A Dog City?

[fOxOnThErUn613]

Yeah.. It's the "newbie" again.. Haha.

I have had a couple of people living in Houston tell me it was a "dog friendly" city and that there were lots of parks and so forth (and I have seen a lot more dog ok apartments than in most places)..

Is this true? If so how many of you have dogs and enjoy this aspect of Houston?

[Talbot]

What would really make it dog friendly is if we had those dog treat vending machines like they have in New York. lol, those are cool.

[jm1fd]

I can't really comment....my dog wants to try to eat everybody else's dog, so we don't go near where the other dogs congregate.

[travelguy_73]

I guess it depends on where you live. There are official and unofficial dog parks around town (I think you can do a search on this site for those locations). Overall, it seems to be dog friendly, though when I was searching for a loft to buy I found that there wasn't as much dedicated dog play space as I had hoped.

[UrbaNerd]

Yes, we are indeed dog friendly, and with the new dog parks opening up everywhere (even in Missouri City, TheWoodlands, etc) we should become even more so.

Right now, it's a paw and a half up.

[kzseattle]

I've found everywhere outdoors to be dog friendly. There is a law on the books to scoop your poop - but not too many people do it. We have small dogs, so unless its in a place where people might step I don't bother myself.

But overall, yes: Houston = Dog Friendly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So, does it mean: Houston = Dog Friendly = Poop Friendly?

[skwatra]

So, does it mean: Houston = Dog Friendly = Poop Friendly?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

both. but nothing compared to paris or amsterdam.

[UrbaNerd]

lol..someone told me about Paris' "poop friendliness"

[Guest danax]

It looks pretty dog-friendly to me. I saw a pack of strays with two fornicating on the sidewalk while the rest watched a few mornings ago.

[Rehan]

Yeah, I haven't had any problems with my dog in the city. Most apartments are ok with dogs, for a nice fee of course. There are more dog parks opening up. No absurd laws against dogs. As for the poop laws, just pick up after it if you are near dog haters, otherwise I don't think theres ever been a big deal about it.Overall a dog friendly city.

[Lowbrow]

I dont have a dog but everyone I know does. Every park that I go to has a dog area. The area between the Menil and Rothko has those baggy dispensors. The dog park on Buffalo Bayou just goes on and on. I havent met a owner in my new condo complex that doesnt have at least one dog (although most of them are toy breeds).

I'm thinking of getting a Great Dane when I get back from KL.

[BayouCityGirl]

My apt where I live is definately a dog place! There is a guy who owns a giant ex-racing greyhound. BEAUTIFUL dog! I have seen some pitts in the place and other assorted. Even though I own a cat, the residence don't seem to mind wandering cats either.

(even though mine doesnt wander)

[debmartin]

my dog is named boudreaux, and i am so crazy about him that i posted his photo on the blog info. he travels with me often and is so high maintenance that he requires a sitter when i travel and can't take him along. my kids adopted him 8 yrs ago and i sort of inherited him when they lost interest as kids often do. i take him on long walks once or twice a day and we live right by transco park- i always pick up after him and not just because it's "the law", but because it is what civil people do. of course my dog weighs about 12lbs and i could not imagine picking up after a huge dog, but that is what dog owners should do, regardless.

as far as houston being "dog friendly" in my experience i find people are more dog friendly than dog owners are people friendly. this morning at the market square market, i was talking to dave (the guy who runs it) while the vendors were setting up around 8am. a casually dressed guy was walking a HUGE dog across the grass and the dog casually took a HUGE dump - dave asked the man politely, "excuse me, are you going to pick up after your dog" and the man replied, "no i am not" and walked away, leaving the mess! dave told me the grass was unfit to walk in and he was right! later in the day i saw people walking around like they were in a field of land mines, practically walking into each other because they would not take their eyes off the ground. unfortunately one of the belly dancers looked up just long enough to avoid a collision with the other one and ruined the shoes of her costume.

obviously it was not only the guy i overheard being rude to dave, but the downtown lofts are full of people that own dogs of all sizes that see nothing wrong with leaving waste all over the parks and sidewalks. it would be great if people would just do the right thing, but what downtown houston really needs is for the poop police to come out in full force, before poor dave loses what little business he has or gets his food permit revoked. sorry for the rant, but the scene was about as far removed from "houston proud" as you can get. being from houston i was embarassed at the comments from the out of town visitors i met, and the majority of people i met were not only from other towns but from other countries.

deb martin