St. John’s, Newfoundland is a dog-friendly city mainly because residents love their dogs, especially larger breeds. The city of 110,000 people has nine dog parks – one of the highest per capita I’ve encountered yet (though I haven’t done a research study).

However, if you don’t fly with your dog getting there in the car will involve a ferry ride and some pre-planning to book the best pet-friendly accommodations on the vessel (see ‘if you go’ below). Most major airlines fly to St. John’s including West Jet, Air Canada, and Porter from Toronto and other cities (though flights from other cities might connect through Toronto).

Getting to Newfoundland with your dog

I don’t fly with my dog because I don’t want to check her into cargo. Until I can buy a seat on a flight for a mid-sized pup, flying is likely off our radar. However, a road trip to Newfoundland with my dog is on my bucket list – and we’ll book a pet-friendly cabin on a ferry crossing. Unfortunately this time, I visited St. John’s, Newfoundland without my pup.

However, while in St. John’s Newfoundland, I thoroughly researched what you can do with your dog and where you can stay.

Here’s the dogtrotting.net guide to Dog-friendly St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador.

St. John’s is a compact, shoreline city, dominated by scenic views of the harbour … and ocean if you get high enough. (One of the best views is from the top floor of The Rooms, a must-visit museum currently featuring a dog-themed exhibit, among many others).

St. John’s is a very walkable city, if you don’t mind walking uphill – sometimes steep hills. Welcome to a city on the shore (like Halifax). A lot of people walk around with their dogs here – this is a dog town with more dog parks than in cities three times its size and two downtown statues honouring the Labrador Retriever and the great Newfoundland dog breeds.

Discover the dog statues watching for their people to return home via boat at Harbourside Park, the mid-point of Water Street

Dog-friendly Downtown St. John’s

One of my favourite things about St. John’s is the summertime shutdown of Water Street, the main street flowing through the city. (Fun fact: it claims to be the longest continuously operating commercial street in North America). No, the boutique stores, breweries, restaurants, smoke shops, and souvenir stores don’t close, but the street does – to cars.

Since 2020, St. John’s Water Street between Adelaide to Prescott Streets has become a pedestrian shopping district from the end of June to September, from noon to 10 pm. Restaurants extend patios into the street during pandemic shutdowns and the Idea stuck. Now, creating a pedestrian street is an annual summer thing. And strolling along streets with no worry about cars makes dog walking much easier. (Loved Mackinac Island for that reason).

Pedestrian Mall Shopping

What isn’t easy is dining on the patio with your pup. Due to government regulations, dogs are not permitted on restaurant patios in St. John’s. (Some places allow tie up outside the patio fence). However, there are many high-top four-seat colourful picnic tables scattered along Water Street, so getting take-out, scoring a picnic table, and eating outside with your dog is still possible.

Although patios are off-limits for dogs (except at the Alt Hotel – see below), many shops are not. For instance, Bees Knees actively promotes its dog-friendly status. This trendy gift store specializing in locally sourced and sustainably produced kitchen and household items offers furry customers a water bowl and dog treats from behind the register.

Dog-friendly St. John’s Tours

Are St. John’s Walking Tours dog-friendly?

Yes, two of the four St. John’s walking tours allow dogs to tag along. The Signature Tour is dog-friendly and at 2.5 hours long,  you and your pup, along with guide Pierre Trowbridge, and others will learn a lot about St. John’s history including the story behind the new Tomb of the Unknown Solider and about all the ‘great fires’ that leveled several wooden government buildings.

If a shorter route is more your energy level, the Walking on Water tour is 90 minutes long. Both dog-friendly St. John’s walking tours run daily from May long weekend to September.

Are the boat tours dog-friendly?

The walking tours end at the port near the ticket booth for the Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours. This company runs two-hour outings four times a day during the summer and takes people out to the ocean in search of icebergs, whales, and puffins. But is the $95 tour dog friendly?

Well, that depends. I inquired at the box office, and there was an answer at the ready: It comes down to a vote. “We ask everyone on the boat that tour if they are ok with a dog on the boat,” the ticket seller tells me. “If even one person isn’t ok with it, the dog can’t go. If everyone permits the dog, then yes.” That’s a first.

Dog Walking Parks in St. John’s

Bannerman Park

Bannerman Park is a quick walk from the Sheraton Hotel (see below), and it’s a popular park filled with people, kids, and pets. Some dogs walk on leash while others lounge on blankets with their people because catching rays in the park is an activity here – winters are long here.

Opened in 1864, the park design reflects the design of British Parks at that time. Gardens in one section, a children’s playground in another, and a fountain was added in 2010. In the summer, Bannerman Park is busy.

Government House

A short walk away is the Government House, a National Historic Site run by Parks Canada. Sprawling green lawns and well-manicured flower gardens surround the two-story Palladian-style 1827 historic building. Before Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada’s Confederation in 1949, this was the residence of the colony governor.

Gravel paths circle the Commonwealth Gardens, a nod to British influence. The garden is a quiet place to leash walk dogs who don’t like encountering other dogs – at least that’s why the two pugs I met were there slowly strolling under a canopy of trees.

