. As like some other beaches my dog and I have visited in Tasmania, there is usually signs stateing dog walking times, bins provided and occasionally doggie doo bags provided to make and keep our natural environment clean, whilist giving us freedom to venture this lovely states natural habitat. I understand inner city living would be very different, but from my observations and way of life, in our area, dogs are most welcome and loved, its a haven for dogs and other animlas to live in harmony. I love my dog and maintaining her self well being, happiness and health, as well as respecting others around me in this wonderful world, is key importance. From this piece of Tasmania, it really is a “dogs life”!!!

Very, we have roam free parks every where.

I live in the eatern part of melbourne,and find it is very dog friendly.Lilydale lake has a special off lead area for the kids(dogs)to run in.Alot of the shop owners leave water bowls out for the kids.How much more friendly can you get.Alot even let me take the kids inside for a chat.(not food places)Love melbourne

We live in suburb called Liliyfield under 5kms from the CBD of Sydney. We have several doggie parks surrounding our home as well as a large waterfront park looking across to the city. At the end of our street the entire shopping corner is dedicated to our beloved four legged furry friends with a groomer, a vet and a pets shop (and they’re always open late to pick up a nice treat on the way home!) Worth a mentioned is the local cafes and pubs which leave water bowls out for our pals. Not far away in the next suburb we have doggie daycare. When Monte drops in I can check up on him throughout the day using the live video weblink online (like a puppy private eye!). Bones cafe opens on a Sunday to provide a perfect meeting point to enjoy a refreshment and some social activity for doggies and owners a like! Inner City Canine Cafe Culture At It’s Best!!

I find it strange that dogs are not allowed on public transport as I was used to this in England before emigrating. I am not sure how dog owners transport their pets if they do not have a car. Brisbane is hell-bent on reducing traffic congestion but still will not allow animals on buses, trains or in taxis.

Open spaces to allow dogs to run free are very few although it has been stated that animals are not exercised enough. The few “off-leash” spaces that I have seen are about the same size, or smaller, than my backyard.

Caulfield in Melbourne is amazingly dog friendly.All local parks have magnificent leash free areas. lots of plastic bags and dog friendly water fountains available and the local beach at Brighton is also leash free! All cafes in our area have dog water bowls out front . What more could a city ask for? My dog has a wonderful life in this city.

HIII

Finally I have found a way to transport my Maltese on my scooter thanks to the above picture! Bindi (my Maltese) loves to travel in the car, however since selling my car for a scooter now days traveling in a car is rare and I know she misses it!!
Now we can travel together once again

Joel

I live in the small mining town of Emerald QLD. They are extremely UN-dog friendly. We have a number of lazy owners who let their dogs wander the streets terrorising locals. We have tried to push to have a dog park put in so that we can get together but this was knocked back by local council. Nearly ever 2nd person in town has a dog or 2 and there is nowhere to go to have your dogs run around off the leash. My friends and I have organised getting together every weekend at a childrens park in the early hours to let them off their leads for a run around (we clean up after them and disinfect etc). We have the botanical gardens where we walk our dogs during the week but I do feel that more could be done to accomodate for the dog lovers out there.

Being a new resident in Tasmania I visited Salamanca On a Saturday and was told I had to leave because I had my dog with me. If I didn’t leave immediately I would be fined $150.00. What sort of a welcome is that? This means one can’t even have a dog on the street in Hobart. I would say Hobart is very harsh in dealing with our 4 legged friends.

You can tell when your in a non-dog friendly area by the way the humans act. Not friendly and they look upon your dog as a nemesis in the area, their worst enemy, why…..because humans need to be loved. Councils wake up and provide more areas/provisions for dogs and their humans then you’ll have a happier friendlier community.

I don’t live in a city, I live in a very small town. 1 tar road and so much room to run. Our dogs love it here. Cities aren’t for them.

I live in a little rural town in NSW right near the NSW/QLD border called, Tenterfield. Here in Tenterfield you will find that there are very few homes that don’t have a dog, some having multiple dogs.
Although we have no beaches we have plenty of parks and bushland where we can exercise our dogs. The local parks have those little poo baggies for you to use to help keep the parks clean. We also have a dog walking group that meets to walk their dogs together, a little bit of social interaction to keep your dog happy.
I know that travelling with your dog can also be a problem as a lot of motels will not allow animals but we are lucky enough to have one motel that just renovated one of their rooms specifically with the purpose of making it dog friendly. Who wants to leave their baby in the car overnight?
We are very lucky to have such a dog friendly town!

Our toen has a number of offleash fenced park for dogs with little actvity station, however these are quite sparse compared to the number of dogs

Well I have to say is Shepparton is the best Dog Friendly place,we have no beaches but the parks are great for my dog anyway,also he gets along with our neighbours dog,and it is very quiet as well…Also I never do see much Stray dogs in my area…I wish we had a Beach that you can take Dogs as they love water, but that what we get living in a country town of Victoria…The only thing I like about it is so peaceful,to walk our dogs……

Our country town is very dog friendly town, we have large open spaces for dogs to be walked and being a country town there are more places to walk your dog without having to watch main roads, lots of people where I live always walk there dogs and carry plastic bags should they do there business along the way.Its a great town to live in if you have pets.

I live in Chipping Norton where every morning and afternoon you see people walking their dogs.
About 10 minutes away is an off the lead dog park which is huge. There is a small agility course for the dogs to play or they can go down to the river for a swim on a hot day. The dogs have a great time and their owners have a chance to socialise and exchange ideas and give advice to some of the newer dog owners.

