The first day can be overwhelming. There is always the fear of making a bad impression or not knowing the right things to say. While dates are often a one-on-one event, many pet parents love to bring their best friend: their dog!
Having a dog on a first date can put both of you at ease. Dogs can spark conversations and relieve stress for whoever is petting them. Plus, you’ll find out if your dog and your date are compatible before pursuing the relationship further. As long as you can find a dog-friendly date spot, taking your dog on a date is usually a positive experience.
However, not all cities are suitable for dogs to accompany them on dates. Therefore, pawlicy advisor conducted a study to determine which US cities are best for dog parents looking to date.
What factors were considered?
To determine the most dog-friendly cities for dating, Pawlicy Advisor used the following factors.
Sociocultural factors
- Single population
- Weight: 2.75
- Source: US Census
- Dog ownership by state
- Weight: 2.75
- Source: AVMA
- Number of Dog Parks Over 100,000 People
- Weight: 1.50
- Source: Belief in public land
- ability to walk
- Weight: 1.00
- Source: Walking spot
- Number of pet-friendly rentals per 100,000 people
- Weight: 1.00
- Source: Rent.com
Day and night element
- Cost for a date night
- Weight: 1.50
- Source: Numbeo
- Date night drinks cost
- Weight: 1.50
- Source: foreigner
- Number of pet-friendly restaurants per 100,000 people
- Weight: 1.75
- Source: Yelp
- Number of pet-friendly breweries per 100 thousand people
- Weight: 1.75
- Source: Yelp
- Number of pet-friendly places per 100,000 people
- Weight: 0.50
- Source: Yelp
Environmental factors
- Total Rainfall (inches)
- Weight: 1.00
- Source: Best place
- Average Temperature deviation from 60°F
- Weight: 0.75
- Source: Best place
- Average Number of sunny days per year
- Weight: 1.00
- Source: Best place
- Number of walking paths per 100,000 people
- Weight: 0.75
- Source: Hiking project
- Number of pet-friendly beaches per 100,000 people
- Weight: 0.50
- Source: Yelp
RELATED: Over 90% of People Will Give Up on a Date If Their Dog Doesn’t Like Them
Best US Cities for Dating Dog Parents
With all those factors in mind, the site calculated which US cities are the best for dog dates. Here are the results:
- Charleston, SC – 64.95
- San Francisco, CA – 63.94
- Greenville, SC – 62.93
- Boise, ID – 62.90
- Portland, OR – 62.40
- Denver, CO – 61.89
- Tampa, FL – 61.32
- Louis, MO – 61.02
- Albuquerque, NM – 61.01
- Sarasota, FL – 60.94
- Colombia, SC – 60.78 [tie]
- Sacramento, CA – 60.78 [tie]
- Knoxville, TN – 57.98
- Las Vegas, NV – 57.93
- Tucson, AZ – 57.61
- Fort Myers, FL – 57.07
- San Diego, CA – 56.61
- Small Rock, AR – 56.29
- Austin, TX – 55.54
- Orlando, Florida – 54.86
America’s Best Cities by Category
Pawlicy Advisor also gives results for each element type. So, if one category is more important to you than the others, here are the best cities in each group with their ratio numbers.
Sociocultural factors
- Colombia, SC – 0.71
- Small Rock, AR – 0.69
- Boise, ID – 0.68
- San Francisco, California – 0.67 [tie]
- Las Vegas, NV – 0.67 [tie]
Day and night element
- Greenville, SC – 0.90
- Sarasota, FL – 0.81
- Charleston, SC – 0.78
- Orlando, FL – 0.77
- Tampa, FL – 0.74
Environmental factors
- El Paso, TX – 0.81
- Albuquerque, NM – 0.80
- San Diego, CA – 0.77
- Las Vegas, NV – 0.75
- San Jose, CA – 0.71
Even if your city isn’t mentioned in this article, that doesn’t mean you can’t bring your dog with you on a date. It just means it can be hard for you to find a place your dog will be allowed to enter. No matter where you live, make sure you say before your date that you want to bring your dog so you both know what to expect.
