Dog-Friendly Melbourne: A Suburb-by-Suburb Guide
Melbourne is one of the most dog-friendly cities in the world, and that is not marketing fluff. The numbers back it up: roughly 40% of Melbourne households own a dog, one of the highest rates of any major city in Australia. The city's parks, beaches, and cafe culture have evolved to accommodate this reality, and the local councils — for the most part — have built dog-friendly infrastructure that makes it genuinely easy to have a dog here.
But "dog-friendly" varies enormously from suburb to suburb. Some have sprawling off-leash parks with dedicated dog areas. Others have tight restrictions, confusing leash rules, and limited green space. If you are choosing where to live with a dog, looking for a pet sitter in a specific area, or just planning a weekend walk somewhere new, this guide breaks it all down.
I have lived in Melbourne and spent years building a pet sitting platform here. This is the guide I wish I had when I first arrived.
Fitzroy
Council: City of Yarra Dog-friendliness rating: Excellent
Fitzroy is the inner-north suburb that most Melbourne dog owners think of first, and for good reason. The crown jewel is Edinburgh Gardens, a 15-hectare park bounded by Brunswick Street, St Georges Road, and Alfred Crescent. The park has a large designated off-leash area in the eastern section, and on any given weekend morning it functions as Melbourne's unofficial dog social club.
The off-leash area is genuinely spacious — large enough that reactive dogs can get distance and high-energy dogs can sprint. There are water bowls maintained by regulars, and the adjacent oval is sometimes available for off-leash use outside of sports season.
Practical notes: Edinburgh Gardens gets genuinely muddy after rain. The eastern section, where most off-leash activity happens, does not drain well. If it has rained in the last 24 hours, expect your dog to come home brown. Bring towels. The park also gets extremely busy on Saturday mornings between 8am and 11am, so if your dog is anxious in crowds, early morning or weekday visits are better.
The café culture on Brunswick Street and Smith Street is largely dog-friendly, with most venues offering outdoor seating where dogs are welcome. Favorites among locals include Alimentari on Brunswick Street and Industry Beans on Rose Street. Both will bring water bowls for your dog without being asked.
Beyond Edinburgh Gardens, Fitzroy has limited green space. If you need a second option, Darling Gardens on Hoddle Street has a small off-leash section, though it is not nearly as social.
Finding a sitter: Fitzroy has one of the highest densities of pet sitters in Melbourne, partly because the demographic skews young, pet-loving, and living in terraces with yards. Many sitters here specialise in dog walking as well as overnight sitting.
St Kilda
Council: City of Port Phillip Dog-friendliness rating: Excellent (especially for beach dogs)
St Kilda is Melbourne's beach-dog paradise, and the council's off-leash beach policies are among the most generous in the city.
The St Kilda Beach off-leash area runs from the breakwater south towards Middle Park. Dogs are permitted off-leash on this stretch at designated times: before 9:30am and after 6:30pm during daylight savings (roughly October to March), and before 9:30am and after 4:30pm outside daylight savings. These times are enforced — Port Phillip Council rangers are active, and fines for off-leash violations outside permitted hours start at $330.
Catani Gardens, directly behind the beach, is a popular on-leash area with decent shade and proximity to cafes on Acland Street. It is a good spot for controlled walks but not for off-leash play.
For off-leash park time, Alma Park in nearby East St Kilda has a fully fenced dog park that is excellent for smaller dogs or dogs that are still working on recall. The fenced section is not huge, but it is well-maintained and the double-gate entry prevents escape.
Port Phillip Council registration: Dogs must be registered with the council by 3 months of age. Registration costs vary based on whether the dog is desexed, with discounts for desexed dogs. Failure to register can result in fines, and rangers do check during park patrols.
St Kilda's café scene is almost universally dog-friendly outdoors. The Sunday market along the Esplanade is also dog-friendly, though it gets crowded and is not ideal for anxious dogs.
