6 Tips for Planning a Toronto Vacation With Your Dog

Visiting Toronto? Bring the whole pack! Here are 10 ways to make the most of dog-friendly Toronto.

Don’t leave your best furry friend at home when you visit Toronto. Torontonians are mad about dogs and the city offers an enviable array of leash-free parks, dog-friendly restaurants, malls and even coworking spaces to ensure you and your BFF have the most exciting pup-cation ever.

Here are 10 ways to explore dog-friendly Toronto.

2. Hit the parks

Toronto has hundreds of parks and parkettes, so you’ll likely have multiple options not far from your hotel’s lobby.

But if a long and leisurely walk is Priority 1, head to one of downtown’s top waterfront parks: Cherry Beach Clarke Beach Park. Located in the east end, where Cherry Street meets Lake Ontario, the park includes a spacious off-leash dog area with shady trees and lake access. (Bring your sneakers: there’s lots of room to roam!) 

Bathurst Quay’s Coronation Park is home to another fenced off-leash dog park with waterfront views. Or if you’re visiting St. Lawrence Market during your stay, stop by Berczy Park to take a photo by its whimsical water fountain, which features 27 dog sculptures—plus one sassy cat.

PRO TIP: Dogs are welcome on all Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) trains, buses and streetcars during weekends and off-peak hours.

3. Shop for Stella or Milo at these pet boutiques

Ready for some dog-centric retail therapy? Roncesvalles Village’s The Kennel Café carries holistic foods and organic treats for doggies, while The Dog Bowl on Dundas Street West offers a carefully curated collection of healthy treats, nutritional supplements, toys and gear for pampered pooches.

Dogfather & Co (with locations in Yorkville and Rosedale) is famous for its orthopedic memory-foam dog beds. And don’t forget Timmie, a one-stop-shop for supplies, snuggly stuff and treats, with locations on Queen Street West, King West and in Leslieville.

4. Take your BFF with you to these pet-friendly retailers

As a doting pet pawrent, you deserve to reward yourself, too! Fortunately, you can shop for yourself without having to find a sitter at these dog-welcoming retailers.

The Manulife Centre shopping mall (just south of luxe Yorkville) welcomes well-behaved dogs, as does Indigo, a popular bookstore chain that has its flagship there.

Many of the cool boutiques, galleries and restaurant patios in the beautifully restored Distillery Historic District are dog-friendly, as are its much-photographed cobblestone lanes. Be sure to snap photos with your buddy at the Big Heart art installation.

One of the city’s newest retail and dining centres, The Well welcomes dogs within its complex and inside select businesses (look for their Pet Love symbol). Its popular Wellington Market food hall also welcomes good boys and girls, so you can fuel up for more exploring.

While most restaurant patios shut down over the winter, the Distillery District’s El Catrin Destileria keeps theirs open year-round with powerful heaters so you and your pup can stay cozy during a winter visit.
 

7. Go on a craft beer flight 

Thanks to fewer restrictions on breweries, it’s possible to head indoors for brewskis and light eats with your buddy. (This is also a great option if you want to catch the big game with other sports fans.)

Black Lab Brewing and Saulter Street Brewery (both in Leslieville) welcome dogs right inside the pub, as does Liberty Village’s Left Field Brewery.
 

8. Consider doggy daycare for bark-tastic good times

If you’re here for an extended stay, consider finding a doggy daycare provider so you can do a deeper dive into the city (especially if you’re expected in the office) while your pup makes some new furry friends. Most daycares will expect to see your dog’s vaccination records, and to conduct a mandatory meet and greet to ensure a good fit with their pack.

In the east end, SoulMutts offers a 4,500-square-foot indoor daycare centre with the city’s largest private outdoor area, while Park9 boasts a “playcare” experience complete with playground equipment and—in the case of its uptown location—an indoor swimming pool.
 

9. Get some work done 

On a workcation? Book much-needed office space or meeting time in a dog-friendly coworking space downtown. Acme Works is a huge space (10,000 square feet!) in a converted warehouse downtown.

A day pass will get you a hot desk and access to amenities like a coffee station, meeting rooms, phone booths and a games room, where your temporary colleagues will no doubt shower your pup with affection.
 

10. Book a Toronto paw-cation

For the ultimate pawrent-furbaby experience, book a trip around one of the city’s big pooch festivals. 

Woofstock (which typically takes place in early summer) is North America’s largest festival for dogs, complete with fun activities like a lure course, barn hunt and off-leash area, not to mention food and treat vendors and retailers. Last year’s event included a doggy dating event, where single paw-rents could find their love match (and have them vetted by Willow or Max, of course).

DoggieFest Toronto hosts smaller events throughout the year, with vendors and social opportunities for pooches and their humans. Past events have included a Pups in the Park meet-up and a Mid-Autumn Festival moon cake workshop with DIY doggy mooncakes, paw prints and an Asian, autumn-themed photo booth. Follow their Instagram to see what pup-friendly events they’ve got planned for 2025.