clarity1971

Possibly moving to Fremont/Sunnyvale area from UK.

We have a big dog and have concerns about bringing him with us due to potential issues finding a pet friendly house rental and also associated costs etc.

Is California particularly 'dog friendly' though?

How easy is it to find open spaces to let them run off the lead (leash!)

I know they have off-leash dog parks so we would be very lucky if we ended up within walking disatnce of one of those but how realistic is this?

We have found it almost impossible to find pet-friendly rentals on sites like Realtor or Trulia although there seems to be more available on Craigslist.

Anywhere else we can look?

Sally Redux

I don't know specific details, but I am about the only person in my area who doesn't own a dog, they seem to be crazy about them.

clarity1971

Well that's reassuring

SanDiegogirl

I live in San Diego area and a number of open spaces run by local/district/Fish and Game authorities only allow dogs on leash.

Some beaches have no dogs at all during the summer months, and then only on leash off season.

National Parks and some State Parks do not allow dogs at all.

In my town, dogs must be on leash at all times outside of your own property and can only be off leash in the dog park.

California is not like the UK. There are several reasons why dogs are controlled in the open areas: rattlesnakes, deer population, migration of native animals in open corridors, etc etc.

Having said all that lots of people have dogs - the dogs just don't get to go off leash much.

N1cky

Hi, we live just down the road from Sunnyvale, in Mountain View. We got a border collie puppy 2 years ago, and finding a rental then wasn't too difficult. We recently had to move, and this time finding a rental with a dog was a nightmare.

The problem is that there are so many people here looking for rentals, hundreds of people are moving in and out of Silicon Valley all the time, and you could be competing with 20 other applicants. We have excellent credit and excellent references, but if we were equal with other people who didn't have a dog, we were put to the bottom of the pile.

There are very few dog walking places, unlike in England. Many places don't even allow dogs on leash. The dog parks are ok, but they are just a fenced in area where you can throw a ball, let your dog play with other dogs, they aren't walking areas. Many people here use the school playing fields out of hours, as long as your dog is well behaved and under voice control nobody seems to have an issue with this, most people are good and don't allow their dog to use this area as a toilet.

Craigslist is your best option, as most realtors advertise houses on there. I'll post a list of local agencies who you can also look at.

N1cky

http://www.cornerstonepm.net/?page=listings
http://www.dwmproperties.com/Nav.asp...ory.com/288970
http://www.mpmsv.com/current-properties.php
http://www.actionproperties.com/
http://www.atlantisproperties.net/home_rentals
http://wakrauss.postlets.com/

jackattack

We also live in the Bay Area and have an 80lb (36kg) lab. In Silicon Valley you can find places to walk the dog off leash but you are most likely to have to drive to get there. Depending on where you live, most places will make you keep the dog on the leash when you walk them which, if you have an active dog, can be a problem unless you have the time to walk for a couple of hours.

We live on the coast and there are a ton of places within walking distance of our house to exercise the dog but this would be a 45ish minute commute.

And as for rentals, I feel your pain. Many managed properties allow dogs but check the fine print as it is often only the drop-kick size dogs under say 20lbs, which honestly doesn't really qualify as a dog!

Bluegrass Lass

You could also try commercial properties, but they can be restrictive on dog sizes sometimes.

www.apartmentguide.com
www.forrent.com

In my city here in KY, you very rarely will find off leash parks (CA might be different). If your dog is off your property, he/she is expected to be under your control at all times. This is because if your dog hurts someone, or just simply knocks a person down, you can be held responsible if that person gets hurt (or even just feigns injury).