It’s true that Brisbane is not very dog-friendly. Although we do have quite a few off-leash dogparks put in by the coulcil. And there also a few cafes in some of the more trendy suburbs that allow you to have your dog with you. So while it is still not as Dog-friendly as we would like, it is slowly getting there.

I live in a beautiful town called Ballarat nearly 100K east of Melbourne. As this town grows its becoming a lot busier and therefore we also see a lot of new people as well as dogs. Its a town with plenty of parks to let the dogs go for a run or simply walk beside you around lake wendouree. Ballarat even gets to host the Million Paws Walk for the RSPCA to help donate and fundraise for the wonderfu contribution they do for our Austalian animals. Getting back to Ballarat, this town does bring such joy and a wonderful lifestyle for pet owners and our animals. the air is fresh, we are surrounded by the beautiful country side and bush land, what better way to keep our animals healthy and feeling great.
My partner and I have 3 dogs, we rent a house and our dogs enjoy being with us and we enjoy their company. My partner goes to Melbourne for a couple of days a week while I stay home and spend a lot of time with our dogs we call them our children as they have so much love and respect to us and will do anything to make you happy when you are feeling blue. When my partner arrives home there is just so much excitement and love that the dogs show, they want to give him kisses and want him to play.
As for Ballarat I reccomend anyone to live here because it’s such a beautiful town with fresh air its a town where both human and animal can walk the streets and feel happy and safe, and also because its a town that is slow paced and it makes you and animals feel wanted and needed. Come to Ballarat and see the beautiful surroundings, the city the parks the lakes and the beautiful lookouts. Fresh air is Ballarat. And i can assure you you will see lots of dogs and their owners all over Ballarat.

We are lucky and live on a 10 acre property about 120kms south of Perth. So our staffy Jethro has plenty of room to move. However we love going away camping and it is getting harder to stay at caravan parks in our camper as alot of places now have banned dogs here in WA. That is because irresponsible pet owners have not done the right thing… dog poo not being picked up, dogs running amok through the parks, dogs barking all the time……. It annoys us because the ones doing the right things suffer, as the caravan park owners say to us.. sorry no dogs allowed anymore!
I do feel sorry for dog owners right in the city as it is harder to find places to let your dogs run free. It is not much of a life for a dog just to go out on a leash each time. But there are a few dog beaches around which Jethro really enjoys. And walking a dog is normally a good conversation starter as people are always stopping us and asking about Jethro and patting him.

In Aus, I’ve lived in Sydney and now in Brisbane. I can say unequivocally that Brisbane is a far more dog-friendly city than Sydney.

In Brisbane there are numerous off-leash dog parks that are well designed and well-maintained by the council. There are also quite a few beaches in South East Qld that allow dogs throughout the day or at set times. Also, along some city walk paths there are watering facilities and dispensers for doggy-doo bags. While not common, some coffee shops allow you to bring your dog so long as you sit outside.

I never found any of these facilities in Sydney.

i’m impressed with where i live . but i am in a regional part of SA so there is a lot more room for dog friendly places .

I live in a small town, Urunga, on the Mid North Coast of NSW, the town is very dog friendly. I have two Jack Russells, one I take to my shop with me each day, the other one stays home, he is a male and kicks up a fuss if I leave the counter or another dog comes near the shop.

The female, Nancy the Mother, gets a frankfurt for breakfast each morning from one of the customers, another customer comes and takes her for a walk daily, a good walk at that.

The town is over un by rabbits. Nancy tries her hardest to get away after the rabbits so she has to be kept under constant surveliance, if she had her way, she would be the most popular dog in town with the locals, she would have the rabbit population down in no time. The people of the town are not the happiest with the rabbits as they are destroying their gardens.

The City of Shellharbour is so concerned with it’s canine population that, in the 1990s, it established two leash-free areas within its boundaries.

Sounds good until you hear that one of these areas of public space was sold in 2005, at a discounted price, to the already heavily subsidised Catholic Education Office to erect a brand new High School. The CEO had rejected an offer from Shellharbour City Council for assistance building their new school adjacent to the recently established local Anglican High School, where it would have been possible to save money by sharing some facilities. Couldn’t have religious groups co-operating, could we.

The second leash-free area is a stretch of South Shellharbour beach.

Lovely, except that this beach is already earmarked for the entrance to the proposed Shellharbour Marina.

Dogs, and their owners, to lose again.

we are so lucky i guess not far from where we live we have a a beach frontage walk where dogs and people are encouraged to be with each other and 10 minutes from this we have an area of 14 acres that was donated by a very kind lady so that dogs can be exercised of the leash. Our Dogs think this is club med for dogs. They can go through bush and open parkland’s there are seats for their two legged friends who become exhausted by the activity. Drinks stops for Dogs a formal teaching area and a confidence course for the 4 legged members of our family make this place just the most joyous place to visit. The two legged members of each Family can chat, picnic, have a social wine or beer whilst the canine members of our family meet and greet, play, frolic, run, lie under cool trees, and generally just have 2 to 4 hours of great dog companionship and fun. Of course the two legged parts of this wonderful scene have made life long friends as have the dogs great place great times great life My Dad helped me with this Regards Sophie, Tacker (the ones with 4 legs) Ps we live in the Deception Bay, Redcliff area near Brisbane, Lucky huh!

