If you’re a sucker for heavy panting, slobbery chops and licking, then look no further! Even if you don’t have a dog of your own (because there’s not enough room for you in your flat, let alone a four-legged friend), then there are still plenty of ways to get your doggy fix in London, capital of the city hounds…
1. Dogs on the tube. There’s no better way to lighten the dismal mood of a steamed-up, busy carriage than a cute pup on the underground. (Unless they’re soaking wet!)
2. Visit Battersea Dogs and Cats home. The shelter have public opening times, where you can come and play with the pups… Here are best friends, Buttons and Kitty, who were rescued by the shelter in 2012. We’re dying ?
3. Sign up to BorrowMyDoggy.com to pup-sit other people’s dogs in your area.
4. Or offer dog walking services to earn a bit of extra cash…
5. Dogs in outfits have an undeniable cute-factor. Take a trip to BowWow, the canine boutique ‘for dogs who shop in Covent Garden’ to see an array of costumes, fashion items and accessories for little yappers.
6. Apparently its not only humans who get their roots done. Pups who want a bit of pampering check into The Pet Spa London, where they can have their paws clipped and manicured, their fur highlighted and their moustaches plucked…
7. Find your local amateur dog show. There are numerous competitions throughout the year held at places like Victoria Park and Clapham Common. Last year, even Queen of Hoxton in Shoreditch held a show on their rooftop bar.
8. Sniff out the pubs around London that welcome regular woofers.
9. Harrods is, in fact, a ‘pet friendly shop’. Take a trip to the Pet Floor to snoop on some high-lifestyle pooches and check out some of the extravagant gifts that their owners shower them with. Items range from ‘dog beer’ to ‘pupcorn’…
More of a cat person? Purrrrfect… Check out London’s Cat Cafe.