Which Side Of The Sidewalk?

limestonekid · March 2010

This is somewhat of a poll question.

I'm curious to know what side of the sidewalk do people walk their dogs on?

Do you walk them on the inside of the sidewalk, next to the stoops and store fronts, or do you walk them on the outside of the sidewalk, next to the curb?

Cheers!

stacey · March 2010

Majority of the time I walk my dog on the curb side only because we have tried to train her to use that part for her business. She still gets pretty excited when people pay attention to her or pet her so its easier to control her if I am in the middle of her and passer-bys.

Late at night when no one is on the street I let her roam from side to side.

tybur6 · March 2010

Umm... walking in circles wrapping the leash around my legs.

new2nyc · March 2010

it depends on what else is happening on the sidewalk. if the sidewalk is busy, i will keep her on the curb/streetside away from passerbys. However, there are times when we walk on the lawn side too, as that is the side she likes to sniff.

it really depends. however, I am always between her and other people walking. this helps to calm, not the dog but the people down as we pass! I am amazed at how many curse words and screaming has been unnecessarily directed at us, simply because shes a big girl and people get frightened.

and she only does her "business" on the curb side-never in pretty front lawns!!

orion123 · March 2010

Wait, you can choose which side your dog walks on?

stacey · March 2010

orion123 wrote: Wait, you can choose which side your dog walks on?

OMG Orion your doggie looks like so much like mine? What type is she/he?

toadette · March 2010

Dog goes on the curb side, so she can do her business in the street instead of in front of someone's fence. I also 90% of the time walk on the side of the street that puts the curb on my left, since I hold the leash in my left hand. That prevents her from having to dart in front of me when the moment comes (and me from tripping over her small self), and also helps her understand where her proper positioning is when we walk - she knows she is supposed to stay on my left and not dart about (though she has her moments!).

orion123 · March 2010

stacey wrote:
OMG Orion your doggie looks like so much like mine? What type is she/he?

He's a border collie black lab as far as I can tell. Sort of the "brooklyn special"

stacey · March 2010

orion123 wrote: [quote=stacey]
OMG Orion your doggie looks like so much like mine? What type is she/he?

He's a border collie black lab as far as I can tell. Sort of the "brooklyn special"

LOL thats what we were told our Roxie was. She even has the same 1/2 white strip over her nose!

walkathon · March 2010

I don't hear any replies from honest dog owners. It is clear to me that it doesn't matter which side of the sidewalk the dog is on as long as the leash is fully unrolled and serves to knock everyone else off of the sidewalk. this occurs 24/7 in Brooklyn.

I don't know why dogs aren't required to only walk in bike lanes and their owners in the middle of the street. This would solve a lot of problems and would leave the sidewalks open to the civilized.

magicube · March 2010

Always on my left, always at the curb. I and my dog are quite civilized, thank you very much.

caseopele · March 2010

Walkathon wrote: I don't hear any replies from honest dog owners. It is clear to me that it doesn't matter which side of the sidewalk the dog is on as long as the leash is fully unrolled and serves to knock everyone else off of the sidewalk. this occurs 24/7 in Brooklyn.

I don't know why dogs aren't required to only walk in bike lanes and their owners in the middle of the street. This would solve a lot of problems and would leave the sidewalks open to the civilized.

The civilized? People that think like you are one of the reasons I like my dog more than most people. At least she's not intolerant, you leave her alone (when I walk her by the curb) and she'll leave you alone. :roll:

tsarina · March 2010

I'm with you on that Caseo. my dogs are much better behaved on the sidewalk than some people and their children. And dont get me started on those people who comment about picking up the shit while you are standing there with a baggy in your hand.
Also to point out the obvious, bike lanes are for bicyclists and the street is for cars and traffic.

stacey · March 2010

Walkathon wrote: I don't hear any replies from honest dog owners. It is clear to me that it doesn't matter which side of the sidewalk the dog is on as long as the leash is fully unrolled and serves to knock everyone else off of the sidewalk. this occurs 24/7 in Brooklyn.

I don't know why dogs aren't required to only walk in bike lanes and their owners in the middle of the street. This would solve a lot of problems and would leave the sidewalks open to the civilized.

This civilized dog owner thinks that in a perfect world we could neuter and muzzle some humans but alas my dream will not come true either

opossumqueen · March 2010

stacey wrote: [quote=Walkathon]I don't hear any replies from honest dog owners. It is clear to me that it doesn't matter which side of the sidewalk the dog is on as long as the leash is fully unrolled and serves to knock everyone else off of the sidewalk. this occurs 24/7 in Brooklyn.

I don't know why dogs aren't required to only walk in bike lanes and their owners in the middle of the street. This would solve a lot of problems and would leave the sidewalks open to the civilized.

This civilized dog owner thinks that in a perfect world we could neuter and muzzle some humans but alas my dream will not come true either

Hahahaha!

Yeah, some people are inconsiderate but it's definitely not limited to a few dog owners (like those with flexi-leashes, gah). Plenty of people without a dog and with/without a stroller/cart meander from side to side or just run into you. Some people suck more than others. We live in a crowded city so we have to deal with it more.

Where I walk with my dog depends on many things, but the general idea is to put as much space as possible between us and others. When the sidewalk is crowded, I always short-leash the dog (ie, hold it so that he's by my side with no slack).

toadette · March 2010

Ugh, flexi-leashes. When I see them in use, dog running like 10 feet in front of the owner, I automatically think that the owner did zero research on dog ownership, the purpose of a walk (beyond a potty break), etc. Plus - I'm pretty sure NYC law requires that leashes be six feet in length or less. Even six feet is pretty long if you're walking down the sidewalk - my leash is four feet and has knots in three different places to allow me to have a good grip for short-leashing like OQ.

Sure, they have their uses. You're on a walk in the woods and you want to let your dog sniff freely? You want to play a little fetch or frisbee during non off-leash hours? Cool. But not on the sidewalk. FWIW, I mean no disrespect to those who have them and use them properly. If you keep it at a fixed length I'm sure it makes for a nice leash with a handle. Hell, I even own one for use in certain situations. But yeah...

limestonekid · April 2010

Magicube wrote: Always on my left, always at the curb. I and my dog are quite civilized, thank you very much.

Thanks for the input folks.

Maybe one day all dog owners will be enlightened. Our four-legged friends are hoping that day will come soon.

winstonsmith · May 2010

Crap is left on both sides of the sidewalk

carmen · May 2010

My dog and I generally walk on the curbside, except to pass people (we walk pretty quickly.) We also stay off of the main busy streets in the neighborhood (7th ave, 5th ave, union st) unless necessary because there's too many distractions to have an effective and fast-paced walk. If we do need to go to something on 5th-7th, we usually do the bulk of the walk on 6th, 8th or PPW. Happier for the dog and happier for pedestrians (thus, happier for me!)

Which Side Of The Sidewalk?

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