Being a pet owner has its perks but also comes with a lot of responsibility. It’s not all just playing and snuggling! As the saying goes, there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. That’s why it’s important to avoid some common mistakes that could give you and your pup a bad rep in the neighborhood. It’s equally important to recognize the best dog owners, too, as they can serve as examples of how to be better dog parents.
The Dog Advisory Council analyzed Twitter data to determine where the best and worst dog owners live. The people in the latter category often don’t do their duty by leaving their dog’s poop behind, letting their dogs run off-leash where they shouldn’t, or not dealing with their dog’s constant barking or howling. The cities with higher scores in the study had more complaints per person, indicating more bad behavior from dog owners.
Cities with the best dog owners
Tucson, Arizona, takes the cake for having the most polite and responsible dog owners in the U.S.! They ranked super low in all three categories, with just 5.1 complaints per 100,000 people for dog poop, off-leash pups, and barking.
Virginia Beach put up a great effort, coming in second place with an impressive score of 9.4 out of 100. They were top dogs in leash rules and poop scooping and barely made a peep with the lowest barking complaints.
Raleigh, North Carolina, fetched third place with the lowest dog poop complaints in the country! And Omaha and San Antonio were close behind, with scores of 16 and 17.6, respectively.
Cities with the worst dogs owners
And now, the bad news. There are subpar dog owners out there, and they tend to congregate in certain cities.
According to the dog owner index, Pittsburgh has some irresponsible dog owners. They scored a measly 88.5 out of 100 and came in seventh for off-leash dogs, fourth for barking complaints, and third for dog poop sightings.
Newark isn’t doing much better. They came in second place for the worst-behaved dog owners, even though they ranked 20th for dog poop sightings. They had many barking complaints and the most reports of dogs running off-leash in public places compared to any other city in America.
Meanwhile, Seattle, Cleveland, and Washington, DC, are close behind. They round out the top five for worst-behaved dog owners.
Worst cities for dog poop
Dog poop is not only gross but can also make you sick. It’s filled with harmful stuff like E.coli, Giardia, and roundworms, which can harm humans and pets. So, it’s crucial to clean up after your dog properly.
Seattle has an unfortunate reputation as the “dog poop capital” of America, with a whopping 58.3 reports of dog waste for every 100,000 people. It’s such a big problem that some folks have started community projects, like the dog poo bin program, to tackle the issue. In one park in Kirkland, just east of Seattle, almost 200 cases of uncollected dog poop were recorded in just one month!
Worst cities for off-leash dogs
It’s super important to keep your furry pal safe by following the leash laws in your city. Most cities have designated off-leash dog parks where your pooch can run freely without restrictions. In all other settings, we advise always leashing your dog.
Unfortunately, Newark’s pup parents are getting a bit too lax with the leash rules, with a whopping 28.2 complaints per 100,000 residents. Yikes!
Remember, not everyone is a fan of dogs, and bumping into one off-leash can make people feel uneasy or even panicked. So, keep your doggo in check by sticking to the designated areas. That way, they can still run around, play with other friendly pups, and explore without any unexpected consequences.
Worst cities for dog barking
Dogs bark; it’s what they do! But if your furry friend barks non-stop, it could be a sign of trouble. Besides being super annoying to you and your neighbors, excessive barking could mean your pup is unhappy or anxious.
Don’t worry, though! Having a noisy pup doesn’t make you a bad dog owner. However, ignoring the problem and not figuring out what’s causing the barking or trying to fix it could earn you some serious side-eye from your neighbors.
The study discovered that folks in Cleveland were the worst at dealing with barking or howling dogs, leading to almost 16 complaints per 100,000 grumpy and sleep-deprived residents.
The Dog Advisory Council and ChatGPT assisted in the creation of this article.
