At the beginning of August, my husband and I vacationed in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Having never been to California, I was enthusiastic to compare and contrast lifestyles on the West Coast vs. the East Coast. In addition to other interests, dog culture in new places always fascinates me. I’m here to share my thoughts with you through my dog trainer lens. 

Dogs were everywhere in Southern California. They were walking in stores, carried in baby bjorn-type carriers, hopping off buses, commuting on trains, running on the beach, and of course at outdoor restaurants. Not only were they everywhere, but they were well behaved! 

They walked beautifully on leash. They ignored other dogs in their vicinity. If they did interact with another dog, they did so appropriately. Oftentimes, I wouldn’t even know a dog was under a table until the people stood up to leave. Dogs were able to stay beneath tables and ignore other dogs at other tables. Having a dog living with reactivity, dogs with these skills in public always catch my attention and admiration.

Most dogs I saw were small chihuahua mixes. Many of these types of dogs I see on the East Coast are living with anxiety. In contrast, the West Coast Chi mixes were confident and well-behaved. Could the West Coast Chi mixes have been well medicated? Sure. It’s also possible that genetics plus lifestyle are doing right by these Chi mixes on the West Coast. 

Speaking of genetics, the majority of purpose-bred dogs I saw were Doodle mixes. At one outdoor cafe, a man asked his doodle to sit. He gave an awkward hand signal and the dog blankly stared back at the man. The dog had no idea what he was being asked to do. The dog just guessed, sat down, and received praise. The dog then chose to curl up, lay on the concrete, and hang out while the man ate his breakfast and read the paper. Some great dogs are born, not made. 

I began to wonder how West Coast dogs achieved this level of chill and cooperation in public. Was it merely by being on the West Coast? Maybe! Southern California has more sunny temperate days than most places in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast Coast. More sunny days mean more days for public manners practice. Most dogs’ daily routines included tagging along while their people ran errands. These dogs were here for the daily adventure with a “no pictures please” kind of vibe. 

I also wondered if folks who have dogs with issues leave their dogs home more often on the West Coast than on the East Coast. I mean, there must be dogs with issues on the West Coast. I presume that they stay home – a smart decision. 

I was pleased that all the dogs I saw in public in LA were either on a flat collar or body harness. No choke chains, prong collars, or shock collars were seen. And like I said, the LA dogs all walked with slack in their leashes. (Less so with the Santa Barbara dogs in aversive equipment.)

Is training different on the West Coast? I don’t think so. I follow many awesome West Coast trainers. Our message is the same. This brings me back to weather, lifestyle, and genetics. 

Well done, West Coast, keep up the great work! If you live on the West Coast, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Here’s a view of the succulent garden at our Air BnB in Silver Lake, CA.