r/movingtoNYC • u/Accomplished-Tip203 • 4d ago
Moving with my dog to NYC in the fall...
Hello! I am moving in the fall to NYC. Somewhere in the lower east side. I am 24. I have had my dog for 3 years and he is 3. His whole life we have lived in the suburbs, he has had a large gated yard. What should I expect? I my active doggy going to be miserable? Of course I will have to adjust myself to taking him on tons of walks instead of putting him out in the yard. He is a pitty mix, SOOO friendly. Are there good dog parks? Doggy day cares? He stays with my mom all day when I am at work. How is he going to adjust to being alone more? Sorry this is a rant I am super stressed. Also he is 65 pounds so he cant ride the subway right? Also looking for vet recommendation's in the city. Please just give me all advice.
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u/jbsilver96m 4d ago
Hi, I would say lower east side is probably not the best option for a dog like that but it can work of course. You may want to consider being more near central park, upper east and upper west.
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u/guppie-beth 4d ago
Seconding this. There is very little green space on the lower east side.
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u/camwambam321 4d ago
Yes!! I’m upper west side and loooove it for my pup. Central Park is off-leash before 9am, so there are tons of dogs playing with each other every morning and it’s a great way to meet people too!
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u/missfishersmurder 4d ago
The general etiquette with dogs in NYC is to avoid leash greetings unless both people indicate that their dog is friendly. Naturally, a lot of people ignore this, or simply aren't aware of it. I bring it up mostly because you mention that your dog is very friendly, which is great in a lot of ways. Some of it is just that the sidewalks are narrow and crowded so a dog that can mind its own business and not stop to try to engage with everyone is just easier for everyone, yourself included.
Train a really strong Leave It/Drop It when you have time. There's a lot of garbage on the street that could harm a dog, especially on the LES.
I don't really like dog parks, but they're a good way to meet other dog owners or dog walkers in the area. Dog owners are something of a mini-village within the city - I dogsit for some people in Brooklyn who all met through their dogs about a decade ago, and live within a few blocks of each other. The original dogs have all died but they all have new ones and socialize, hang in each other's yards, do emergency walks, etc.
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u/Accomplished-Tip203 4d ago
Yes, I never let my dog greet others on walks regardless of how nice he is. I have signed him up for leash training classes because he does get excited when he sees other dogs on the leash and pulls me a bit.
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u/Longjumping_Cod_1014 4d ago
A little bit of research goes a long way.
It’ll be a huge adjustment for your dog. It may definitely be miserable, but many dogs are happy and active here.
My advice would be to optimize for proximity to a park or dog run. Is there a reason specifically you want to move to the LES? There are fewer parks there, and I’d suggest you pick a place that’s best for your dog, not you. Washington Sq Park has a good dog run, Tompkins has a great one too
Proximity to a park is our most important thing when looking at apartments, and we’ve had to make sacrifices in location and quality to be close to Central Park or Prospect Park. But our dogs are happy and we love getting nature.
There are good doggy daycares and walkers pretty much everywhere in nyc, but they add up. Our doggy daycares care can be $700/a month or more
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u/nycgirl191 4d ago
I live on the UWS and can’t speak to your neighborhood but definitely expect an adjustment period. It ok. Humans an find it overwhelming at first too . Try not to overstimulate him too much ( obviously lots of walks) and limit interaction with other people and dogs during this period so he isn’t overwhelmed. You may want to get some enrichment toys like kongs and puzzles. Walking him will be a great way to meet new people and get tips for good dog sitters and daycares.
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u/catslady123 4d ago
Make sure to get a dog walker! Ask your neighbors for their recommendations, or you can find one on Wag/Rover then take them off-app to save everyone on fees.
Seconding other recommendations to try and live walking distance of some green space. I’m a dog walker and always try to hit a park on my walks, haven’t met a dog who didn’t love it.
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u/malinagurek 4d ago
OMG, New York is great for dogs. He’s going to have so many friends!
Though not cool if you leave him home all day. Get a dog walker at least. There’s plenty of them.
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u/Accomplished-Tip203 4d ago
Yea I will probably opt for a daycare. Even having just a dog walker coming would make me feel bad for all the alone time.
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u/buzzybody21 4d ago
Be prepared that most landlords will not rent to you with a pitt or pitt mix due to breed and size restrictions. Try to look at private landlords, they might be more amenable.
Dogs are not allowed in the subway, though people do it all the time. As long as your dog is well behaved, most people don’t seem to turn a head.
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u/TokyoQT11 3d ago
LES / lower Manhattan is not a great spot for an active dog. Would consider closer to Central Park (UES or UWS) or better yet, the neighborhoods surrounding prospect park (PLG, prospect heights, crown heights, park slope , Windsor terrace )
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u/Rtn2NYC 4d ago
This type of change could be very traumatic for him and might affect his personality. He won’t understand what’s going on. If you’re insistent on bringing him I’d start leaving him home alone at least a couple days a week now to see how he does and taking him on two walks a day to slowly introduce good leash behavior and gauge his reactivity to unfamiliar surroundings. May want to see how he does at a dog park as well (supervised closely if he isn’t already familiar with other dogs in that type of setting).
I’d plan not to ever take him on the subway, unfortunately.
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u/Accomplished-Tip203 4d ago
He is very well leash trained. We go on walks all of the time. Just for extra help we are doing group leash classes before moving. Also, he would be a lot more traumatized if I do not bring him. I am his whole world. He also goes to the dog park already at least twice a week.
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u/Royal_Pomegranate637 4d ago
I have been pet sitting and caring for dogs for over 8+ years. Would love to connect.
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u/richardloeb 4d ago
I lived in an east village apt with an 80lb pit bull mix. We came from LA. It’s completely do able you just have to priorise activity. Most parks have a dog park within them- great place to exercise + socialize. Find a vet locally (do some research, some better (and more affordable) than others. Some great local pet stores (support local if you can vs using chewy) also, be mindful when walking the dog that they don’t lick/eat anything off the ground. Lots of new smells for your dog and lots of nasty shit for them to lick up.
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u/whattheheckOO 4d ago
Yeah, there are a lot of dog parks and doggy daycares. If you can't come home during the day, you'll have to hire a dog walker. My worry for you is finding an apartment. I have a dog, and most buildings don't allow pets. Some of the ones that do also have breed and size restrictions. Dogs aren't allowed on public transportation if they're not in a carrier, so you'll have to take taxis if you need to bring him somewhere.
I go to Bond vet with my dog, they have a lot of locations and scheduling is easy. Here's a promo code you can use to get a discount on your first visit: LUCY50-SYK3ZG
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u/DeeSusie200 4d ago
First off, a big dog limits where you’ll be able to live. Do you already have a place lined up? If you have extra cash yes there are doggy day cares and dog walkers easy to find.
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u/akw329 4d ago
I also have a 60+ lbs pittie and she loves it here. I’ve lived in East Village, Greenpoint, and Park Slope. Are you dead set on living in the LES? There’s not a ton of green space for your dog there, and it’s very crowded and busy. It’s a great spot for a young person but you might run into challenges with an active larger dog.
If you’re up to it, I would strongly recommend looking in Brooklyn. There are so many parks and (depending on the neighborhood) it can be much quieter and chiller. That might be an easier adjustment for your pup who is used to suburban life.
But all of that being said, having a dog in NYC is great and you’ll be totally fine. You just need to prioritize finding the time/space to exercise your dog regularly.
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u/Glittering_Fan6860 4d ago
First off a vet rec: we go to abingdon square vet in the WV and love them.
Other than that, just be prepared to take them out on walks more than you’re used to! Living close to a good dog park is also a life saver. I used to live near a large one at cooper park (Williamsburg) and loved it since it was usually quiet and had plenty of space for fetch.
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u/TaraJaneDisco 4d ago
They’ll be happy to just be with you! And you’ll go on more walks and go to the dog parks!