I live in Sydney and in my street there is dogs in almost every house, when one dog barks the whole street barks too! You see lots of dogs go past with their owners for their daily walks. There is a few dog parks here and there, also some beaches are dog friendly too.

Having a dog is one of lifes greatest pleasures… although at this moment mine is barking his head off at something… be right back! The neighbours had a tennis ball… my dog is addicted to them! Anyway I live in Brisbane and I have found there are lots of fenced dog parks where our 4 legged friends can run and play together freely. It’s great. There is always a tap with a fixed water bowl that can be emptied and refilled as needed. They all have a cement slab and a drain so there’s never a big muddy puddle underneath the tap. Before I was in Brisbane I lived in Sydney. There were a few off leash areas near me but they weren’t fenced and rarely had a tap let alone a drinking bowl. It makes a big difference let me tell you. On a hot day there’s plenty of water and I never have to worry about my boy running off across the road! One thing I would love to see is doggy swimming pools! There are a few dog beaches in Brisbane but they are at least an hour from me. Then the closest one is not very nice. Very muddy and I have seen a few jelly fish too. My dog loves loves loves to swim! I’m sure there are lots of health issues and safety risks but a doggy swimming pool would be an awesome idea in the suburbs far from the beach. Imagin if Wet and Wild Water park opened up for dogs just for one day! Oooh what fun!

I have lived in rural areas most of my life and have had a dog for many of those years. It’s hard enough to keep a dog in an average sized block in a country town (800sqm). I can’t imagine keeping a dog in the city … I believe dogs need to be able to move around safely. The number of very large dogs on very small city blocks worries me … no wonder they get bored and drive the neighbours mad with barking. My little maltese cross is happy to keep to the yard and let’s me know when kids go past on skateboards … even though he’s almost blind and going deaf! He can hardly walk now and I miss our ‘walkies’.

Open spaces are absolutely necessary for dogs and their owners, as long as they can be safe and so can others who might not want to interact with your pooch (such as bicycle riders and children).

Melbourne is fantastic when it comes to owning a dog and having a friendly city.
What’s important and has been left out of this article and survey is the access to dog training and social clubs. I live in the outer south east suburbs and there are several dog training clubs just in my area. They are easily accessible and many options of methods of training. With socializing and training, it will improve the acceptance of dogs in many places other then parks and beaches.

The local council websites also are very clear on dog friendly areas, as well as off leash parks and beaches.

“I have to wonder if it is ever safe to leave your dog off a lead for a run anywhere in Australia. In my town in Griffith NSW it isn’t. Some people have temperamental dogs on the loose and on leads. Even on leads, they can easily overpower an owner and get to another dog for a fight. I asked a dog owner once who had his dog on a lead if it was safe to let my dog go near his. He said, “probably not”, and then let it run loose. That was in what should have been a dog friendly park.
I think what we must remember is that in most dog-friendly European countries is that not all breeds of dogs there, are not the same as here. Some of the bad breeds of dogs that people own in Australia are either banned there or kept muzzled. Here in Australia, we have all types of mixed breeds, which may be fine, as long as the owners of these dogs are responsible. Sadly its the irresponsible owners who let their dogs run wild or who treat them rough that spoil it for other dog owners.
I can only dream of that day when I can feel it is completely safe to let my dog run free. Its such a terrible shame that I always have to take my dog for walks in close proximity to our car just in case a bad dog comes along. It has happened and it has marred my dog walking experience for life. Dog walking should be a joy. Leaving your friendly dog off a lead for a run should be a joy too. Sadly that joy is only fully given to irresponsible dog owners who own fearful mixed breeds.
I think its time a lot of the dog laws are changed here in Australia.
On another note, on countless times I have seen irresponsible dog owners making their dog run in the hot summer heat on hot ground with their dogs tied to their bicycles. Many dogs are taken for walks in the extreme heat and without water. How unfair is that? I’ve also witnessed an owner kicking his dog because it was too tired to walk any further. I believe a lot of people shouldn’t be allowed to own dogs.
We have a long way to go before we can even get close to the high standards in European countries, where dog safety and freedom is taken seriously.

Hi, I do not live in any of the cities but in a rural town in NE Victoria. Unfortunately the atmosphere and understanding of pet ownership is almost zilch. There are many dogs in the town but there are no set areas to enable you to walk or run your pet in safe surroundings. There are a number of bush areas to run the dogs in winter but during the summer with snake bite threat very high there are only the streets. Of course on 35+ degree days the streets and pavements are hot well into the early evening so walking is limited. In my street alone I see 3 dogs regularly cruising with no owners which makes my walks difficult. My old blind schnauzer sniffs them and immediately becomes wary and slightly aggressive because he can no longer see. Again in my street I know of 2 dogs that are never walked, they are yard bound and stir crazy. One I used to take with me when I walked my dogs but I now have 4 (2 being bushfire rescue puppies from last years fires) I can no longer alleviate her distress. Some person informed the local Shire Council that I had 4 dogs and one that barked all night. The Ranger came to see me and was not pleasant and had no compassion when I stated the puppies were taken in at 4 weeks old along with 4 others and the 2 ‘extra’ dogs I kept could not be found homes. The barking could not have been my dogs as they all sleep with me and are in the house every night. This was taken in doubt…. I applied for a Permit back in December detailing the care I give my dogs and my awareness of problem barking along with statements from 5 of my surrounding neighbours saying they had no problems with my dogs and as yet have had no reply.

