Subway Pups

Living in New York with pups is amazing, there are the best parks in the world here, and there are so many dogs to play with! Traveling with pups in the city can be a little hard though, eps when you don't have a car.

The New York subway system is the easiest way to travel around this amazing city, taking us crazy New Yorkers across the five boroughs! The subways aren’t just the favorite choice for people--plenty of dogs also travel with their owners via subway. While taxi rides can cost upwards of $50 and Uber drivers may shy away from dog owners, the subway is accepting of everyone, human or not.

To most, spotting a dog on the subway is a welcome reprieve from the blank stares we see during our commute. Whether tucked comfortably into a pristine pet carrier or lounging in a handbag-turned-dog-bed or even sitting comfortably on the ground, plenty of dogs pass through the subway system every day.

Unfortunately, there are some constraints, namely that unless your dog is a service dog, you have to keep them in what the MTA calls a “container.” Luckily for everyone involved, however, the container type does not have to be specified. That means you can keep your dog in a travel carrier, a K9 Sport Sack, or--if you’re feeling fancy--your favorite tote bag.

Bigger dogs have options as well. You might have to be creative--if you have a Border Collie for example, you can bring a large grocery tote or a gym bag and let it step inside while laying on the ground. Riding the subway with a larger dog may be slightly more challenging than with a tiny teacup dog you could hold in two hands. But the $50 you save in one-way taxi fares are fully worth the hassle.

Not all pups do well on the subway though, Pharrell LOVES it, he loves the excitement of all the people and of course all the attention he gets. Rosie on the other hand, hates it. It is not her thing, so Rosie doesn't make many trips with the MTA. When I do take Pharrell, we love to go downtown to some of our favorite dog parks like Tompkin Square Park or the West Side Highway park! You know your pup, so make sure they are 100% comfortable with riding the subway before making them a frequent rider!