Dogs in Public 2026: The Full Survey Data

This page has the complete data behind Sniffspot’s “Dogs in Public” survey report, including the questions and cross-tabs that didn’t make it into the main article. If you’re looking for the plain-language findings, start with the full report. This page is for anyone who wants to check the math, dig into a specific number, or pull a stat for their own coverage.

Every number here is credited to Sniffspot. If you cite a stat or reuse a chart from this page, please link back to it.

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Methodology

• Survey tool: Typeform
• Distribution: Sniffspot’s own channels (email, social, site traffic) — not a random national panel
• Collection window: June 18, 2026 to July 10, 2026
• Total responses: 339
• Dog owners: 324 (96.4% of those who answered the ownership question)
• Non-owners: 12 (3.6%)

This is a self-selected sample, not a nationally representative one. It skews toward the Pacific Northwest and West Coast. Percentages below are calculated out of the number of people who actually answered each question, since the survey branches based on dog ownership. Sample size (n) is noted for every question.

Section 1: Do Dog Owners Want More Access?

Q: “Do you think dogs should be allowed in more public spaces?” (n=338)

• Yes, a few more specific types of spaces: 130 (38.5%)
• Yes, significantly more: 111 (32.8%)
• The current access is about right: 65 (19.2%)
• No, access should be more restricted: 24 (7.1%)
• No, dogs shouldn’t be allowed in most public spaces: 8 (2.4%)
• Combined “want more access” (first two rows): 241 (71.3%)

Section 2: Where Dogs Have Been Seen in Public

Q: “Where have you seen a dog in public?” (checkbox, multiple answers allowed, base = all 339 respondents)

• Restaurant patios: 265 (78.2%)
• Hotels: 246 (72.6%)
• Public transport: 197 (58.1%)
• Farmer’s market: 212 (62.5%)
• Offices/workplaces: 179 (52.8%)
• Coffee shops: 153 (45.1%)
• Bars/breweries: 123 (36.3%)
• Retail stores: 120 (35.4%)
• International trips: 94 (27.7%)
• Big events (wedding, party, etc.): 81 (23.9%)
• Sporting events: 61 (18.0%)
• Grocery stores: 54 (15.9%)
• Church/religious services: 59 (17.4%)
• Indoor restaurants: 48 (14.2%)
• Amusement park: 30 (8.8%)
• Other: 30 (8.8%)

Section 3: Where Owners Bring Their Own Dogs

Q: “Where do you bring your own dog?” (checkbox, multiple answers allowed, base = 324 dog owners)

• Restaurant patios: 161 (49.7%)
• Hotels: 123 (38.0%)
• Retail stores: 118 (36.4%)
• Farmer’s market: 83 (25.6%)
• Coffee shops: 65 (20.1%)
• Bars/breweries: 59 (18.2%)
• Offices/workplaces: 52 (16.0%)
• Other: 53 (16.4%)
• Indoor restaurants: 20 (6.2%)
• Grocery stores: 18 (5.6%)
• Public transport: 17 (5.2%)
• Big events (wedding, party, etc.): 19 (5.9%)
• Sporting events: 12 (3.7%)
• Church/religious services: 9 (2.8%)
• International trip: 5 (1.5%)
• Amusement park: 4 (1.2%)

Note the gap between “seen a dog here” (Section 2) and “bring my own dog here” (Section 3) for the same categories, especially public transport (58.1% seen vs. 5.2% bring) and coffee shops (45.1% seen vs. 20.1% bring).

Section 4: Regional Breakdown

Where respondents live, of 312 classifiable responses (27 were not classifiable by state/region from free-text answers):

• Pacific Northwest (WA + OR): 79 (23.3% of all 339 respondents)
• West (CA, CO, AZ, NV, UT, ID, NM, MT, AK, HI, WY): 70 (20.6%)
• South (FL, NC, TX, VA, GA, TN, SC, KY, AL, AR, LA, OK, WV, MS): 58 (17.1%)
• Northeast (NY, PA, MA, NH, MD, ME, DE, NJ, CT, VT, RI): 49 (14.5%)
• Midwest (OH, WI, IL, MI, MN, IN, IA, MO, KS, NE, ND, SD): 37 (10.9%)
• International (mostly Canada, one UK response): 19 (5.6%)

Top individual states: Washington (53), California (37), Oregon (26), Colorado (16), Florida (16), North Carolina (14).

Key questions cross-tabbed by region. Regional sample sizes range from 37 to 79, so treat these as directional patterns, not precise regional statistics.