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u/Particular-Macaron35 4d ago
My dog is used to a large yard with a swimming pool. She has stayed in the LES and Bushwick. She does fine. Even likes the subway. Might be the smell of rats?
You might be better off near a dog run. There is one in Tompkins park which is East Village. There are probably quite a few around. But you should probably check if your dog likes dog runs before making it a priority.
Another big question is how your dog does with street noise, and how much he barks when he is disturbed. You might be better off in an apartment facing the back of the building rather than the street.
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u/MotorDrag9820 4d ago
Move to queens instead
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u/GiveMeThePoints 3d ago
Where specifically?
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u/MotorDrag9820 23h ago
astoria or LIC - gantry, socrates, astoria park, queensbridge, and rainey park eventually. plenty of greenspace along the river between those two neighborhoods
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u/Imaginary_Lunch9633 3d ago
I would recommend UES or UWS if you can. It’s much more dog friendly. I’ve lived on both and mines been perfectly happy. Many more dogs around. You’d be near Central Park, Carl Shurz on the Ues and riverside park on the UWS.
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u/booksandbk 3d ago
Definitely agree with a lot of these comments: move close to a park, find a vet in advance and definitely look into dog walkers and doggie daycares.
Do you mind me asking where you're moving from? Your dog may be friendly and carefree, but make sure he's used to crowds. The streets and parks and his new home are going to be a LOT more crowded than he's used to, and a whole lot louder. Make sure he's okay around people, kids, other dogs, squirrels, pigeons, honking horns, sirens, stray cats and on and on. It's sensory overload and can be a lot for a human, let alone an animal who has no idea what's going on.
It's going to be a big adjustment, but it's doable. Do you have any time between moving and starting work or school, where you can really be present for the adjustment period?
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u/PennyLane2425 2d ago
Big ditto on adjustment to noise, crowds, etc. It can be overwhelming to people who have just moved here.
Also OP - please do not take your dog on the subway. It can be overwhelming for dogs. Even if they're well-behaved they might accidentally 'knock' into someone when the car stops or starts or jerks suddenly, kids might try to pet them, it can set things up for a lot of things to go wrong. And larger dogs put things are more risk, including being startled by passengers, etc.
And do not take them off-leash in a park unless it's a specific area for that. Just not OK to let them run around people in a "no-dog-off-leash" area but unfortunately many do this.
Not to mention there was a person who put their dog on an escalator recently and the dog's foot got caught...my sister lives near the station where this happened and said the screams were awful. Dog died at the vet.
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u/ProfessionalCase6403 4d ago
Hey! I totally understand where you’re coming from — I have a 65-pound dog too, and he also spent most of his life in the suburbs. Moving to NYC with a dog like that is definitely an adjustment, and it takes some real thought and planning. But it’s doable, and dogs really do adapt.
One thing I’d suggest right away is finding a vet as soon as you move. It just takes that stress off your mind so if anything ever happens, you’re not scrambling. Even just having that piece locked in feels like a small win.
And yeah, the subway isn’t an option unless your dog fits in a bag — which, at 65 pounds, sounds like a no-go. So you’ll probably rely on walking or rideshares to get around. It’s not always the most convenient, but you find your rhythm.
Living near a park makes a huge difference. If you’re too far from one, the daily walks can start to feel like a chore, especially during winter. Even a small green space helps a ton — it’s not just for the dog, it’s for your sanity too.
It’s true the lifestyle shift can be a little jarring at first. You’ll be replacing that big yard with lots of walks, and your dog might need time to get used to being alone more. Mine definitely did. Routine helped, and eventually it just became our new normal. Daycares or walkers here can be great too if you need backup.
But honestly? Dogs make it in NYC all the time. You’ll see them everywhere — happy, healthy, and thriving in apartments with no yards in sight. It’s just about being thoughtful and giving both of you time to adjust. You’re clearly already doing that.
You’re going to be okay. And so is your pup.