Our series on pup-friendly destinations continues, and this time we’re turning our attention to San Francisco!
We’re looking for your favourite recommendations - whatever makes San Francisco special for you and your canine companions, we’d love to hear about it! Drop your suggestions below and help fellow sitters or pet owners plan their next adventure!
We can’t wait to see your tip and stay tuned for more chances to share pooch-friendly favourites from other cities!
I was born in San Francisco and grew up in a suburb. We spend lots of time there seeing friends and family.
A quick glance at a map of San Francisco is all one needs to see that there are numerous waterfront areas and parks! And the weather is almost always fabulous—not too hot, not too cold, and rain is infrequent.
I guess that is why it is so expensive!
Regardless of where you stay, you can find parks in your neighborhood. You don’t need a car.
Here is an article about best restaurants with pooches:
We love Hook Fish and Zazie, which made the list!
To mention a few great places, but there are hundreds! Just wander and explore…
Beaches:
Ocean Beach
Baker Beach
Crissy Field (and beach)
Dog Parks:
Lafayette Park
Golden Gate Park (west end)
Dolores Park
Alamo Square and the famous Painted Ladies
Other parks:
The Presidio- hike and hang out at the Parade Lawn
Marina Green (get takeout at Souvla and eat by the water)
Alta Plaza Park
Buena Vista Park
Mount Sutro Forest - lots of hiking trails
Packing a picnic is easy by cruising through any grocery store. Trader Joe’s is budget friendly. There are also food trucks in many locations.
For folks who aren’t familiar, San Francisco is only 7 miles by 7 miles, so if you land a sit anywhere in the county and city, you’ll be in reasonable reach of many spots, especially because San Francisco has more public transit than most U.S. cities. (The wider Bay Area is sprawling and works better with a car in many instances.)
Some neighborhoods are incredibly hilly, though, so you might want to ask how walkable the neighborhood is, if walking dogs. Or if you have disabilities.
When in San Francisco, I have lunch or dinner with friends between telecommuting — I always have them choose, because there’s a lot of good food and significant turnover. DoorDash (food delivery) is also terrific, because there’s so much variety, at great quality, in San Francisco.
I’m doing a cat sit there soon and basically told the host in my application that I miss San Francisco food, from having lived there. (Never had a dog while living there, though.) My host got it right away.
Our very first sit outside of Canada was in San Francisco shortly after we joined THS. in 2018. It was a great sit in the financial district of San Francisco with a wonderful Corgi. It was a wonderful location and we were within walking distance from a place called the “Mint Karaoke Lounge” on Market Street. I love karaoke and had such a great time at this place. Can’t sing but love Zumba and found Zumba classes at the Salvation Amy in another area of San Francisco - great memories of a wonderful sit with a precious Corgi named Grace!
As a local San Franciscan myself I concur with above suggestions. It’s a dog lover’s paradise and there’s a plethora of dog parks, walks to explore. Just a heads up like many place’s there’s been an increase of Coyotes, so unless it’s a protected dog park off leash is not recommended. Our public transportation is excellent and dogs are allowed on the buses. One of my favorite cafes , Cafe Seventy-eight located in Bernal Heights on the border of Noe Valley is dog friendly and have treats on the counter for pups. Other hot spots, Fort Funston and Ocean beach are great spots as well.
