How dog-friendly is Budapest?

We were just on Margit Sziget yesterday. Though there was  marathon going on, we saw many owners with their dogs. I think Budapest it generally dog friendly with even a Facebook page dedicated to dog ownership and rescue attempt.

There is a small dog park around the corner from me in the VII district, but there is a larger one a few blocks away. A number of cafes have 'dogs welcome' signs in the windows.

There is no other place that is comparable to France with dog tolerance.

Merci / Koszonom / Thank you!

I noticed many very well behaved dogs in Budapest, many walking off lead and were very obedient.
Many people work their dogs in the city park.
People take the time to train their dogs in Hungary from what I have noticed. Either they love their pets or they keep them tied up on chains in the back yard. Seems it's all or nothing.
They do have laws about larger dogs having to wear a muzzle in public even if they are on lead.
Forgot the weight limit to go without, 25 lbs. or such more then the limit then a muzzle has to be worn.
I do not think that law is enforced much though because I knew a women with 2 large Danes who never used a muzzle on either of them, they were gentle dogs and never barked or acted out.
I do know she was often hassled when we walked them, some people would yell at her when they relieved themselves on the sidewalks.
My HU friends brought their dog over from the US, that was very  hard on the dog as it was getting on in years.
As long as your pet doesn't bark and is on lead I don't see much problem having a dog in the city.
Not allot of grass for daily walks however unless you are close to a park or up in nature.
I personally moved from Honolulu to backwards Hilo just because I wanted my large dog to have space to run.
If you have the time to walk them and exercise them daily then Budapest is pretty much dog friendly.
Most people in small flats have tiny dogs.
Most of the older ladies in our house have small dogs, they don't bark to much because they are not left alone in the flat while someone is out working.
I wouldn't feel right leaving a pet alone and bored all day long in a flat.
The people we purchased our flat from had a mid to large sized dog that didn't seem all that happy living in the kitchen in a small flat.
It's up to you what is fair for the dog, I personally wouldn't have another dog in the city only because of the lack of free running space.

There are super pet friendly, green districts, like XIV, district. Check out this part: https://www.google.ch/maps/dir//47.5229 … .75z?hl=en

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

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I do know she was often hassled when we walked them, some people would yell at her when they relieved themselves on the sidewalks....

I'd be one of those shouting as well.  There's a lot of selfishness going on here. It seems dogs are more important than people sometimes.

There's a grassy area outside my apartment building I have to cross to get to my car which many local dog people believe is an ideal place to let their dogs do their business. 

I've had dog doo on my shoes and on my car carpets more times that I care to remember.

They should take their dogs to the countryside for that kind of thing.

p.s.  Toxocara/roundworm blindness caused by animal waste....

Dog mess causes blindess

I do not think it is kind or fair to keep a dog a prisoner of a flat in the city.
They should have access to grass and fields, be free to roam in their own safe space without fear of other stray dogs, crazy people who enjoy hurting them or boredom.
I know my Hippie sister in the 60's had a Lab and a Dane.
She moved to a small flat in S. Cal and locked them indoors while she was off to work.
Every single item in her flat was chewed up over time, the furniture, the LP's, they relieved themselves indoors, a real pig sty.
Her new car's front seats ( a nice new Camero) was their lunch one day when she kept them in there while she visited some friends.
If one really must have a city dog, I hope they get one that doesn't want to move, bark , run, play, smell the  outdoors or be a dog in general.
It is verging on cruelty to keep them in a flat.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I do not think it is kind or fair to keep a dog a prisoner of a flat in the city.
They should have access to grass and fields, be free to roam in their own safe space without fear of other stray dogs, crazy people who enjoy hurting them or boredom....It is verging on cruelty to keep them in a flat.

Totally agree.  However, when I am out on my MTB (Mountain Bike), I see guards dogs on forest/country lots left alone, probably for days  on end with no company, just a bit of food and a bucket of water.  Mrs Fluffy  tells me many people think animals are objects, not living creatures.

