Where can I take my dog shopping in Ottawa, Ontario? In addition to the popular Byward Market downtown, dogs are welcome at the Tanger Outlets Ottawa located in Kanata, a suburb of Ottawa about a 20-minute drive from Carleton University.

My dog and I are back in this city to attend WordCamp 2025 – well, I’m attending the conference. My dog is hanging out at Dog World dog daycare (now that Dogtopia in Orleans closed) when she’s not shopping with me.

But first, we explore dog-friendly places in Kanata, starting with the open-air shopping centre Tanger Outlets Ottawa that just happens to be across the street from the dog-friendly Microtel Inn & Suites Kanata (more on that soon). If you’re staying closer to downtown Ottawa, the Tanger Outlets Ottawa is easily accessed via Highway 417 for those with cars.

Tanger Outlets Ottawa Highlights

Opened in 2014 at the height of outlet mall frenzy, Tanger Outlets Ottawa was Canada’s first Tanger Outlet built for this purpose, modelled after the American-style outdoor malls designed for meandering like some in Toronto.

Spread across nearly 300,000 square feet, the open-air mall features over 80 brand-name and designer stores, including Nike and Michael Kors to Coach, Calvin Klein, Gap, and Tommy Hilfiger. Like similar malls, the Tanger Outlets Ottawa layout is easy to navigate — a series of walkable pathways connect stores, and a water feature greets you at the entrance across from the Microtel Hotel.

Basically, this mall is the classic open-air design with free parking, a food court, and kids’ play area. I’ve previously questioned the outdoor-style mall’s appropriateness for the Canadian climate (it works better further south). In Niagara, I spent an afternoon wading through snow and carrying my dog in places due to the excessive amount of salt dumped on the ice.

Pet Dog-friendly Shopping

But outdoors means one thing that gets my attention: Tanger Outlet malls are pet-dog friendly. Others I’ve taken my dog to include the Toronto outlet mall and Niagara outlet mall, and Ottawa’s outlet mall is similar. Walking from store to store is easy on leash, like walking down the street. No stickers on the doors indicate the dog-friendly status, so I assumed all stores permitted dogs, and I wasn’t disappointed.

It was a quiet Wednesday evening in October when I was there with my dog, surprising considering it was unseasonably warm weather – a comfortable fall. We had no problem checking out stores and walking a few extra laps for exercise.

Looking for pet product deals at Ottawa’s outlet mall? There aren’t many places carrying pet products at this mall. Except Marshalls. Marshalls (where pet dogs are welcome as corporate policy) has a double aisle pet section that sells brand-named treats and toys at discounted prices.

An added feature: Tanger Outlets Ottawa is located beside the Canadian Tire Centre which is home of the Ottawa Senators hockey team. However – no surprise – the Senators’ games are not pet-dog friendly (service dogs only with documentation).

Dog-friendly Microtel Hotel Kanata

The Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Kanata Ottawa West (long name – for brevity, I’ll refer to it as the Microtel) is located across the street from the Tanger Outlets Ottawa. In fact, you can walk it if you cross safely at the rotary crosswalk. The Microtel is an easy turn off Highway 417, the highway you’ll take if you head into downtown Ottawa.

Built in 2022, the Microtel (8555 Campeau Drive) is still shiny and new, decorated in trendy neutral tones of blue, beige, and wood-laminate counters, headboards, and television frames. The entire hotel (except breakfast bar and pool) is dog-friendly for pets less than 45 kg, two per room, for an additional $25 plus tax per night.

Microtel Room Details

There isn’t a lot of green space around the hotel for walking, but the woodchip-covered landscaping along the side of the building is ok for morning wee. I booked a room with a king bed and kitchenette (full fridge and microwave), but it was on the third (of four) floors, so it was a quick run downstairs each morning. I’d suggest booking a room on the first floor with the dog. Breakfast, WiFi, and parking are included.

Rooms are non-smoking, with flat-screen TV, coffee maker, desk space, and half-wall walk-in shower. A nice touch is the outdoor fire pit, which they’ll fire up for you on request. Keep in mind the Senators NHL hockey team plays in the stadium down the street, so game nights can be busy in this area. The hotel provides a shuttle for guests headed to the game (without their pups).

Dog-friendly Dining Nearby

On our way to the hotel, we stopped for a local brew and pub food (well, I did) at The Royal Oak (329 March Road). Fortunately, the late fall temperature was comfortable enough to sit outside. The patio at The Royal Oak in Kanata is dog-friendly, and we had the place to ourselves, which was fortunate because my pup was feeling uber friendly after hours in the car.

Doggie Daycare at Dog World

What do you do when you’re travelling with the dog but need to visit somewhere they can’t go? That’s a common question people ask when considering travelling with their dog, especially on longer trips. My answer? Research a doggie daycare before you go and book an entire day (or two) for your pup.

Booking two days of dog daycare was exactly what I did in Kanata (technically, nearby Carp), Ontario because two of the four days I was visiting with the dog, I was booked to attend a conference, where dogs couldn’t go. And that’s how – or specifically, why – I found Dog World Bedrock Kennels (3904 March Road), a fifteen-minute drive from the Microtel in Kanata.

Dog World is 50-acres in a large rustic facility in the country where dogs can board overnight or just stay for the day (from 7:30 am to 6 pm) running with other pups in a fenced area. If warm enough, they can even take a dip in the pool, which my dog did on her first day. Note that I booked Dog World in advance of my trip and solicited testimonials from locals. Dog World came recommended.

Overall

Essentially, I spent four days exploring the Ottawa area with my dog, while also venturing into the bowels of downtown Ottawa while she stayed in nearby Carp. For that reason, Kanata proved to be a desirable dog-friendly home base.

Kanata offers options for exploring with your dog, from the open-air Tanger Outlets in Kanata to the dog-friendly Microtel just across the street. With nearby patios like The Royal Oak and reliable daycare services such as Dog World, Kanata proved to be a convenient stay just outside the congestion of downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

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!