First dates can be overwhelming. There’s always the fear of making a bad impression or not knowing the right things to say. Even though dates are normally a one-on-one event, many pet parents prefer to bring their best friend along: their dog!
Having a dog on a first date can be more relaxing for both people involved. Dogs can spark conversations and relieve stress from whoever is petting them. Plus, you’ll get to see if your dog and date get along well before pursuing the relationship further. As long as you can find a dog-friendly date spot, bringing your dog on dates is often a positive experience.
However, not every city is suitable for letting dogs tag along on dates. So, Pawlicy Advisor conducted a study to determine which U.S. cities were 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: U.S. Census
- Dog Ownership By State
- Weight: 2.75
- Source: AVMA
- Number of Dog Parks Per 100k People
- Weight: 1.50
- Source: Trust for Public Land
- Walkability
- Weight: 1.00
- Source: Walk Score
- Number of Pet-Friendly Rentals Per 100k People
- Weight: 1.00
- Source: Rent.com
Date Night Factors
- Cost of a Date Night Dinner
- Weight: 1.50
- Source: Numbeo
- Cost of Date Night Drinks
- Weight: 1.50
- Source: Expatistan
- Number of Pet-Friendly Restaurants Per 100k People
- Weight: 1.75
- Source: Yelp
- Number of Pet-Friendly Breweries Per 100k People
- Weight: 1.75
- Source: Yelp
- Number of Pet-Friendly Venues Per 100k People
- Weight: 0.50
- Source: Yelp
Environmental Factors
- Total Rainfall (inches)
- Weight: 1.00
- Source: Best Places
- Avg. Temperature Deviation From 60°F
- Weight: 0.75
- Source: Best Places
- Avg. Number of Sunny Days Per Year
- Weight: 1.00
- Source: Best Places
- Number of Hiking Trails Per 100k People
- Weight: 0.75
- Source: Hiking Project
- Number of Pet-Friendly Beaches Per 100k People
- Weight: 0.50
- Source: Yelp
RELATED: Over 90% Of People Would Dump A Date If Their Dog Didn’t Like Them
Best U.S. Cities For Dog Parent Dating
With all those factors in mind, the website calculated which U.S. cities were the best places for dating with dogs. These were 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
- St. Louis, MO – 61.02
- Albuquerque, NM – 61.01
- Sarasota, FL – 60.94
- Columbia, 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
- Little Rock, AR – 56.29
- Austin, TX – 55.54
- Orlando, FL – 54.86
Best U.S. Cities By Category
Pawlicy Advisor also showed the results for each category of factors. So, if one category is more important to you than others, here are the best cities in each group with their ratio number.
Sociocultural Factors
- Columbia, SC – 0.71
- Little Rock, AR – 0.69
- Boise, ID – 0.68
- San Francisco, California – 0.67 [tie]
- Las Vegas, NV – 0.67 [tie]
Date Night Factors
- 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, it doesn’t mean you can’t bring your dog on dates with you. It just means it might be harder for you to find a place where your pup will be allowed. No matter where you live, make sure you tell your date in advance that you’d like to bring your dog so you both know what to expect.
Toledo, United States.