I saw more then a few "guard dogs" tied up on chains lying on dirt when we lived in Erd.
Just made me sick to see.
Many stray dogs out in packs roaming at night.
I took a walk around the neighborhood in Erd  one summers eveing by myself. Once was enough, had stray dogs following me for blocks, tried to not look at them and walked brisk but not fast towards home, one dog just wouldn't go away.
God only knows if they ever had shots and with no ID tags on them if one got bit there is no recourse.
I love dogs actually, used to work by Dobie all the time, he loved using his mind and body he was my hobby when I was lucky enough to be a stay at home housewife in Cal.
Took him to many obedience classes just to enjoy seeing him become the best he could be. My cousin has her two "girls" highly involved in the AKC Agility runs, those ones that are on tv in the states all the time on the animal channel. Champion dogs but she treats them exactly like her real children birthday parties, hats special treats and cakes.
She gets something out of them and they live the good life, better then most people live I think.
My dog was the same, had his own room in our house with bed etc.
Not everyone has to go dog crazy like my family did/does but seeing extreme abuse really bothers me.
My HU FIlLhad a German Shepard that I think he was cruel to, The dog loved him to death and listened to his every word but often he was tied up in the yard. Dog got mean disliked any female person, males were ok but females he would bite.
Something was seriously wrong with that poor dog.
As a house guest I had little control over the matter but my views were known.
I once had it out with some kids and their fathers in Erd about them drowning a kitten in a rust old bathtub in their backyard. Long story, I screamed at them, the kitten broke free and I ran away because everyone was chasing after me, thankfully our car was near by. Twice now in Hu I have had to run for it and jump in the car for a speedy getaway. Odd I know, never experienced that ever in the states.
I really miss having a special dog in my life but if I can not give them the best life possible I would rather go without having one.

Hi
I just returnd from budapest yesturday after being there for a week and i was so surprised to see lots of people with lovley behaved dogs, hundreds in the park and the same on the streets being walked by their owners.  I  have being to lots of places around the world and seen issues with street dogs being beating by people mainly thailand where i had to get involed.  I did not see one street dog in budapest.  Lots of homeless people with dogs was so sad.  Many bars and resturants are dog freindly and supply bowls toys and blankets for your dogs,  it was great to see all the  dog cafes and many in bars til 1am.  I was really surprised by this and so possitive.  I come from Ireland and i dont see this in my country..

beachboy20 wrote:

Hi
I just returnd from budapest yesturday after being there for a week and i was so surprised to see lots of people with lovley behaved dogs, hundreds in the park and the same on the streets being walked by their owners.  I  have being to lots of places around the world and seen issues with street dogs being beating by people mainly thailand where i had to get involed.  I did not see one street dog in budapest.  Lots of homeless people with dogs was so sad.  Many bars and resturants are dog freindly and supply bowls toys and blankets for your dogs,  it was great to see all the  dog cafes and many in bars til 1am.  I was really surprised by this and so possitive.  I come from Ireland and i dont see this in my country..

The situation in Hungary is not all rosy.

Many city dogs undergo training here - we have two dog training schools here in a small village.  But there are some real idiots with dogs who care about them more than children.  They let them do their business anyway they want and do not clean up after them. 

The situation has improved considerably since the mid-1990s when there were packs of dogs roaming around in the forest.   The situation in Budapest is considerably better than it was in Romania (dogs were going to be shot on sight until Bridget Bardot interfered) or Russia (stray dogs  believed shot on sight).

In the countryside, dogs are considered "tools" or "objects" and are generally untrained.  If a dog gets sick they won't take it to a vet.  Same for cats.  Other animals like pigs, cows and horse will get seen by a vet (as more valuable or economic asset).

BTW, rabies is endemic in Hungary but people are rarely affected.   Dogs left as guards on property do get bitten by passing rabid foxes, die and then are buried in the garden and the incident is unreported.

Judging by the rivers of urine all over the sidewalks I would guess at least in the city people are very dog friendly.
Sorry I love dogs but after stepping into a few puddles and a few bombs by accident, I find the owners to be a problem not the dogs.