I intend moving this year down to the coast and hope I can find a more dog friendly environment there.

Sorry this is so negative but towns with uncaring and no understanding attitudes and lack of awareness of the benefits of pet ownership is still happening very much in the smaller rural areas….

There is no better place to be
for those afflicted by ‘the flea’
with parks and fields for me to run
smelling smells, chasing rabbits….fun
With beaches set out for canines and friends
animal paths with twists and bends
Lots of places for me to roam
No wonder I call Geelong my home

Well done, Melbourne!
Although I have yet to see a pretty little pooch in a restaurant, as one does in all parts of France!

Cities need to accept dogs into them, they liven up our days, and seeing as they are mans best friends, what kind of friends are we in return, to not to prvoide for them due to our own stupidity, selfish attitude and basically no respect to these 4 legged friends

Living down the gold coast in queensland, there are a lot of places to take your dogs! There are dog friendly beaches such as the Spit at Broadbeach which thousands of dogs visit, especially on weekends they can swim and play on the beach and on grassed areas leash or no leash depending on how comfortable you and your dog are. Another one is in Labrador I know of, but there are many more to be found. I’m a hairdresser and am constantly hearing people say to me where they are taking there dogs, unfortunately there are so many I can’t remember them all, but if you go online you can search for dog friendly beaches in Gold Coast QLD and find plenty there!!! My favourite beach we Call Bailey beach after our dog, is a little park on a river coming off the Coomera river. There is a swimming area netted and has a little beach off it where your allowed to take the dogs, they have dog poo bags available all along the park and you can swim with your dogs safely.

All in all our community is very dog orientated and I often come across other dog owners just as proud of there little (or big) bundle of joy!!! Keep up your time together with your pooch it’s the best thing in the world!!!

I live in South Australia and have found it mostly dog friendly, epecially on the beaches, but that is becoming some what harder. We have numerous beaches we can take our beloved dogs and allow them them to run free, even though certain minority community members believe it is only for humans use only, there are plenty of other beaches they can go to without having to as they say put up with dogs. There are plenty of parks to walk our dogs and many doggy doo bags along the way to use to pick up any mess the dogs will have to do.
My neighbourhood is extremly dog friendly even though we may not know each others name we ceratinly know our dogs name which I always find amusing. If a dog has passed away there is always someone who will remember their name and always ask what happended.

I live in a suburb south of Adelaide which is very dog friendly. Along the coast there are six leash free beaches for dogs. Doggy doo bags are provided with disposal bins. Though many people bag the doggy doo, they leave it on the beach, which is a shame when a bin is available. At some locations along the esplanade there are water taps and bowls. Cafes often leave water bowls for passing dogs. At times there are so many dogs running freely on the beach but they are all friendly, well socialized dogs. I have lived in several countries and believe that this is the most dog friendly place ever.

Noosa is not all that dog friendly.I have 3 small dogs and huge dogs are let run loose and terrify smaller dogs. There are also too many people who don’t bother to pick up the poo
The law does not protect responsible dog owners
My dogs are cared for and loved and protected and I need to know that they are safe when they are out for a walk

I live in the rural city Bendigo Victoria. As of last month and after much effort from some local dog lovers we now have an ‘off leash’ dog park here BUT it is a haven for snakes, lots of blackberry bushes 4 dams (lovely my dog loves water) but all dams are filthy and full of algae of all descriptions. It is illegal here to have a dog off lead anywhere in the city or surrounding bushland. I have spent time in the UK which is very dog friendly, I have taken my daughters dogs on trains and buses from London to the country without a problem, all over London there are areas for dogs off leash and the large parks the dogs can run free, there are ‘poo bins and bags’ everywhere everyone obeys the rules, cafes in the large parks have water bowls for dogs it’s lovely. Don’t know why we cant have the same here.

I live in a Canberra suburb with a long coated Koolie. Canberra is a good place to have a dog providing you are happy exercising it the many off lead areas without fences. The Government has set up three off lead enclosed dog parks in different parts of the city but they become very crowded at weekends or if you belong to one of the dog clubs you can use their enclosed grounds for off lead exercise. Dogs are welcome on lead in most places except shops. I sometimes take mine to coffee shop meetings in the city which she loves because everyone makes a big fuss of her. She is, however, a worker by nature and her preferred way to spend her time is not playing with other dogs but going to a local farm to sheepdog school and practising herding the sheep – that is after all what she was bred for.

We live in THE most beautiful coastal town of Gerringong, about 2 hours drive from Sydney.
Our ‘off-leash’ area is on Werri Beach headland, a ‘standing on top of the world’ view of mountains and the sea – just magic!
Responsible residents and visitors walk their dogs here daily and enjoy meeting with other dog owners, whilst the dogs can run and play together happily. It is a healthy and pleasureable experience.
Doggy doo bags and bins are provided at both ends of the area and the majority of people are responsible.
We are fortunate to also have an allocated time slot on the beach for dogs to enjoy.
Gerringong people are responsible dog-lovers and we are so lucky to share this wonderful place with them.

I live just out of Brisbane city in Raby Bay right near the water, where there are dog off leash areas provided, leading right into the water, my dogs love a swim so its great on a cool cummers day. I love to here in Europe of dogs being able to go in cafe’s and shoping centres, my dogs are so friendly and just like my very own children, they miss me and I them when I have to leave them at home to go have coffee with the girls, I only hope Australia will begin to follow suit with Europe, so I may enjoy my dogs company everywhere I go.

