WNY Is Truly Amazing For Dogs and Here’s Why

I've been a dog owner almost my entire life. My first dog was a German Schnauzer named Duncan that was with me until my first year of high school.

After that, I've owned a Jack Russell Terrier, a Maltipoo, and currently have an adorable and lovable Beaglebull (pitbull-beagle mix) named Odessa.

I think Western New York is such an amazing place to be a dog owner. The number of dog-friendly neighborhoods is evident, especially where I live in South Buffalo. Many residents (majority?) own a dog and you often see them walking down the roads near McKinley or Abbott.

Buffalo was actually named the ninth-best city (out of 100) for dog-friendly cities in the country back in the fall of 2020 and it's easy to see why when you spend time in Western New York.

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There are a number of great trails for dogs to walk down and tons of parks. There are also multiple off-leash dog parks in Western New York, including Ellicott Island Bark Park, which is literally an island that dogs can roam free.

Barkology recently opened its doors in Cheektowaga and offers dogs an outdoor-indoor dog park with a bar and food for their owners, and you have a ton of dog-friendly patios at bars and restaurants around the Buffalo area.

There's nowhere else I would rather be a dog owner. Buffalo loves dogs and I love Buffalo for that.

RANKED: Here Are the 63 Smartest Dog Breeds

Does your loyal pup's breed make the list? Read on to see if you'll be bragging to the neighbors about your dog's intellectual prowess the next time you take your fur baby out for a walk. Don't worry: Even if your dog's breed doesn't land on the list, that doesn't mean he's not a good boy--some traits simply can't be measured.

Gallery Credit: Sabienna Bowman

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh