Toronto, Canada
Dog Friendly Toronto
Where To Walk And Stay With Your Dog In Toronto
Toronto is a city built for dogs who like room to run, with off-leash parks in nearly every neighbourhood and a whole waterfront of beaches to work through. High Park hands you the city's biggest green, Cherry Beach lets them straight into the lake, and the ravine trails quietly knit half the city together off the road. This is our working guide to the best of it, and the certified hotels that genuinely welcome your dog.
Where to walk
Trails, Parks & Green Spaces
The parks and lakeshore beaches Torontonians actually take their dogs to, leash-on and leash-off. Tap any one to open it in Google Maps.
Where to eat and drink
Dog Friendly Bars & Restaurants In Toronto
Looking for dog friendly bars, restaurants, cafes or taprooms in Toronto? Here is the honest answer: Canadian health law keeps dogs out of nearly every indoor bar and restaurant in the country, Toronto included, so in the warmer months a licensed patio is your best bet. It is a rule that badly needs changing, and Let Dogs In is our campaign to welcome well-behaved dogs into Canadian bars and taprooms, the way they already are across Europe.
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Where to stay
The Best Dog Friendly Hotels In Toronto
Every hotel here has been inspected and ranked against the Dog Friendly Standard. No pay to play, no vague pet friendly badge, just the ones that earned their place, best first.
Dog Friendly Toronto · Good To Know
Is Toronto a good city to visit with a dog?
Toronto is a green, walkable city with big off-leash parks, a lakefront dog beach and plenty of dog friendly patios. Dogs can ride the TTC outside rush hour, which makes getting around easy. The main thing to know is that Canadian rules keep dogs out of indoor restaurants, so dining with a dog means a patio.
Can I take my dog on the TTC in Toronto?
Yes, outside the weekday rush hours of 6:30 to 10am and 3:30 to 7pm. Off peak, and all day at weekends and on holidays, leashed dogs travel free on a lead of up to two metres or in a carrier. Assistance dogs ride any time.
Where can my dog go off the lead in Toronto?
High Park has nearly a hundred acres of off-leash trails and is the city's favourite, alongside dozens of smaller designated off-leash areas. Dogs must stay on a lead everywhere outside these marked zones. Cherry Beach has a fenced off-leash area right by Lake Ontario.
Is there a dog beach in Toronto?
Yes, Cherry Beach, also known as Clarke Beach Park, has a fenced off-leash area where dogs can swim in Lake Ontario. It is shaded, spacious and popular in the warmer months. Keep your dog on a lead until you are inside the off-leash zone.
Are dogs allowed in Toronto restaurants and bars?
Since 2020, Ontario allows dogs on patios where lower-risk food is served, though it is up to each owner. Indoors, Canadian health rules keep dogs out of restaurants and bars. So dining with a dog in Toronto means finding a dog friendly patio, of which there are many.
Can dogs go to the Toronto Islands?
Yes, leashed dogs are welcome on the ferry to the Toronto Islands and on the island paths, which make for a lovely car-free day out. Ward's Island and the quieter eastern end are especially pleasant with a dog. Keep to the leash rules, as parts of the islands get busy in summer.
What dog friendly things can I do in Toronto?
Beyond the parks, dogs enjoy the Martin Goodman Trail along the waterfront, the islands by ferry and the trails of the Don Valley. Many outdoor markets and patios welcome them in season. Indoor attractions are mostly assistance dogs only.
What are the rules for dogs in Toronto?
Dogs must be on a lead of two metres or less in public, off-leash only in designated areas, and cleaned up after everywhere. Indoor restaurants and bars are off limits under health law. The TTC rush-hour ban is the other main restriction to plan around.