Livin' In The City: 12 Tips For Urban Dog Owners
To The 5 Boroughs: Me and Max
A few years ago my wife and I packed up a giant moving truck and made our way across the country to live in New York City.
It was a fantastic time in our lives made even better by the fact that we got to share it all with our black lab, Max.
In the years that we spent living in Brooklyn we learned a lot about having a dog in the big town. It was a trial by fire, to be sure, and there were lots of things that happened that I wished we could have avoided. But, truth is, we knew no one who had a city dog when we moved there, so we had to figure things out as we went along.
Dogs are usually loving curious creatures by nature and so the hustle and bustle of the city isn’t something that naturally turns them off.
Yet, there are so many parts of big city life that can present problems for them, things that they just don’t know about.
So, we quickly realized that it was up to my wife and I to really commit ourselves to making sure that Max came to understand the ebb and flow of city life/to make him comfortable in the concrete jungle. And, I’m proud to say that I believe his urban years were as enjoyable for him as they were for us because of it.
So, if you are planning on heading to live in some sprawling metropolis anytime soon, or even if you live there already but have been on the fence about bringing a dog into your life, this one’s for you. Here are some tips that I hope might make a difference in helping you realize that dogs can and do thrive in cities everywhere. It just takes a lot of love and learning and looking out on our part.
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Room To Roam
It's really critical to find a place in the city where your dog can run around and burn off steam. Exercise is key to a happy pooch, so before you even find a place to live, make sure there is a neighborhood dog park or somewhere else where dogs are allowed off-leash at some point in the day.
You can also find Serge on his personal blog, Thunder Pie.
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More from Serge:
Eat The Wind: 25 Supercool Dogs In Cars
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