Essential Life Hacks for Shanghai Dog Owners
Owning a dog in Shanghai can be more than a little bit tricky. You can’t ride any public transport with them and people act like your dog is a wolfhound when it’s actually a poodle. Dog catchers are a thing (evil bastards!) and, generally, the struggle is real. And so, we have put together a list of hacks to help you and your dog have a happy life here.
REGISTER YOUR DOG.
This isn’t actually a hack or a tip, this is an essential thing you HAVE to do. All dogs need to be registered with the police otherwise they can literally be snatched out of your arms on the street. Do it people. For more information on how to register your dog contact People for Pets.
WeChat: people4pets
Dog Hotels
Going on holiday when you own a dog can be a bit of a drama. Although friends might initially offer to look after your dog for you and seem delighted at the idea of hanging out at Funkadeli with a babe magnet on the end of a leash, once they realize they have to pick up shit at 6am before going to work and all of their scatter pillows get chewed, they're likely to go off the idea. Dog hotels are the future.
BuddyDog
Address: 2898 Xiayan Gong Lu
Tel: 158 0210 0791
Price: Depending on size of dog, length of stay and services
BuddyDog is a dog training and boarding school. Dogs of every size are welcome. Their facilities have plenty of green space for your pet to roam around, plus their trainers will take special care of your canine companion.
Wooftop
Address: 1278 Wanhangdu Road (near NorthJiangsu Read)
Hours: All Day
Tel: 152 2190 7303
Price: RMB 160 (depending on what you select)
At WOOFTOP, they charge by room according to size, and all food-and-play items are included in the fee. Services include daycare, grooming, delivery, training, and much more. Make sure to call ahead before you take your pets here!
Kongfu Wang Pet Hotel
Address: 999 Yuanhe Road
Hours: Daily, 9am-5pm
Tel: 131 2287 1186, 131 2287 2223
Price: Depends on what you select
With the best environment and team in Shanghai, this pet house has a professional dog trainer and they are all super dog lovers, so you can rest assured that leaving your dogs here for as long as you need if you go on vacation is more than okay.
The Bark Club & Hotel
Address: 168 Taigu Road
Hours: Mon-Fri: 12pm-8pm; Sat-Sun:10am-10pm
Tel: 173 1769 0163
WeChat ID: 17317690163
Price: RMB 567 (depends on your selection)
The Bark, a typical American pet club, offers a full range of services for Shanghai-based dogs including fun activities, adoption, training, and nursing. It has a large indoor space, outdoor lawn, hair-dressing room, training zone, VIP leisure area, exhibition zone, pet hotel, and also a constant-temperature swimming pool. Sounds great right? Then don’t hesitate to bring your dog here!
Swimming is for dogs who are between 6 months to 10 years old. If you want to take your pooch for a swim, please bring his/her immunization paperwork. And make reservations in advance via WeChat.
Lovely Paws Lakeside Pet Resort
Website: https://lovelypawsbnb.shutterfly.com
Email: rachel.gao927@gmail.com
Tel: 13661811849(c)
WeChat: feifei1849
Located outside of Shanghai, it boasts a sprawling space for your pooch to roam about. Located on Dianshan Lake, this is the perfect fit for energetic pups to sprint around in the parks and fields or taking a swim in the lake. No cages there, so it is ideal for your friendly and social pet.
Jialilang Pet Shangri-La Hotel
Website: http://www.jialiang.com/english
Address: 1858 San Lu Rd, Pudong, Shanghai
Tel: 021 6411 0049
Both dogs and cats are welcome to board here. They provide two separate boarding areas. Dogs have climate controlled indoor suites and have access to outdoor patios. Dogs are taken outside 2-3 times daily and exercised off the leash in spacious, secure grassy fenced areas on an individual basis. Feline guest rooms are airy and filled with sunlight. They have dedicated playtime in the feline playroom.
Dog Walking & At-Home Pet Sitting.
If you don’t want your dog to be out in the world risking kennel cough and getting homesick, then an at-home pet sitter might be a good option for you. Or if you’re anything like me and chained to a desk on a daily basis (hi boss, I work really hard pay raise plz) then a daytime dog walker is the key to pet happiness.
Spare Leash
Contact: http://www.spareleash.com/book-now
WeChat: SPARELEASH
Tel: 152 1684 1040
Spare Leash provides at-home pet sitting with vetted sitters plus dog walking services ranging from RMB 70 to RMB 90 depending on time. They also provide boarding services, pet check in and help with vet runs. They are a one-stop-shop for all doggy needs.
