Thought Austin loved its dogs? Think again. Report shows other major cities are even more obsessed with their pups

Austin sure does love its dogs—all 193,600 of them. While no two pet owners are exactly alike, Austin dog owners have some characteristics that set them apart from the rest of the pack.

So what does owning a dog in Austin say about you?

Rover, a site that connects pet parents to dog sitters and creates dog-centric content, put Austin head-to-head against nine other major cities in the U.S. to see how each city's dog owner personality traits ranked against each other. According to the survey—which included more than 5,000 dog owners from Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland and San Francisco—dog owners in the capitol city are only of mediocre status compared to other major cities.

Austin dog owners fell around the middle in most categories: Austin ranked sixth in both most sociable and most indulgent, eighth in most active, and ninth in both most obsessed and most eco-friendly.

According to the survey, up to 80% of Austin dog owners say they would be likely to strike up a conversation with a fellow dog owner while walking or at the park. Falling just behind Dallas and Los Angeles for most sociable, Austin's dog owners are accustomed to the question, "can I pet your dog?" and most of the time the answer is "yes." After all, to Austinites, dog ownership is about community, so why own a dog if you won't share the love?

Austin is famous for throwing dog-themed events, like Puptopia Fest, having bougie animal stores and hotels, like Pet Paradise, and bringing their pets everywhere as an accessory, including plenty of restaurants.

Dog-friendly restaurants:

While Austin may not have topped any categories, 97% of pet parents said they have bonded more with their pup since the start of COVID-19, which is all that really matters.

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