Dog Statistics

This week I've been working on my stealth (that just makes it sound cool) doggie startup. I've been looking for dog statistics for the largest U.S. cities. In the process I ran across a couple of interesting articles. This one from the New York Times points out that, oddly enough, you're more likely to own a Shi Tzu if you live on the Upper East Side and a Chihuahua if you live in Spanish Harlem. Go figure.

If you're a stickler for quality statistics you'll want to note that the data is from 2003 and is limited by the relatively small number of owners who actually register their dogs. The article points out:

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.''

This article from Boston.com lists some general dog statistics and highlights some cool Boston dog events. Notable stats from the article include:

8,500: Approximate number of licensed dogs in the city of Boston

$120: Weekly doggie day-care rate at Dog Day Afternoons in Boston

$1,425: Basic annual total expenses for a pet dog in the United States, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Inc.

40 percent: US households with a pet dog

No. 1: Rating of Labrador Retrievers on the Most Popular Breeds in Boston list according to the American Kennel Club

No. 18: Rating of the Boston Terrier on the same list

$260: Price of a Louis Vuitton monogram dog collar