Dogs:why people love dogs; who owns them? who is Top Dog?

October 24, 2003
New York's Top Dog? It Depends on the ZIP Code
By SUSAN SAULNY - New York Times

Maybe you can't judge a book by its cover, but it sure looks as if you can judge New Yorkers by their dogs.

A New York Times analysis of dog licensing data (yes, we took the time to do this) from recent statistics collected by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shows that Hispanics are more likely than whites or blacks to own dogs, that young adults are more likely than retirees to have dogs and that dachshunds are not exactly winning any popularity contests.

Although this dog census is limited ?- it counts only the city dogs that actually have licenses, one in five ?- it also shows clearly discernible patterns of dog ownership by neighborhood, tracked through ZIP codes. And these statistics confirm many longstanding dog-owner stereotypes.

For instance, who would be most likely to own Lucy, a cute little Shih Tzu? (Hint: Lucy often wears her long hair in a high ponytail above her eyes, fastened with a little pink bow.)

Thinking, thinking.

Someone from ZIP code 10021, you say, on the Upper East Side? That would be correct.

And here's Max, a tiny Chihuahua, the spunky breed with Mexican roots chosen to extol the virtues of Taco Bell in TV commercials. Where would Max's owner be most likely to live? (Hurry, guess!)

Yes: 10029, Spanish Harlem.

O.K., one more: Rocky the Rottweiler. And his owner probably lives where?

O.K., the South Bronx ?- Soundview at ZIP code 10473, to be exact.

The city collects data when owners license their dogs, mostly to learn how many dogs have been spayed or neutered and for other reasons having to do with public health, officials at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said. The department estimates that there are 530,000 dogs in the city, 80 percent of them without licenses, so the analysis has its limits. (For example, in neighborhoods where owners are diligent about registering their pets, there may seem to be more dogs than in other neighborhoods.) The city, of course, wants all dogs to be law-abiding; a license costs $8.50 per year if a dog is spayed or neutered, and $11.50 if it is not. Applications can be found through nyc.gov/health or by calling 311.

Imperfect though they may be, the dog statistics do say something about New York. Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the city's commissioner of health, says the patterns suggest a city of neighborhoods. "I think there are groupings of people who have dogs for different reasons," he said. "Some for companionship, some for safety and security."

Over all, the most common type of dog licensed in the 2003 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, was a mixed breed. This was followed, in order, by Labrador retriever, German shepherd, Shih Tzu, pit bull, Chihuahua, Yorkshire terrier, cocker spaniel, Rottweiler and Maltese.

Dogs that are considered tough are more common in neighborhoods with tough reputations. So the largest concentrations of pit bulls are in Spanish Harlem and Alphabet City. Rottweilers are popular in Soundview; Canarsie, Brooklyn; and Spanish Harlem.

Lap dogs are more often found in the lap of luxury. According to the city's statistics, more Shih Tzus live on the Upper East Side in the 10021 ZIP code than in any other neighborhood in the city. And those residents also have a penchant for naming their dogs Lucy, more so than New Yorkers in any other area.

(On the pink bow, well, no, there is no data on dog attire. But based on one reporter's observations, it is true that the Lucys of New York wear bows. Sometimes coats and shoes as well, depending on the weather. Admit it, you've seen Lucy, too.)

Dachshunds are not so popular in the city, but the statistics indicate that at least 45 of them live in ZIP codes 10013 and 10014, which include the West Village, TriBeCa and Chinatown. There are only eight others registered across the city, with four of those being in ZIP code 10475, Co-op City, in the Bronx.

And what about poodles? Aren't poodles popular all over? Not in Manhattan, according to the statistics. Look for them in Sheepshead Bay or Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn.

Walking her Manhattan poodle through Tompkins Square Park last week, Nancy Tucker talked about "the legacy of pit bull fighting" in the East Village, which makes people think the neighborhood is "a rough-and-tumble dog place."

But Washington Square Park, she said, is a far different place, judging by the dogs that frequent it.

"It's much more genteel," she said. "I only know these two parks, and they're very different."

In contrast to the Lower East Side, with its big dogs, the eastern end of Greenwich Village (10003) stands out for its number of pugs.

Michael Troy, a student at New York University in the Village, has a theory as to why the dogs he sees are so well behaved. "There are so many dogs here, they get socialized really well," he said. "They don't think that they are people. They are more intelligent because they're more aware of who they are."

The Department of Health has found that demographics, not just geography, play a role in dog ownership. According to a community health survey completed this year, Dr. Frieden said, age and race play a part in dog ownership, too.

Twenty percent of younger New Yorkers, 18 to 24, own dogs, he said. But only 5 percent of people 65 and older own dogs.

Seven percent of blacks in the city own dogs, compared with 14 percent of whites and 17 percent of Hispanics, according to the survey. (There was no information on Asians.)

And New Yorkers who are foreign-born are less likely to be dog owners than people who were born in the United States.

Although the licensing records show that 10021 on the Upper East Side has more dogs registered than any other ZIP code in the city, across Central Park, all the ZIP codes of the Upper West Side are among the most popular for dog ownership, but no particular breed stands out as dominant.

"It's sort of the nature of the neighborhood; the cast of characters is all shapes and sizes," said Peter Farnsworth, a sports marketing executive who lives on West 81st Street with his wife, Randi Stone, and their puppy, Becket, a Jack Russell terrier. "Stereotypically, it's liberal. By extension, you'd think there would be some level of open-mindedness, a welcoming outlook, and that applies to dogs, too."

Speaking of stereotypes, Mr. Farnsworth said that his dog's name prompted interesting conversations in the neighborhood.

"In sharing that his name is Becket, invariably people ask about Samuel Beckett, the great playwright," Mr. Farnsworth said. "One guy said, `And my dog's name is Chaucer.' We had to break the news that Becket is named after a little town in the Berkshires, and not the poet or Sir Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury in the 1100's. There wasn't that much thought put into it, but it is interesting insofar as the mindset of the people, a literary group that assumes you named your dog after the archbishop of Canterbury."

Sorry, Becket and Chaucer. Your names didn't make the top 10 list. The most popular dog names in the 2003 fiscal year were Max, Lucky, Princess, Rocky, Buddy, Lady, Shadow, Daisy, Coco and Ginger.

Still, having examined the breeds and names, a question remains: Is there a New York dog, one that can signify the city as a whole? Bash Dibra, a dog trainer who works with the entertainment industry, says yes.

Frequently, Mr. Dibra said, scripts for commercials and situation comedies require what is loosely described as "a New York dog." He knows what to deliver.

"The New York dog is different from the national dog," he said. "The national dog has sort of a Midwestern look, well mannered with a good groom. Maybe a golden Lab. The New York dog is streetwise, spunky, intelligent. It's the kind of dog that would say: `Arghruff! Make my day.' "