Having traveled to Holland last year, it was a refreshing experience how openly welcomed dogs were everywhere. Even though Amsterdam had highly populated inner city living, dogs are welcome EVERYWHERE. Dogs are welcome in pubs, shops (including chemists) and restaurants. Dogs in Amsterdam are well socialised and exercised, which they have to be as nearly all live in flats (and that doesnt mean they are all small dog either). Dutch dog owners are responsible (training, exercise & cleaning up) and accordingly their best friends are treasured and accepted everywhere.

I live in Perth and have found it increasingly dog-unfriendly. There used to be several cafes around Guildford and the Swan Valley with outside dining areas where dogs were openly welcomed, and readily supplied a bowl of water as soon as you showed up. There were never any issues/tiffs between the dogs and these cafes became wonderful meeting places for those exercising their dogs near the Swan River. Unfortunately as these cafes have changed hands, so has the dog-friendly welcome (and their business had dropped!!)

Perhaps if Australian dog owners were more responsible with adequately training and cleaning up after their dogs, they would be as accepted here too. It is way too often I find myself having to tell irresponsible owners to clean up after their dog, instead of trying to pretend they didnt see what happened (and have even had to pick up after other dogs when owners wont take responsibility). We all need to actively do the right thing to ensure our friends are welcome, if people cant do this they shouldnt have dogs!!!!

Not very friendly at all. Most parks require dogs to be leashed and penalty will apply. Most parks do not provide facilities e.g paper bag for dog’s droppings or sand pit for dog to play. Some parks do not even have water or shady spots for dogs.Dog beaches are rarely available.

I live in a northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland and I have two pooches. They have been to puppy preschool but are not the most sociable of dogs. We are lucky to have two dog parks within walking distance of our house and gladly take our mutts there on a regular basis, but as they need very considerate playmates and playmate’s owners, there aren’t enough doggie spaces to go around for all the dogs in the neighbourhood. Having said that, our neighbourhood is much more doggie friendly than others in Brisbane. We have friends whose dogs aren’t so lucky. So I would say the statistics above are probably about right!

I live in a small seaside town in Vic on the bass coast, Inverloch, almost every household of the permanent residents has one or more dogs which swells considerably in the holiday season and warm weekends when the holiday home owners are here ,a lot who own dogs as well, we have two vets, for a population of 6000 this is great, but it’s not a dog friendly place, dogs are not allowed on the beach off lead or in parks or on the two ovals, most residents in the holiday season get up early and walk there dogs off lead on the beach before the beach crowds and the ranger arrive, which works well exept for the elderly, of which there are quite a few, who can’t make it out so early, our designated off lead beach is in the next town Wonthaggi 13kms away totally unrealistic if all you want to do is walk the dog daily, this problem exists mainly for the six months of summer, in winter it’s so cold the ranger doesn’t bother and neither do the crowds come, so we are free. This is the same for all Bass Coast towns, the council has a bias against dogs even though there are so many, of course being the country a lot remain unregistered etc, and with many properties having no fences get to wander round on there own, there are rarely any problems in fact I cannot remember ever seeing a dog fight here, I’m not condoning these last two things just stating there a fact of life here. I think if more people felt the council had a friendly attitude towards dogs they would more likely register them but they are wary. It’s an interesting problem as many tourists bring there dogs and have them on the beach during the day which caused problems this summer with complaints to the ranger of dogs swimming with people and weeing on beach towels etc. Which after they go leaves the now heightened ongoing problem for the locals. How to solve no one knows as it seems the more the town wants dog friendly areas the more the council clamps down.

I live in a very small country town in Central Western Queensland. It is very friendly in the fact that nearly everyone would own 1-2 dogs. The downside that makes it less dog friendly is alot of the dogs are allowed to roam free on the streets. These makes me wary to leave my lhasa Apsos” in the backyard when I’m not home.

I agree with Melbourne being right up there. I used to live in Fitzroy North and could take my Josephine across to the park where I met up with other owners and their dogs every night after work for an off-leash ramble. Also many pubs and cafes would allow dogs on leads and would even supply a “doggy-bar” water bowl.
It made me conscious of how much we love our dogs when I bought a cafe on the coast. I made sure the doggy bowl outside was always filled every morning! So many customers were grateful that their trusty companions could come along for their owners’ daily coffee fix.
We are a nation of dog lovers!

Me and my doggie kids live in the beautiful Illawarra NSW and it is a wonderful life for Dog Owners with many dog friendly beaches, lakes and even mountains so there is somthing for every doggie taste.
My doggies love a walk on the beach, a game at the lake and the occasional mountain hike.
We see always dogs with there owners at the beaches and lakes enjoying the sun, sand and getting there paws wet.

We live in Hunters Hill NSW with our 3 dogs. Not only are we surrounded by dog-friendly and leash-free parks and harbour beaches but the locals are very welcoming of dogs in the suburb. Indeed our local cafes regularly provide bowls of water for thirsty pups after a hard days walk in the park.

We live in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs but agree way behind Europe and the USA in terms of acceptance of pets in Hotel, eateries etc.