Free Run Dog Parks in St. John’s

St. John’s, Newfoundland has nine fenced dog parks:

• Quidi Vidi Park has two sections: one for small breeds and one for large breeds. It’s located at The Boulevard, opposite 45 Churchill Ave., St. John’s, NF.
• Mundy Pond Park located at 24 Blackler Ave., St. John’s, NF.
• Bowring Park located opposite the 375 Waterford Bridge Rd., St. John’s, NF.
• Shea Heights Community Centre located at 130 Linegar Ave., St. John’s, NF.
• Humane Services Facility located at 81 Higgins Line, St. John’s, NF.
• Bidgood Park has one section for small breeds and one for large breeds and is located at 518 Back Line, St. John’s, NF.
• Denis Lawlor Park is located at 108 McNiven Pl., St. John’s, NF.
• Kenmount Terrace has one area for small breeds and one for large breeds and is located at 85 Messenger Dr., St. John’s, NF.
• Victoria Park located at 50 Sudbury St., St. John’s, NF.

Note that according to municipal rules, all dogs must be vaccinated and licensed with the city of St. John’s. But that’s not something easily monitored, so visitors using the parks temporarily likely isn’t an issue.

Dog-friendly Quidi Vidi

Quidi Vidi is a corner of St. John’s visitors shouldn’t miss, especially with the dog for three reasons:

1. This is an authentic fishing village hugging a photo-perfect harbour sporting the bright colours and shapes of fishing nets, docks, and round red buoys.
2. From late June to September, the gravel parking lot fills with a beer tent, picnic tables and food trucks, and people with their dogs. Yes, this is one spot to eat with your dog in St. John’s.
3. Steps from the harbour, called “The Gut,” by locales, are hiking trails through the rolling hills often used by mountain bikes, so keep dogs on leashes. But dogs can be off-leash at one of nine city dog parks near Churchill Avenue.

It’s not a dog-friendly destination, but the central yellow building contains two levels of local artisans, and the former fish plant is home to the Quidi Vidi Brewery known for its Iceberg beer made from real iceberg water.

Pet-friendly hotels in St. John’s, Newfoundland

Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland

The pet-friendly Sheraton Hotel in St. John’s was built in 1982 on the site of the former historic Newfoundland Hotel close to Fort William (close enough to confuse my cell phone). The hotel is close enough to walk to downtown, the waterfront, or the very large Bannerman Park downtown where many locals take their pups. (See above).

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Sporting an indoor pool, almost in the lobby, the Sheraton is equipped to host small conferences and many visitors in its 300 rooms. Some of those visitors include dogs, and I met a few in the lobby. The hotel allows one pet per room, charges a pet fee of $50 per stay and has a weight limit of 80 kg (which is 170 pounds). In other words, the Great Dane is the largest dog permitted, so it’s safe to say there’s really no weight limit for dogs.

The Alt Hotel

Admittedly, Alt Hotels might be my favourite dog-friendly boutique accommodation for many reasons. First, because they really are dog-friendly (and the staff I’ve met love dogs). Second, the Alt is cool. From the funky designed and mood-lit lobbies to the streamlined modern rooms, the Alt first wowed me when I stayed at the then newly opened Louisville, Kentucky Alt Hotel.

Located downtown, the Alt Hotel in St. John’s follows the brand’s design, but the contemporary seafaring art speaks to the regional location. Best of all, the Alt St. John’s is the place to have breakfast with your pup, whether you’re staying at the hotel or not.

Breakfast with your pup

The Alt Hotel lobby coffee shop permits you to order at the counter – I loved meeting Mavis the English Bulldog who charmed those in line – then you can eat at the harbour-side picnic tables with your dog in full view of Newfoundland’s shores. The pastries are also fresh and decadent.

The Alt Hotel St. John’s charges $45 pet fee per stay, permits one dog per room, and must be confirmed when reservations are made. Pets should not be left unattended in the room and risks a penalty charge of $200.

How to get to St. John’s with your dog

It is possible to drive to Labrador through Quebec, but note some roads are gravel. Locals caution drivers to watch for moose on the roads. However, Newfoundland specifically is an island, and you’ll need to either fly or take the ferry at some point if you are driving. Most drivers take one of two ferry options from the Marine Atlantic ferry transportation company.

Ferry Transportation to Newfoundland: Marine Atlantic offers ferry transportation (on large car ferries) from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to both Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland (about 8 hours) and Argentia, Newfoundland (16 hours). Dogs are permitted on both ferries but must always be in a carrier or on leash.

Dog-friendly cabins: Kennels are available on the boats, but Marine Atlantic also offers a limited number of pet-friendly cabins that must be booked in advance. Dedicated pet relief areas are onboard each vessel.

Ferry Dates and Times: Note that the Port Aux Basques crossing runs twice a day, year-round (weather permitting), but is a nine-hour drive from St. John’s. The much longer crossing to Argentia on the Avalon Peninsula is seasonal, June to September, and runs on select days. But Argentia is a 90-minute drive from St. John’s. So, this is the ferry most people take when planning a driving trip to Newfoundland.

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria. Contact Sherri at dogtrotting.net here. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research. Please subscribe!