What is to like About the Second Top Ten Dog Friendly Cities?

The East has one city in Vermont that is rated among the Second Top Ten places for best recreational living with a dog. Maryland has one city among the Second Top Ten. New York state has one city in that sublime category. Michigan scores once. South Carolina gets a point.

So there's no need to go west, young man, with your canine pal if you prefer the Eastern Seaboard and the Atlantic Ocean, or the midwest and Big Ten football.

There are canine dog parks, coastline swimming opportunities, summer woof-fests, and modern schools of veterinary medicine available right in the local Eastern River City.

Where Any Dog Can Go for Fun

The Top Ten cities for canine companionship according to the article entitled "Atlas A-list" written by Susan Chaney and published in the September 2010 issue of Dog Fancy magazine are:

No. 1 -- Provincetown, Massachusetts
No. 2 -- Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
No. 3 -- Madison, Wisconsin
No. 4 -- Benicia, California
No. 5 -- Fort Bragg, California
No. 6 -- Lincoln City, Oregon
No. 7 -- San Diego, California
No. 8 -- Virginia Beach, Virginia
No. 9 -- Sioux Falls, South Dakota
No.10 -- Salem, Oregon

Where Eastern Dogs Can Go for Second Top Ten Fun

What about the Second Top Ten cities in which the canine species can revel? Five of these are located no farther than the midwest, and they offer great opportunities for fun with the family canine without engaging in a mysterious search for doggie activities and benefits.

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, ranked No.12 on Chaney's Dog Fancy list, where just 5,000 canines live among a human populace of 114,000, the Arbor Brewing Company promotes sit-downs for canines at their family's outside cafe tablesides. Also in Ann Arbor, a Humane Society sponsored community benefit called Bountiful Bowls helps city families in need keep kibble in their pets' dishes.

Dogs with owners in tow may rent out boats for the day in No.13 Annapolis, Maryland. Watermark of Annapolis Harbor and Chesapeake Bay captains cruises that happily allow canines to jump onboard with certified owners. In the United States' Sailing Capital, canines are worthy mates. Ahoy!

Burlington, Vermont, No.18, is bordered by Lake Champlain, and in beautiful Waterfront Park dogs can enjoy a leash free romp at the lake's shores. The Green Mountain state is loaded with hiking trails and offers wilderness adventure galore. Lots of canine "cans" are to be found in the wooded Burlington area.

With 3,200 dogs living in its city limits that also house 9,895 canine human buddies, Briarcliff Manor in New York state, rated No.19, is a daily scene of dogs and humans enjoying time together. The city's parks and recreation facility sponsors dog-obedience training, so letting the rules slip isn't much of an option.

In No.20 Charleston, South Carolina, the human population is much greater than the canine numbers, but the boardwalking with dogs is unbeatable. Nature trails wind through Audubon Swamp, home to black water cypress and tupelo, where sightings of reptiles, birds, and animals of many species are do-able. A canine can get the bigger picture in this area that formerly served as a freshwater reservoir.

Second Top Ten Cities Led By Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska is ranked No.11 in the Second Top Ten cities for canines. Its doggie benefits include one of the most vast city and state park systems in the country, led by Chugach State Park. Canines and humans have year-round playgrounds and miles of hiking and walking trails. It's a dog-sniffing heaven for the family pooch.

There are some of the country's best accommodations at the Austin, Texas (No.14) Driskill Hotel. It's a Pampered Pet facility -- custom beds to nap, spring water to lap, and souvenir toys to zap. The city also offers its city-within-a-park structure, where canines are welcomed.

No.15 Bellingham, Washington has a small canine population, 5,000, compared to its Homo sapiens, 78,905, but the city is big on dog-human relationships, providing numerous opportunities for outdoor activities through its Sehome Hill Arboretum. The large 180 acreage is a natural habitat preserve open to hikers and their leashed companions.

Billings, Montana, No.16, allowed the non-profit Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter Inc. to acquire the city's animal shelter and promote an aggressive campaign to help stabilize and manage it. Petapalooza is a canine benefit initiated by the new shelter ownership as part of an ongoing community oriented program to get humans to recognize the needs of the canines in their city.

Colorado is one of America's leading states in promoting animal welfare and rescue. In Boulder, ranked No.17 in dog friendly living, canines are welcomed shoppers who may enter stores with their leashed humans.

Stay west, or go east. Stay east, or go west. Whither the canine owner goeth, dog friendly cities that provide lavish recreational opportunities are everywhere.