We were having our floor boards polished Thursay and Friday and tried to find an apartment or Hotel in CBD to get away from the smell and was very very difficult, although hotels.com.au notes several pet friendly hotels e.g. Amora this is incorrect. We did end up finding 1 night in Birches in East Melbourne but wasn’t very flash, but we could not find accomodation for Saturday so ended up back home last night.

I find it bizarre cause Sydney has the Siebel which has Pooch Pamper packages – why doesn’t Melbourne have the same?

Would love to hear from anyone who has found good hotels that will accept well behaved small dogs????

We used to love going up to Balgownie Estate but they have since changed Management and cancelled their Dog Friendly status…. poor show!!!

I live in Adelaide, approximatly 20 minutes from the heart of the city and find the Australian statistics quite disapointing. For a ‘free, laid back’ country, it still amazes me the lack of rental properties that allow even the smallest of dogs. The majority of houses i have looked at within the rental market refuse pets of any type, however have large enclosed yards to accomodate. The reason they chose not to offer their homes for rent as pet friendly? Because there is already such a high demand in the rental market that perhaps they just dont have too?.
I am currently in a rental property now that is situated across the road from a large enclosed soccer green that is dog friendly and i can take my Labradoodle over there without the need of a leash and it is brilliant! Many dogs use this area and she has made some wonderful doggy friends. Although naturally she is an extremly friendly and loveable animal, intellegent and intuitive, since being exposed regularly to a large open space where she can run free and communicate and play with other dogs of all breeds and sizes, her confidence has improved and her personality is stronger than ever. Rather than displying immediate submissive behaviour in order to befriend another dog, she will trust in her intuition, observe the different body language she has been able to learn thoughout her visits and approach with full confidence. This however, is the only one of its type that allows dogs that i have seen in quite some time.

I used to live in Sydney, my biggest problem was landlords that didnt allow pets in units and the cost of Doggie day care if you had a property of your own.

Hi,

I live on the Gold Coast and you would think that it would be doggie friendly but they make it really hard for the people who have to rent. Your opions are very limited. Recently I had to find new accomadation and it was so hard to find a decent place to live where they took my 2 beautiful shihitzes. Unless you own your property here you have no hope in getting decent accomadation. It is not very doggie friendly at all.

I live Queensland and there is very few places where we don’t take our two German Shepherds. My suburb is very dog friendly, almost every afternoon at five o’clock we’ll take our 2 dogs down to the dog park and let them play with the other 4 to 6 dogs that are in there. Everyone in the estate knows every dog, so if one gets out we simply take them back to their owners. Our dog park has a doggie doo-doo bag roll, a doggie doo-doo bin, a doggie drinking system and even a bubbler for the humans. I love our estate and think that both dogs and humans alike get along well and that we are a very dog friendly estate. Although we dont have a fancy agility set in our dog park or anything like that, we have man’s best friend.

my home is great, we have a huge garden and the dogs love to go outside. We also have lots a park just down the road. Yes, that is not the city i am talking about but i think perth could really try hard to get it going!

I am one of the few people in the world who can say that they honestly and completely enjoy their job, I work at a Dog Daycare centre! Situated in the city of Glen Iris In Melbourne we take care of up to 80 dogs a day. They have playground equipment and day beds indoor and outdoor play areas and even TV. Although some other areas may not be as accommodating of pooches, our daycare and the surrounding parks create a good example. With many parks having inbuilt dog bowls below the drinking taps for dog walkers and their four legged companions. Many surrounding businesses provide bowls of fresh water for any pooches who happen to walk by.
Glen iris is in a league of its own when it comes to making the world a better place for dog owners and their furry friends!!

It appears to me that the question of ‘ How Dog-Friendly Is Your city’ is clearly discernable in the collective demeanure of its human inhabitants.

Melbourne, to arbitrarily select a city, is appaarently ‘pet-friendly’……..but is it really?

I’d say not.

Those famous words coined by Armstrong pop into my mind as they hurtled through the expances of space-time to reach Earth’s eager onlookers : ” That’s one small step for man; and one giant leap for mankind..” Regretfully in the case of making cities more animal friendly on behalf of governing bodies (even merely local councils!) – i see it more a case of : “That’s one small step for doggies; and one VERY small step for us councillors…”

As usual, more can, must and one day WILL be done, and for the time being people should just love their pets (in my case : my toy spoodle) like a family member, for it is exactly our loving pets that like a rainbow of colors – always brighten our days and enrich our lives.

Radiantly,

Captain Joey Lo

We live in Nerang on the Gold Coast and i can say that this is NOT a very Dog friendly suburb at all, when we first moved here we found a lovely park ideal for dog walking, or so we thought, and it would be but for a lot of people who decide that there dog does not need to wear a lead, our little King charles has been attacked twice by dogs off a lead so as soon as i see a dog without one i tend to pick him up, In the end we stopped taking him there and started walking him around the streets instead which is no fun because the car drivers here tend to cut it fine when passing you, we have just moved house to a different part of nerang and was excited to find some fresh new dog walks but it’s no better, infact i went to drop off a poop bag into a bin whilst on our walk last week and i was told i was not allowed to put the bag into the bin, the bag was a doggy poop bag that was tied up, i had to bring it home to bin it which seemed ridiculous to me especially with the amount of people who don’t pick up after ther pets at all, so all in all Nerang on the Gold Coast is NOT pet friendly at all.

