Where do NYC dogs go to the bathroom? (Locke, Prospect: apartment, to rent)

[force139]

At the risk of posting what may be the dumbest question on these boards...

I am moving from California to NYC with my dog. After extensive google street mapping of a few neighborhoods I was considering (Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope), I realized with a shock that these streets lack something that I have taken for granted after a lifetime of West Coast living: grass on the city streets. My dog will only pee on grass and will constrain himself to painful limits if he can't find any. Anywhere I go in coastal California, I know there will always be strips of grass along public streets (not lawns in front of houses, just patches of grass along the curbs or at corners). If I move to these Brooklyn neighborhoods, I guess I will have to bring my poor dog to a public park every time he wants to relieve himself, including late at night just before bedtime. So I'm wondering what NYC dog-owners do.

Do these poor dogs really pee on the sidewalk and splatter it all over themselves in the process? Or do people have tiny little yards with a patch of grass for this purpose? Or do they venture out at midnight to the nearest park so Rover can empty his bladder before bedtime?

I was originally hoping to rent an apartment with a private yard, but that too seems different from California, in that the yards I've seen in Brooklyn have no grass either.

I guess I might have to redirect my searching to Queens, since I did find neighborhoods (e.g., Forest Hills) with grass on the streets like I (and my dog) are used to there. But I was curious what Manhattanites and Brooklynites who aren't so fortunate as to live right in front of a park do regarding this issue.

Any general tips on owning a dog in the city would be really welcome as well.

[gingerbreadz]

they go outside lol.

[bmwguydc]

I know someone who had this exact problem, since the dog is well trained, and when a puppy lived in a house with poured concrete floors. They quickly found out that she viewed NYC sidewalks as being concrete floors and would not relieve herself on them, no matter what. Living in Manhattan, they either take the dog to the park, or bring papers for her, since she will go on those outside. The papers have to be cleaned up, and you do need to clean up their solid waste as well, either in a scoop or a bag.

But, if it's going to be a real issue, I'd suggest Forest Hills would be a good compromise as you do need to consider your four-legged family members in a move as well. It's not impossible in Brooklyn, especially if you have a small yard, but in the absence of this, I'd look for a little more greenery.

EDIT: Just watch out, however, if you live near a newsstand or deli that gets papers delivered on the sidewalk if you're out late at night/early morning. My friends had to buy a batch of papers once when they ran into a friend and the dog saw the paper on the "concrete floor" and relieved herself on the entire pile. LOL

[oberon_1]

Originally Posted by force139

At the risk of posting what may be the dumbest question on these boards...

Let me ask a dumber one - where do PEOPLE go to bathroom in NYC? Last time I checked (yesterday) all bathrooms were securely LOCKED. In addition some restaurants posted a huge sign (bigger then the restaurant's name) WE HAVE NO PUBLIC BATHROOMS!
Now for the dog - he can do his business on the sidewalk, but should YOU do the same, you'll get arrested IMMEDIATELY !

[nyctc7]

This is one my "pet" peeves. People are very good about picking up dog crap (at least in the neighborhoods I've lived in), but they will let their dog urinate ANYWHERE. On the side of your building. In front of the entrance to your building. On a newly planted tree. In flower beds. Anywhere.

[lamexican]

They go where you decide they go! I also moved from Cali and had the same worries as my Bulldog was very stuborn about going on the grass! She very quickly learned that she loved going right on the curb at the edge of the sidewalk! I even moved half a block from a park! At first she used to make me go to the grass and take 10 min. to smell around! I stopped taking her that far and stopped giving her that amount of time! Now she loves the curb!

[elayersm]

Dogs will use the bathroom where they can if they have to go enough. I have a little chihuahua and he used to only go on grass before I moved to the city but you will be suprised how quickly they adjust.

Also for the people question...most large corporations/chains have public bathrooms
**Starbucks is your friend!

[cyrusjul]

One of the big reasons dogs pee on the curb, a sidewalk, a post or on the grass or wherever place, has mainly to do if they can smell another dog urine there. They sure like that smell. That will certainly make your dog pee almost anywhere, since NYC just has so many dogs peeing all over the place. I have a dog and and you notice that stuff. Also I pick up the poop with a bag, and throw it on some garbage can.

[citychik]

Originally Posted by cyrusjul

One of the big reasons dogs pee on the curb, a sidewalk, a post or on the grass or wherever place, has mainly to do if they can smell another dog urine there.

No, it's mostly because inconsiderate dog owners would rather blab on the cell phone than train their dogs properly (I mean, really, the walk is the most important part of a dog's day and people are having a phone conversation and barely glancing at the poor thing who's been cooped up all day and wants to enjoy its time outside - and the dog is looking up at them begging for attention.... but I digress).

Dog pee kills trees and flowers. I've even seen people let their dog pee on a restaurant's blackboard which was hanging outside. Imagine the poor waiter or waitress who has to bring it in at the end of the night.

For the OP, there are a few dog-friendly neighborhoods in Brooklyn, near Prospect Park, and lots of dog-owners will head to the park. And many parks in the city have dog runs. But no matter where they do their business, be aware of the city's pooper-scooper laws.

[IonRedline08]

I was gonna say, from the smell, 7th Avenue