West

• Want more access: 85.7% (n=70)
• Barrier = space/compatibility: 81.5% (n=54)
• Less welcome than kids: 66.1% (n=59)
• Felt judged: 46.6% (n=58)
• Broke a rule: 35.8% (n=67)

South

• Want more access: 70.7% (n=58)
• Barrier = space/compatibility: 72.9% (n=48)
• Less welcome than kids: 64.0% (n=50)
• Felt judged: 47.9% (n=48)
• Broke a rule: 24.6% (n=57)

Pacific Northwest

• Want more access: 68.4% (n=79)
• Barrier = space/compatibility: 80.4% (n=56)
• Less welcome than kids: 70.3% (n=64)
• Felt judged: 49.2% (n=59)
• Broke a rule: 30.3% (n=76)

Midwest

• Want more access: 67.6% (n=37)
• Barrier = space/compatibility: 82.1% (n=28)
• Less welcome than kids: 74.2% (n=31)
• Felt judged: 40.0% (n=30)
• Broke a rule: 22.9% (n=35)

Northeast

• Want more access: 62.5% (n=48)
• Barrier = space/compatibility: 86.8% (n=38)
• Less welcome than kids: 79.5% (n=39)
• Felt judged: 54.5% (n=33)
• Broke a rule: 20.0% (n=45)

National average

• Want more access: 71.3%
• Barrier = space/compatibility: 80.4%
• Less welcome than kids: 70.5%
• Felt judged: 46.4%
• Broke a rule: 26.8%

Section 5: Rule-Breaking and Temptation

Q: “Have you ever brought your dog somewhere they technically weren’t allowed?” (n=321)

• No, never: 138 (43.0%)
• No, but I’ve been tempted: 97 (30.2%)
• Yes, once or twice: 78 (24.3%)
• Yes, regularly: 8 (2.5%)
• Combined “yes” (last two rows): 86 (26.8%)
• Combined “yes or tempted”: 183 (57.0%)

Section 6: Judgment and Being Asked to Leave

Q: “Have you ever felt judged for bringing your dog somewhere?” (n=263)

• Yes, occasionally: 97 (36.9%)
• No, never: 94 (35.7%)
• I’m not sure: 47 (17.9%)
• Yes, frequently: 25 (9.5%)
• Combined “yes” (occasionally + frequently): 122 (46.4%)

Q: “Have you ever been asked to leave somewhere with your dog?” (n=287)

• No, never: 208 (72.5%)
• No, but I’ve felt unwelcome: 41 (14.3%)
• Yes, once: 25 (8.7%)
• Yes, more than once: 13 (4.5%)
• Combined “asked to leave”: 38 (13.2%)
• Combined “asked to leave or felt unwelcome”: 79 (27.5%)

Section 7: Enough Dog-Friendly Space in Your City

Q: “Do you feel there are enough dog-friendly spaces in your city?” (1–5 scale, n=285)

• 1: 42 (14.7%)
• 2: 60 (21.1%)
• 3: 95 (33.3%)
• 4: 50 (17.5%)
• 5: 38 (13.3%)
• Mean: 2.94

Important: the original Typeform scale labels for 1 and 5 (which end means “not enough” vs. “plenty”) were not preserved in this export. Do not publish a directional claim on this question until the original scale anchors are confirmed against the live Typeform. The raw distribution above is included for completeness only.

Section 8: The Biggest Barrier

Q: “What’s the biggest barrier to accessing dog-friendly spaces?” (n=250)

• My dog doesn’t do well with other dogs: 106 (42.4%)
• There aren’t enough options near me: 95 (38.0%)
• I don’t know where to find them: 19 (7.6%)
• Fear of judgment from other people: 14 (5.6%)
• Cost (fees, memberships, etc.): 14 (5.6%)
• Hours or availability: 2 (0.8%)
• Combined “space/compatibility” (first two rows): 201 (80.4%)

Section 9: Social Life Impact

Q: “Has limited access to dog-friendly spaces ever affected your social life?” (n=306)

• No, I work around it easily: 110 (35.9%)
• Yes, somewhat, it’s come up a few times: 85 (27.8%)
• Occasionally, but it’s minor: 76 (24.8%)
• Yes, significantly, I regularly miss out on social activities: 35 (11.4%)
• Combined “yes, any degree” (last three rows): 196 (64.1%)

Section 10: Dogs vs. Children

Q: “Compared to children, how welcome do you feel your dog is in public spaces?” (n=278)

• Much less welcome than children: 122 (43.9%)
• Somewhat less welcome than children: 74 (26.6%)
• It varies too much to say: 33 (11.9%)
• About as welcome as children: 28 (10.1%)
• More welcome than children: 21 (7.6%)
• Combined “less welcome” (first two rows): 196 (70.5%)

Section 11: Have Owners Been Bothered by Other People’s Dogs?

Q: “Have you ever been bothered by a dog in a public space?” (n=275)

• No, never: 149 (54.2%)
• Yes, once or twice: 98 (35.6%)
• Yes, frequently: 28 (10.2%)
• Combined “yes” (last two rows): 126 (45.8%)

Section 12: Non-Dog-Owner Responses

These questions were only shown to respondents who said they don’t own a dog. Sample sizes are small (10 to 15 people depending on the question). Read these as color and context, not as statistically meaningful percentages.

