Tales from The Loop The Loop is an area of the city of Chicago named after the elevated train that circled the Loop and downtown. Friday, April 17, 2015 I'm a Dog Owner I'm a dog owner. I get a lot of flack for it. I also think most people in Chicago have become quite a bit more tolerant of our dogs and the things they do. When I moved to Chicago in 2009, we brought our boxer to Chicago. That year, when we brought our dog out in public, it drew looks, snickers, the occasional comment about her, but she never got hurt, and people did get used to her presence. A few days ago, I got to meet some of the people who have been on the other side of that experience in Chicago. The first day I got here, I took Boxer to Central Park so she could run around with some other dogs that do the same thing. At one point, another dog went to attack Boxer. She was in the dog's territory, but that dog ran towards Boxer. Instead of running away, Boxer grabbed him and shook him like a rag doll. I was in the park with my son, daughter and her friend. They just stood there and watched in amazement. This was not an aggressive behavior towards them, and I don't know that he meant to be hurtful to Boxer, but it was an interesting lesson. In general, Boxer never tries to hurt a dog, unless they come after her. They are mostly aggressive towards other dogs when they sense they are being threatened by another dog. One of my friends who had moved here recently was there with her two dogs. I have since talked to the owner of the other dog and he was very understanding about what had happened. They have since figured out what the dog meant when he was growling towards Boxer. They still have a few things to work out about how they would like to handle those issues moving forward, but that's how most of the world works regardless of if we move to Chicago or wherever. There are a lot of things that people don't like about living in the big city, but they have learned to tolerate it, and many of them have also become dog lovers in some way. This is a wonderful article. I was there when the author lived in Chicago and he was not only living in the city but working for the Chicago Tribune. My son was there at the same time and loved it too. This was the article that led him to want to work at the Tribune. I knew his heart was in journalism. Thanks for sharing.I was fortunate enough to spend 4 years in Chicago before moving back to the midwest. Even in that short time, I got to meet a lot of people from all over the world who share my love for dogs. Great story! You are very right. Chicago is a dog friendly place. If you go to a dog park, there is no problem. If it is a private party, the owner always takes responsibility of the dog. I think people move to a new place with two thoughts. One, that they have to adapt to a new lifestyle. And two, that they will be away from the kind of environment where dogs were banned. You're right about Chicago. I think that Chicago is a dog-friendly place and it has become so in recent years. I have never had a problem. When I meet a new acquaintance, they ask me about Boxer and I tell them how much she loves to run in the park and how much I love having her as part of my family. Chicago and dogs go together. I am a dog owner too. There is always a lot of work to do as they are not like house dogs. They will have an opinion about everything! LOL. They are more like our children, because they are a part of the family! I'm glad you got to meet some other dog owners who appreciate dogs and love them. It is interesting how tolerant people are in Chicago. It's a wonderful environment to live in with dogs. It can be challenging at times and I've even had a dog die in my arms from heat exhaustion when I was away in Maine, but that's not something to take away from Chicago. I think they are happy and safe here. It's good that you and Boxer have a good time with the dogs in the park. Boxer can be such a good judge of character. Thank you for posting this. My husband and I have had to put our dog in a kennel when we go out, which has been difficult because she's a rescue and needs to get out sometimes, too. We really appreciate your perspective on this. I like your idea of "dog school" in New York City. I was fortunate to go to a school run by Susan Farkas when I was in Chicago. I never had a dog until after I moved back to New York, but she was amazing and very influential. Loved it, Chris! Chicago gets a bum rap because people don't understand its size. The city itself is huge. What really makes it a fun place to be, is the way people are. And it's that way because of the diversity of the people who live here. I was born in Chicago, but I haven't lived there since I was a toddler, and I don't recall it being the friendliest place. It's probably better now than it was then, but it was a place where the "chavs" ruled and no one else was welcomed. The city didn't feel very friendly to me, but maybe I was just in a bad mood then because I hadn't got much sleep. haha! I think I've finally gotten over that. I totally get it! I live here in Michigan, and I have to deal with people who are rude about me feeding my dogs, and I'm all for people trying to feed their animals outside instead of doing it right there on the street. I just don't have the patience for people that don't want to see any animals other than their own kind. I think it's a little rude, but some people are just that way. I was on the street in front of my house once, and this old lady comes up to me to ask why I have my dogs on leashes, and then she starts in about how the kids are in the neighborhood and they could hurt the dogs, and what am I thinking? I just gave her a wry smile and thanked her for being concerned. LOL. I think Chicago is a good city for dogs, because the people are super nice. They're just not very dog friendly. If you can handle it, go ahead and take them to a park. Chicago has a lot of parks. In Chicago you will find people who love their dogs. Dogs are a part of life in Chicago. This is the city that is home to the largest gathering of Irish Wolfhounds, the best trained dogs. You cannot imagine the joy of watching one of these wonderful dogs playing a dog park. I have never had a dog, but