The scene usually starts to build right after commuters arrive from work, around 6 or 7 p.m., and the action peaks at
about 8 p.m. It begins with a gentle lick here and an innocent sniff of the hair, and in no time at all, there’s plenty of
panting and fur is flying. Local men and women prove that they’re not afraid to get down and dirty while
unleashing their guard – dog that is. This is the setting of your typical neighborhood dog run. And these doggie
hot spots aren’t just a playground for pets, because people aren’t found just picking up dog droppings; they’re
actually picking up partners.
But as strange as it sounds, a dog run isn’t such an odd place to find a mate. Aren’t dogs and babies what most
men call “chick magnets?” As obnoxious as it sounds, both local men and women say that they’re not sure about
the latter, but many agree that their pooches have helped score them dates.
Just ask six-year Hoboken resident Nicky, who was apprehensive about giving her last name, but said that her
4-year-old mixed terrier Rico (a.k.a. Rico Suave) has become a pretty popular dog in town and has walked her
toward a path of many men at Hudson Square Park’s dog run, located on Fourth and Hudson streets.
“I met a lot of guys here,” said Nicky. “You met a lot of guy dog owners at the park.”
So how does this setup work?
“The dogs meet first,” said Nicky. “Then you start talking to the owner, and find out if they’re single. People
usually come at the same time, and you start seeing the same people on a regular basis. It’s a great way to
socialize, because you have something in common, so it lends itself into a relaxed conversation.”
So is it better than meeting someone at a local bar?
“Anything is better than meeting someone at bar,” exclaimed Nicky. “But you can tell a lot more about a guy when
they’re out with their dog than at a bar. Guys with dogs tend to be a lot more responsible, and if they’re caring
toward their dogs, you can tell that they’re probably a caring person. It’s good for me to meet people here,
because I can immediately tell the way they feel about my dog. Someone who likes and treats your dog well is
pretty important to a dog owner.”
The owner of a 4-year-old 100-pound German Shepherd named Zeus, Matt Pukel, 26, of Hoboken, agreed that dog
runs are better meet-markets than bars.
“At least people are sober here,” said Pukel at the Hudson Square Dog Run. “When people are sober, people are
more truthful and have better things to talk about.”
Pukel said if he weren’t already in a relationship, it would be easier for him to meet someone through his dog.
“I definitely get approached more because of him; women stop to pet him all the time,” said Pukel. “And it’s great,
because if he doesn’t like them, I don’t give them a chance. He knows people.”
Jersey City resident Leonardo Ferreira, 24, said that he’s noticed the attention that local dog owners get, and is
contemplating getting a new best friend.
“It’s seems like great way to meet people and a great reason to walk around town,” said Ferreira. “I’m thinking
about buying a dog of my own.”
Hoboken dog run regulars Marissa and John Forberg said that they’re happily married and are the proud owners
of a 14-year-old Pekinese who gets a lot of attention.
“People are always stopping to pet him on the street,” said John Forberg. “Women especially love him, and I could
probably rent him out for that function.”
And a lot of other dog owners said the same about their dogs.
“I’ve gotten asked out a lot walking my dog, so my single friends ask to walk her all the time,” said Fay Meredith, a
21-year-old Hoboken resident and owner of a 5-month-old chocolate Lab named Charlie. “Guys stop me a lot to tell
me what a cute puppy have, then they ask where I live and if I want to do something. But I’m engaged, so I let my
friends meet people through her.”
Jeff Greengrass, a 26-year-old Hoboken resident, is married, but sees people hook up at the Church Square dog run
all the time while walking his beagle named Brady.
“I see it happen a lot,” said Greengrass. “Guys and girls are always coming up to people with cute dogs. Men
come up to my wife non-stop and I get stopped a lot, because Brady’s a cute dog. My brother just broke-up with
his girlfriend and I told him, ‘You should borrow the dog.’ You meet a nicer crowd of people with a dog, too,
because it takes a special person to be a dog lover.”
Hoboken resident Fran Brady, 38, said he can’t believe the attention he gets with his 3-year-old Lab/collie mix
Haley.
“I don’t look for it, because I have a girlfriend, but people are so much more friendly,” said Brady. “People come up
to me now to tell me how cute my dog is, and I’m like ‘How come you didn’t come up to me before?’ If I’d known
about this, I would have bought a dog sooner.”
Our Digital Archive from 2000 – 2016