We live in Brisbane,but the pet unwelcomeness is Australia-wide.
Having been to Canada,I now realize just how “unfriendly” we are,to our dogs[and cats]_and their owners.
We are asked to consider public transport as an option,and yet,our pets are banned.Even having one assigned carriage or area would be fantastic,for starters.Then we could take our dogs to parks,beaches,outdoor cafes[with doggydo bags in tow,ofcourse],and even to vets.
In Toronto,pets were welcomed,went shopping,dined in many places,and were very well behaved,and collared and tied appropriately.
It was fantastic to see.
I am hoping that we will,in the near future,be welcoming of pets again.

In our suburb there are a lot of parks that cater for walking your dogs. They provide doggie bins and plastic bags for doggie poos. They are regularly emptied and filled with new bags. The park is very popular with dog owners and most owners do pick up their dog poos and place them in the bin. Most dogs in the park are on a lead but some walk their dogs without a lead, but you will find that these dogs are friendly and they mix well with the other dogs. The park has large trees around the outside near the road so it is protected from the road incase dogs wander. The park is watered early in the morning so that people can walk their dogs at any time.

Well living in Adelaide our dog got out every day but since moving to the country our dog can escape but he also returns soaked. We wondered why he comes back soaked as he hates the water. We followed him one day when he met another dog down the river which was 100m and played in the river. Then returned home under the gate again. We took him down the river for a swim and again he would not go in too scared. What a smart dog. He will only go in with his mates. Now we live further away from the river we can leave him home not in the back yard but having the house to run around in. He can escape if he wants to through the doggy door. He greets us each time as when he first moved in there with us he wandered away but there was no where to go. What smart owners. He has other animals since then and looks after the house laying in my chair when I get out of it. Keeps it warm. We still try him to have a swim but he still refuses. What a scardy cat?

My Husband and I have reached the stage of life where it is time to move into a retirement village. In order for us to do this we must find a new home for our almost six years old toy poodle. We love this little guy more than words can say and it is breaking our hearts having to part with him for this reason. I have read many articles stating how beneficial it is for seniors to have pets and even though we said we would buy a special collar to make sure he did not bark, we have been told the only pets we can have are a bird or goldfish. I know I am a very responsible dog owner and my dog would not be a problem to anyone, alas, to no avail.
At the moment we live half a block from the beach and we can only take our dog on the beach before 8am or after 7pm. I would say our town is definitely not a dog friendly one.

I live in Melbourne – and it’s pretty good for our dog Millie – but every suburb’s different. We have a walking track at the end of our street that leads to 2 ovals 800m away. Is a little bit of country in the city. It’s relatively safe – and there’s lots of smells – not to mention the other dogs she gets to meet on her way. But therein lies the only problem – as much as she likes meeting other dogs, some are too rough, some owners don’t care. More than once we’ve had to rescue ours. All dog owners need to take responsibility….and we can then have a safe environment for people and pets. Getting back to cities – all Australian cities are great places to live – and we should all take the opportunity to get out and enjoy them.

When my friend’s mother was ill in the nursing home in Melbourne, we were able to bring in our maltese shutzu to visit. She was able to cuddle and nuzzle most of the residents and have a little snooze their beds. No one minded….there were losts of smiles….that is pretty pet friendly

Up in Darwin, rental places seem to be quite accommodating with most advertisements being pets negotiable. There are also many lovely places to take your dog (most must be on a leash though) but there is a problem for dogs who love the beach – for 7 months of the year, our beaches are unsafe due to jellyfish and those crazy crocodiles! Its great to hear lovely stories about Tasmania – we are hoping that to be our next stop!!

hi i live in the lower blue mountains and i find most people are ok with dogs if they are on a leash and sometimes i let him off and some people just go balistic and scream at you and say they are going toreport you. He is a very well behaved dog and under control at all times and i think they need to be more understanding he needs a little time off the leash and there are no leash free zones here in this area. Everyone loves to say hi to him as he is a dalmation but to be fair, there are only a few people who are annoyed at him being off leash. i would like an off leash area though so he could run as he isconfined to a back yard for so long.

melbourne seems to be a fairly dog friendly city. there are plenty of dog parks and dog beaches where our furry friends can romp and play. I think what would make the city more accommodating for our pooches is more responsible dog owners, who are educated and have good dog walking, dog park and dog beach etiquette!!

I live in the City of Port Phillip in Melbourne and lament that much of the parkland that was available to dogs is fast being lost to Childrens playgrounds and Sporting precincts. It is also regrettable to see much of the foreshore off-limits to dogs over summer (except early in the morning), with the beaches deserted. We have 54 reserves with only a handful off-leash areas. Fortunately our Council have recently realised just how important our dogs are to us and are starting to better address our needs. We all need to be responsible owners as well as continue to make our cities more dog friendly places … and enjoy the wonderful pleasure that dogs can bring to our lives !

My two dogs live in Gympie, Qld which is not very dog friendly. There are no off leash dog parks and parks that we do have don’t have much to offer the canine. I miss walking my dogs because I find the hills around Gympie somewhat steep and rely on my dogs to give me a pull up the hill. It has become more difficult having a toddler in tow as well. We used to do obedience and agility but the good agility clubs are either a one hour drive south or a one hour drive north. We have started a club for canine frisbee which is growing in membership and allows my border collie an outlet to run off his energy. I would love some more places to take the dogs and in my pre-baby days they went on regular car trips to the beach etc but now they have become more backyard dogs enjoying seeing the cow down the back paddock. An off leash dog park would be good in Gympie however.