Actually just yesterday while going out for a walk, I couldn't believe how many wet runny stains were in front of our house, not even mentioning they are in front of just about every house lately.
We never had such a mess in front of our house until about 6 months ago.
Seems more dogs are in the city.
I personally like large breeds, sporting or working breeds. They need more space then just a few walks on a short lead.
I see people walking their dogs on one of those long leads not watching their dog but talking on their cell phone.
Times have changed since I had my beloved Doberman.
I let him sniff and listen to the air, would talk to him as his was my buddy. Talk to him give him commands etc.
Looks like some people have dogs just for display or as a prop.
Dog parks are great but there seem to not be enough of them around the city streets.
Some dogs are very well behaved and trained and others are free to just pull on the lead and relieve themselves anywhere they want to.
Even a pet can hold it for a few moments, they are smarter then just going at any time.
I must wash our shoes every time  we go indoors, will not allow them to be worn inside the house because we do not know what kunk we have sticking to them, thought tar and dirt was bad but no, this animal waste is very unhealthy to track indoors.
Maybe I can invent some sort of portable washer for animal waste for dog walkers to use, at least let them do it in the st. and not the sidewalks.

Saw 3 large breed dogs running and playing in the city park yesterday, one was a female Doberman, just a beautiful site.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Judging by the rivers of urine all over the sidewalks I would guess at least in the city people are very dog friendly.
Sorry I love dogs but after stepping into a few puddles and a few bombs by accident, I find the owners to be a problem not the dogs.

I agree that it is too easy to find trails of urine throughout the city, but I often find it difficult to discern between the dogs and the homeless or drunks urinating in the streets.  Often I see spilled beverages as well, beer or some such, by way of guessing.

When I walk my dog and she has to go "on the street", as opposed to a dog park or other grassy area, I always try to get her to pee on soil.  Plenty of trees and grass lanes throughout the city.  Male dogs, however, mark for scent and are much more difficult to control that way.  Not making excuses for those of you with male dogs, just a canine behavioral fact.

In other news, I asked my friend about male dogs in Hungary being neutered. I would say about 90% of the male dogs I see are intact. This runs contrary to common sense and "official" Hungarian policy (or are they simply guidelines?). Her reply was that Hungarian men may feel a kinship with the dog and may not want to neuter them because it would make them "less male" or otherwise injure them somehow. Or even a male solidarity "bond of balls", if you will. What nonsense!  This type of idiotic attitude can't change fast enough in my mind.

I purchased my male Doberman from a animal rescue in 1986.
The agreement was when he turned one year old we would get him fixed.
We did that,and it did sort of slow him down in a good way actually. He was a bit aggressive at times with me. He was really too large of a dog for me to handle without having him fixed and trained.
Still paying the price of having him and walking him before training. He partly dislocated my shoulder trying to run after a cat when he was about 6-7 months old. I refused to drop the lead because I thought he would run into traffic. Training was booked in due course. I need shoulder surgery now, 30 years on... I would of started training sooner but he was 5 months old when we got him and he had been ill.
Yes that is nice of you to take your pet to a grassy area, it probably does damage to these old buildings to have so many dogs relieve themselves on the walls.
I know, I have seen more then my share of drunks urinating on the building across from our flat. A nice old hospital, has a cozy little corner which they all love to use. Even saw a women using the sidewalk area once... Nightmare that was.
I usually take a wild guess as to wonder if it is human or animal... I get bored easily I suppose.

I wonder really when is too soon to train a dog.
Even small puppies can start with small commands.
My dog was 5 months old when we got him and he had not been house trained. That was the number one issue in training for us to begin with.
Lucky we had a laundry room where he could stay at night without us fearing for our carpets.
I think the breed of dog also has allot to do with how well they behave.
Some are more stubborn then others.
My Dobie was trained to walk off lead but because he was a very large Doberman and we had leash laws in Ca. I hardly ever let him off lead unless it was on the beach or at a very quiet park.
People were afraid of him for just being the breed he was.
Little did they know he was a big baby.
I would love to get another dog but living in a flat is not ideal and I am not excited about those early morning walks in the wintertime.
Also afraid I can no longer handle a large breed dog, my faves.
Many Vizsla's seem to be super smart and well trained.
Mid size too, maybe that would be a good fit if we ever left the city.

I know the vet school here in the 7th has a clinic open to the public for vet needs.think that is a great idea for people who can't afford a private vet.