Dog Parks
Living next to a green space can get you elled at every single time your dog places a teeny tiny little paw there. Luckily for you, there are a few dog parks about that are worth hitting up with a picnic on the weekends.
West Bund
Address: Longteng Avenue, Xuhui District
Hours: All day
Price: Free
This is probably the best dog park in Shanghai. First off, it’s not so remote like many of Shanghai’s dog parks, so it’s convenient if you live downtown. It’s also so quiet and peaceful enough that you might actually enjoy it yourself! There’s a lot of grassy space, and the park even offers plastic bags for dog poop. Very dog and owner-friendly.
Yuehu Sculpture Park
Address: 1158 Linyin New Lu
Tel: 021 5779 8090
Hours: 9am-6pm, Daily
Price: RMB 50-120 (RMB 30 per pet)
YueHu Sculpture Park is a mid-sized park, perfect for a fun day with your dog and friends. With mountains, lakes and ample grass space, it’s a great place for you and your dog(s) to enjoy a day out running around.
Notes:
1. Your dogs must have licenses
2. Please bring your dog leash
3. Park doesn’t offer any services for dogs, so bring their meal and clean up dog feces by yourself.
Meilan Lake
Address: Meilanhu Lu, Baoshan District
Tel: 021 5659 1208
Hours: ALL DAY
Price: FREE
There are 4 reasons why this is a great place for you and your furry friend:
1. You don’t need to buy tickets.
2. It has a ton of space and many places to rest.
3. Dogs can get on boats with their owners.
4. The lake is very shallow, so your dogs can practice swimming here.
Dianshan Lake/Zhujiajiao Old Town
Address: Jinshang Lu, Qingpu District
Tel: 021 5924 0208
Hours: ALL DAY
Price: FREE
Dianshan Lake is stunningly beautiful and has more than enough fresh air to clear both your mind and your pet's. You can even bring your dogs to the restaurants in the old town of Zhujiajiao with you.
Binhai Forest Park
Address: Binhai Town, Pudong District
Hours: 8:30am - 4pm
Price: RMB 20-40
This place has some truly beautiful natural scenery. You can enjoy all the green space and fresh air here. They also have many activities like barbecue and horse riding. It’s a great place for you and your dogs to kick back in your spare time.
Songjiang Pet Park
Address: NO.1 Maoche Road, Tongjian Village, Ye Xie Town, Songjiang District
Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tel: 5780 6328
Price: 1. Tickets RMB20/person
2. Pet tickets RMB20/each
3. Pets swimming price:RMB50/day
It’s one of the biggest parks open specifically for pets, and you can enjoy a full day of outdoor activities with your dogs. They even have a full doggie playground/ obstacle course that includes the following: a single-plank bridge, a maze, treadmill, seesaw, shuttle stick, jumping stick bar, word board bridge jumping, slide, obstacle plate, jump rings, upper bridge, tunnel, bunker, height barrier ring, runways, etc., I don’t know what any of that is, but it all sounds like your dog might enjoy it.
The landscape swimming pool is composed of two pools of different sizes, one high and one low, where pets of all sizes can swim freely. The swimming pool will be open until November.
Dishui Lake
Address: Huanhu Xiyi Lu, Nanhui New Town
Tel: 021 6828 3232
Hours: ALL DAY
Price: FREE
Dishui lake may be artificial, but it’s still beautiful due to its remoteness. It’s well-equipped with a beach, pavilions and picnic areas. There are leisure and health clubs nearby as well. Not many visitors, but great views and fresh air. Many dog lovers will bring their dogs to enjoy cycling, picnics and boat rides.
Grooming
Dogs get pretty skanky. They like to eat things off the street and roll in garbage juice and generally walk around in dirt. Because of this, you need to bathe the shit out of them on a regular basis. Plus ear cleaning and toenail cutting... (I once tried to cut my dogs toenails and nearly lost an eye). Get professional help.
Bark
Bark is a reliable and trusted grooming service that operates all over Shanghai. Although they are based in Changning district they offer doggy collection and drop off services so you don't have to leave the comfort of your home.
Price: Grooming costs vary from RMB 120 to RMB 380 depending on breeds and weights
Address: 12 Quankou Road, Changning District.
Opening times: 9am - 5pm
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