I live in Winston Hills in Sydney and it is a very dog friendly area. It is very green and leafy.
We have a lovely off leash park and my 3 dogs love to catch up with their mates.

If I take them too early and their mates are not there, I get the “where is everybody” look

Hi, I work part time & have a bearded collie – I like to take him with me when I am out on my days off.
It depends on how organised I am on the day wether I have his travel water with me. On the times I don’t – & have time to sit outside a cafe & enjoy a latte – I look for cafes with water bowls. It depends on which suburb I am in but I have noticed lately that less cafes are doing it…even in areas where lots of people are walking dogs. This is disappointing. However, there are plenty of parks where I can walk him on a lead but not many where he can be off lead. & I have to admit I am sick of
people not being aware of the dogs rules on the beaches so I end up being yelled at & defending myself. Really spoils the outing. So I would say Adelaide is dog friendly … depending where you are.

I live on the Gold Coast and I think our city is pretty dog friendly, but of course we could always be MORE dog friendly. We have the dog beach at the Spit and the great off leash dog park at Musgrave. However, I find it very difficult to find good cafe’s that let you bring your dog. My dream is to open up a dog cafe where only people with dogs can go, now that would be a perfect place!

Australia as a whole has a long way to go to be doggy friendly! A great deal of cafe’s are seeing the revenue loss when puppies are not allowed to sit with their owners having a morning coffee. If you look at the States and Europe, where dogs are far more socialised, Australia is far far behind, we encourage Councils to wake up and smell the roses, there are thousands of dog owners that substitute their pets as children and want to take them everywhere. Order is needed ofcourse, but in such a large country with so many open areas, that dogs are not allowed to visit, it is really crazy.

mt town is extremely dog friendly,nearly every household has a pet or two and they are walked every where.we have leash free areas and are not far from the beach,where they can run free as long as they are well mannered.i live in millicent,s.a.and while small,we love our four legged friends. doogle my dog is a moodle(maltese x poodle) and loves the welcome he gets every time we walk from the people who are privileged enough to meet him.

I live in Bega – yes like the cheese! – and its a pretty dog un-friendly place. All beaches and parks around here are “leashed areas”, and trying to find a house that allows pets – especially inside the house – is impossible. People need to understand that our dogs are our babies, and they are a part of the family and desperve a bit more respect! Our baby (Roxy – 4yr old staffy) is great with kids, sleeps inside on her bed and gives us so many laughs and so much unconditional love – we jsut widh other people would understand…

Gatton area is not really very dog friendly, we don’t have any safe parks for dogs to be let off leash, and none of our shops or plaza’s allow dogs in them. however, the council is very lax with fines and such and most people take their dogs in with them anyway, but have to leave them tied up outside. However, as it is a farming area, most people have multiple dogs on acreage, like us, and I think we have dog training classes and a puppy preschool a couple times a week. Overall though, I think Gatton could do with some serious improvment. It is very common to see dogs running around the streets by themselves, and a staffy once attacked my cousins when they were walking their puppy. The council really needs to make this town more dog friendly, there’s not many people here who don’t have dogs!

I live in country NSW its dog friendly to a degree, there is a river walk that we take, leashes must be on at all times. There is no where for off leash fun. However I’m fortune enough to be able to take him (Rex) to a farm where he has sleepovers and play days. He absolutely loves the farm, chasing chooks and ducks, even rounding up cattle is high on the list of must dos.

I live in the western suburbs of Adelaide, where we have a great dog park and a dog friendly beach at Semaphore.
After traveling England & Scotland recently and seeing how dog friendly they are. We Australians have to learn to really enjoy are four legged friends.
My eyes popped out when owners and there dogs & cats were allowed on the public transport without anyone blinking an eye, yes its a normal thing over there. I couldnt believe it and thinking how wounderful it is. They also have a lot more accommodation options for you and your four legged friends. They also can join there two legged friends for a pint or two at the locall pub!!!!
Come on Austraila lets get with it !!!

Our town is very dog friendly! Everybody has dogs and a lot of other animals and there is a lot of grass to run around on!

We live in Moggill about 30 mins away from Brisbane. We regularly see dogs being walked by owners up and down our street. Our area is a very dog friendly area. We have a special fenced park (which is an off-leash area) just for your doggies! It’s about 1 acre of fenced area with a special area to practice agility skills. There are special doggy water bowls and an area for the owners to sit and watch their special friends. We always walk down to the park to meet new dogs! However we would like to be able to see dogs allowed on public transport so that my dog can join me when I go somewhere. Also, places that you can get accommodation for you and your dog would be great too. It is very hard to go on holidays with your dog if there is nowhere for them to stay. Hopefully Brissy can become a dog friendly place!!

When in Canada last year we saw free roam dog parks in every town – i thought it was a great idea! We dont have one in Gympie, but I definately think its a worthwhile way to help everyone have safe playtime

I live in Finley, NSW and we are very dog friendly. We have a lake with a great track around it for the dogs to sniff and play around all the different smells and water and plenty of sticks to find and leave after the walk for someone elses best friend! We live on a farm and our pure bred Rotty is just so great and he loves his job as guard dog cross sheep dog! He has alot of area to play and work in… Our town loves it when the dogs are down the street to do the shopping lots of pats, licks and treats! He also goes to the Anzac Day March every year…. ☺

I think dogs look great with their protective goggles on a motorbike, like they were meant to ride..