A New York Times analysis of dog licensing data (yes, we took the
time to do this) found some clearly discernible patterns of dog
ownership in the city. A cute little Shih Tzu like this one can be
easily spotted in ZIP code 10021, the Upper East Side.
An excited fox terrier named Bosco jumps up and down as he
watches other dogs play at Biscuits and Bath Doggie Gym. Bosco
is not one of the top ten most popular names for New York City
dogs
The Department of Health has found that demographics, not just
geography, play a role in dog ownership.
Two chocolate Labradors, left, and a Rhodesian Ridgeback, all
belong to the same owner. Twenty percent of younger New
Yorkers, 18 to 24, own dogs, but only 5 percent of people 65 and
older do, according to a community health survey completed this
year
A Maltese named Dexter is comfortable on a human shoulder.
Michael Troy, a student at New York University in the Village, has
a theory as to why the dogs he sees are so well behaved. `There
are so many dogs here, they get socialized really well,` he said.
In Greenwich Village, a four-month-old French bulldog named Lily
tries on a pink striped sweater at the Fetch pet store. Greenwich
Village has one of the largest licensed dog populations in the city,
and pugs are especially popular.
A Yorkshire terrier gives the manager of the Biscuits and Bath
Doggie Gym a kiss. Yorkshire terriers are the seventh most
popular dog in the city according to licensing data.
Ruth Fremson/The New York Times
`The New York dog is different from the national dog,` said Bash
Dibra, a dog trainer who works with the entertainment industry.
`The national dog has sort of a Midwestern look, well mannered
with a good groom. Maybe a golden Lab. The New York dog is
streetwise, spunky, intelligent. It`s the kind of dog that would say:
`Arghruff! Make my