Q: “How do you generally feel about dogs in public spaces?” (n=14)

• Fine with it when owners are responsible: 9 (64.3%)
• Strongly opposed: 3 (21.4%)
• Uncomfortable, but I tolerate it: 2 (14.3%)

Q: “Have you ever avoided a business or space because dogs were allowed there?” (n=14)

• No, never: 6 (42.9%)
• Yes, regularly: 4 (28.6%)
• No, but I’ve considered it: 3 (21.4%)
• Yes, once or twice: 1 (7.1%)

Q: “Have you ever had a negative experience with someone else’s dog in a public space?” (n=14)

• Yes, multiple times: 7 (50.0%)
• Yes, once or twice: 4 (28.6%)
• No, but I’ve witnessed others have one: 2 (14.3%)
• No, never: 1 (7.1%)

Q: “How responsible do you think dog owners are in public spaces?” (n=12)

• Mostly responsible, with some exceptions: 6 (50.0%)
• Mixed, about half and half: 3 (25.0%)
• Very irresponsible, most don’t clean up or control their dogs: 2 (16.7%)
• Mostly irresponsible, with some exceptions: 1 (8.3%)

Q: “Would you be more comfortable with dogs in public spaces if there were stricter rules about behavior and leashing?” (n=15)

• Yes, significantly more comfortable: 6 (40.0%)
• Yes, somewhat more comfortable: 4 (26.7%)
• No, I’m uncomfortable with dogs regardless of rules: 2 (13.3%)
• I’m already uncomfortable with the current rules being unenforced: 2 (13.3%)
• No difference, I’m already comfortable: 1 (6.7%)

Q: “Do you think cities offer enough spaces for dog owners to safely exercise their dogs?” (n=10)

• Not sure / I don’t pay attention to this: 5 (50.0%)
• Yes, more than enough: 2 (20.0%)
• No, there’s a real lack of options: 1 (10.0%)
• Yes, about right: 1 (10.0%)
• No, there could be more: 1 (10.0%)

Q: “Would you support more designated dog-friendly spaces in your city?” (n=15)

• Yes, strongly: 5 (33.3%)
• Yes, with conditions (e.g. fencing, cleanup stations): 4 (26.7%)
• No strong opinion: 3 (20.0%)
• No, I’d prefer fewer: 2 (13.3%)
• No, we have enough already: 1 (6.7%)

Section 13: Selected Open-Ended Responses

A sample of representative open-text answers. The full raw text is available in the source Typeform export; this is a curated selection, with one response excluded for containing violent, threatening language unrelated to the survey topic.

“Where is the craziest place you’ve seen someone bring a dog?”

• “A radiology clinic. The dog was NOT a service animal and barked/cried the entire time the patient was getting an MRI.”
• “On an airplane (obviously it was NOT a trained service animal).”
• “Dressing room at Nordstrom’s, the dog’s head was peeking out from under the door.”
• “A big St. Bernard on a flight sitting in front of the owner in the first row seat.”

“What do you wish dog owners understood about sharing public spaces with non-dog owners?”

• “Not everyone is a dog person, stop assuming everyone likes your animal.”
• “Having pets is a privilege, not a right. Proper training is essential when bringing a pet to a public space.”
• “It depends on the context and it depends on the dog. A calm, well-trained dog can still be uncomfortable in spaces not meant for dogs.”
• “Leash laws.”

“Describe a time you felt your dog wasn’t welcome somewhere.”

• “My dog is reactive and we can’t be around other dogs.”
• “I left. If my dogs aren’t welcome, I’m not staying.”
• “Public access issue in a store where associate was misinformed of ADA regulations in regards to Service Dogs.”
• “I’ve been bringing my well-behaved pet dogs inside my bank for over 20 years. On my most recent visit, a new branch manager told me they only allow service dogs, since ‘always’ (obviously not true).”

Data Notes and Limitations

• This is a convenience sample recruited through Sniffspot’s own audience, not a probability sample. Findings should be read as directional, not as nationally representative statistics.
• Percentages are calculated against the number of respondents who answered each specific question, not against the full 339, since the survey branches and not every respondent answered every question.
• The “enough dog-friendly spaces” scale question (Section 7) is included for completeness but should not be reported with a directional claim until the original Typeform scale labels are confirmed.
• Regional cross-tabs (Section 4) use regional sample sizes of 37 to 79 respondents. These are meaningful directional patterns, not precise regional statistics.
• The non-dog-owner branch (Section 12) has sample sizes of 10 to 15 per question and should be treated as qualitative color, not statistics.
• One open-ended response was excluded from all reporting for containing violent, threatening language directed at dogs.

Survey conducted by Sniffspot, June 18 to July 10, 2026. Questions about this data can be directed to Sniffspot’s content team.

Using this data? Every stat and chart on this page is cleared for reuse, just credit Sniffspot and link back to this page. Read the full report for the plain-language findings and charts.