Toronto with a Dog

City Living with your Furry Friend  

I love Toronto and the excitement of the city, but I am also pretty dog obsessed. In this blog I am bringing those two passions together to discuss owning a dog in Toronto.

The apple of my eye is a quirky little English Setter named Oliver. With the help of Cause4Paws Toronto I adopted him as a stray from Greece. Oliver is a medium sized dog with high energy and he loves adventures. We are lucky because Oliver likes exploring in the city and he isn't thrown off by loud noises, elevators or busy sidewalks. That being said there are a few things worth taking note of if you ever find yourself with your furry sidekick in the Toronto area. 

There are some great boutique pet shops: 

Oliver trying on his new collar at Fetch 

In the West End of the city we love Fetch which offers really unique dog toys, leashes and collars we also like Kennel Cafe, both are in Roncesvalles. In Bloor West Village we visit Digsville and Global Pet Foods. They are right across the street from one another and within walking distance to High Park. 

On Queen Street there is the Dog Market and on Young Street we visit the Dogfather and Co.

I could go on and on about all the great little shops in Toronto because there are so many. But I recommend you check out this blog: Toronto Pet Shops which lists the top 11 pet stores in the city and that you take your pup with you to test out the tasty treats they offer.

Dog parks and green spaces:

There are a lot of parks in Toronto and I have not been to all of them. 

These are a few of the parks we visit regularly within the GTA and have really enjoyed:

Sir Winston Churchill 

Cherry Beach

High Park

• Indie 88 posted a good blog listing Toronto's best dog parks last year: http://indie88.com/torontos-top-dog-parks

• And Dogs of Leisure has a great website that lists most of the parks and allows for reviews: http://toronto.dogsofleisure.com

Walking the streets:

Ok so there are a few key rules... 

1) Prevent Confrontation

If your dog is uncomfortable with the chaos of the city stay safe and do your absolute best to prevent confrontation. There are tons of dogs in the city and YOU WILL bump into them along with people who aren't dog lovers. Oliver is great with this sort of thing but we have seen more than a few dogs snap at others on our walks and it's always unnerving. 

2) Shoes are a must in the winter. 

The salt and slush does a lot of damage to your pups paws, not to mention any other unsightly debris they may be tracking through. Oliver wears his boots every time we leave the condo to protect him and our carpets. 

3) Pick up after your pet. ALWAYS.

This seems pretty basic but bring a few bags... there are people everywhere and leaving dog droppings at the corner of King and Spadina isn't a good look for anyone.  

So to all of you dog lovers out there - good luck!

Talk Soon,

Alexis & Oliver

Olie enjoying his cookie he picked out at Fetch