Hapoo
Living in London with a dog.
Everything on this blog about actually having a dog in this city, gathered in one place and organised by the stage you're at, not by whatever order it happened to get written in. Parks, transport, cost, the rules, and the daily walk itself.
Before you get a dog
The two questions worth settling before anything else: does your actual living situation allow it, and does the dog you're picturing actually suit the space and life you have.
Renting with a dog in London: what tenants actually need to know
Finding any flat in London is hard enough. Finding one that allows a dog narrows it further: what the rules actually are right now, what landlords are really worried about, and how to make the case well.
London GuidesBest dog breeds for a London flat (it's not about size)
Space is the real constraint in London, but the thing that actually predicts whether a dog suits a flat isn't how big it is. It's energy level, noise habits, and how much exercise you're genuinely willing to commit to.
The first few weeks
A puppy's first month in London is a lot louder and busier than most general advice assumes, and there's a real medical timeline behind when it's actually safe to be out in it.
How to socialise a puppy in a city as loud and busy as London
Most puppy socialisation advice assumes a much quieter world than London actually offers. General awareness, not a training programme: the city-specific stimuli worth introducing gently, and why timing matters as much as exposure.
London GuidesWhat vaccinations matter if your dog uses busy London parks a lot
General awareness, not veterinary guidance: why dense shared-park use raises this specifically, the named risks worth asking your vet about, and why this is a conversation, not a checklist.
The daily walk
The part that happens most days, in every weather, and the thing this entire blog is really about. Where to go, what to do when the weather or the lead or the dog itself isn't cooperating, and how to tell a good walk from a merely long one.
Which London parks actually let dogs off the lead?
The honest, borough-by-borough starting point for off-lead walking in London: where it's generally fine, where the rules shift by season, and why signage on the day still beats anything written here.
Habit & MotivationThe rain problem: why the walk gets skipped, and what actually helps
London doesn't really do dramatic weather, just relentless grey drizzle, which turns out to be exactly the condition most walking habits fall apart under. What actually gets a reluctant dog out the door, and why a short, wet walk still counts.
Habit & MotivationIs it too hot or too cold to walk my dog today?
London's climate is mild most of the year, but the real exceptions in both directions matter: the pavement test for heat, what actually changes in winter, and why the answer is almost never a full skip.
Habit & MotivationHow much exercise does my dog actually need?
A genuinely honest answer depends on breed, age and health: the general shape by life stage, the signs of getting it wrong in either direction, and why quality matters as much as distance.
GamificationMental stimulation vs. exercise: why a tired dog isn't always a well-walked one
A restless dog after a long walk usually isn't under-exercised. It's under-stimulated. The difference between physical and mental tiredness, and why the slow, sniffy walk sometimes works better than the fast one.
London GuidesHow to stop your dog pulling on the lead in busy city streets
City pulling is a different problem than countryside pulling: narrower pavements, far more stimuli per minute, and a lot less room to do the standard training advice properly. What actually helps, and why the fix sometimes means choosing a different street first.
Habit & MotivationThe psychology of streaks: why a missed day shouldn't break the habit
Streak mechanics are supposed to build a habit, but most apps design them in a way that actually punishes real life. Here's what the research says, and why Hapoo's streaks decay instead of snapping.
Habit & MotivationHow do I know if my dog is a healthy weight?
Harder to self-assess than it sounds, because a healthy look varies hugely by breed. General awareness, not a vet's assessment: the rib-and-waist check worth actually doing, and the London-specific habit that quietly adds up.
Getting around the city
Not letting "I'm not sure the dog's allowed" quietly rule out half of London.
The life admin nobody warns you about
The costs, rules and occasional genuine emergencies that come with the territory, none of them dramatic on their own, all of them easier with an actual answer ready before you need one.
How much does a dog walker actually cost in London?
What actually drives the price (group size, borough, one-off versus regular), a rough sense of the ranges involved, and the questions worth asking before you book anyone.
London GuidesDog daycare and boarding in London: what it actually costs
Daycare and boarding are different products solving different problems, priced differently: what actually drives the cost of each, and the questions worth asking before you book either.
London GuidesDog fouling fines in London: what's actually enforced
A mundane but real anxiety for new owners: the general rule, why the fine amount varies by borough, and one common myth about bin types worth clearing up.
London GuidesThe XL Bully ban: what it actually means, and where to check if you're affected
General awareness, not legal advice: how the ban actually works as a legal category, why a self-assessment isn't reliable, and exactly where to go for a real answer.
London GuidesMy dog ate something on a walk. Now what?
General awareness, not a substitute for calling a vet: the common London walk hazards worth knowing, the signs that mean call now rather than watch and wait, and why it's always worth the call either way.
Making the most of it
Once the basics are sorted, London has more to offer a dog owner than the daily loop around the block.
Dog-friendly pubs, cafes and restaurants in London: what to actually expect
"Dog-friendly" on a listing can mean anything from a water bowl already out to technically-allowed-don't-push-it. How dog-friendliness actually varies across London hospitality, and how to check before you turn up rather than after.
London GuidesDog-friendly day trips within a couple of hours of London
Sometimes the best thing for a London dog is leaving London for a day. General categories worth considering rather than specific venues (which change too often to list reliably), and how to actually plan around them.
London GuidesWalking your dog in Richmond Park during the deer rut
For a few weeks every autumn the deer you have walked past all summer are not the same animals. What the rut actually changes, the distances the Royal Parks ask for, and why a dog off the lead is the part that turns a sighting into an incident.
None of this needs a garden or a big flat to work.
Hapoo counts the walk itself, from your phone's motion sensor, wherever in London it happens to start.