Brunswick
Council: City of Merri-bek (formerly Moreland) Dog-friendliness rating: Very Good
Brunswick is inner-north Melbourne at its most eclectic, and the dog culture here reflects that. You will see everything from greyhound rescues to cattle dogs to tiny Pomeranians on any walk down Sydney Road.
The primary off-leash option is the Brunswick section of Princes Park (which straddles Brunswick and Carlton). The park is large, with off-leash areas designated in the outer sections. It is popular with dog walkers and gets steady use throughout the day. The grass is generally well-maintained by the Royal Park management team, and the flat terrain makes it accessible.
Fleming Park on Barkly Street has a smaller off-leash area that is less known and therefore less crowded. It is a good option for early socialisation with puppies, as the atmosphere is calmer than Princes Park.
Café culture: Brunswick rivals Fitzroy for dog-friendly cafes. Sydney Road is a long stretch with dozens of options, many with outdoor seating areas where dogs sit comfortably. Notable mentions include Padre Coffee on Brunswick Road (serious about both their coffee and their dog-welcome policy) and Wide Open Road in the back streets.
Dog walking terrain: Brunswick is flat, which is a genuine advantage for older dogs or dogs with joint issues. The Merri Creek trail is accessible from the eastern edge of Brunswick, running north through Coburg and south toward Clifton Hill — a 12km shared trail that is one of Melbourne's best urban dog walks (on-leash).
Carlton
Council: City of Melbourne Dog-friendliness rating: Good (with caveats)
Carlton presents a mixed picture for dog owners. The suburb is beautiful — tree-lined streets, historic terraces, proximity to the city — but its green space policies are more restrictive than neighbouring suburbs.
Carlton Gardens, the suburb's signature park and a UNESCO World Heritage site, has strict dog regulations. Dogs must be on-leash at all times, and there are areas within the gardens where dogs are prohibited entirely (primarily the formal garden sections near the Royal Exhibition Building). The heritage listing means the council is protective of the grounds, and rangers enforce rules more actively here than in most Melbourne parks.
For off-leash exercise, Carlton dog owners typically head to Princes Park on the suburb's western edge (bordering Brunswick). The off-leash sections of Princes Park are the most practical option, and most Carlton residents with active dogs make this their daily routine.
Lincoln Square has a small, pleasant park but is on-leash only. University Square allows dogs on-leash and is a reasonable spot for a lunchtime walk.
Carlton's advantage is its café and restaurant culture. Lygon Street has moved beyond the tourist-trap reputation of its central section, and the northern stretch (north of Grattan Street) is genuinely good. Most outdoor dining areas welcome dogs, and the Italian restaurants often have staff who will fuss over your dog with scraps.
Honest assessment: Carlton is a wonderful suburb to live in, but if off-leash dog exercise is important to you, you will be crossing into Brunswick or Parkville on a daily basis.
South Yarra
Council: City of Melbourne (primarily), City of Stonnington (eastern section) Dog-friendliness rating: Very Good
South Yarra punches above its weight for dog-friendliness, largely because of one park: Fawkner Park.
Fawkner Park is a 40-acre park at the heart of South Yarra, and its off-leash areas are generous. The central lawn area permits off-leash dogs during designated hours (generally before 8am and after 6pm in summer, with more relaxed hours in winter, though specific regulations change — always check the current City of Melbourne signage at the park). Outside these times, the park requires on-leash walking.
The park is well-maintained, with good drainage compared to many inner-Melbourne parks. It is popular with professional dog walkers, which means weekday mornings see large multi-dog groups. If your dog is not comfortable with packs of 6-8 dogs approaching at once, time your visits accordingly.
Toorak Road and Chapel Street both offer dog-friendly outdoor dining, though the Chapel Street end can be noisy and less comfortable for sensitive dogs. The quieter section of Toorak Road, particularly west of Punt Road, has excellent cafes with generous outdoor areas.
Royal Botanic Gardens, which borders South Yarra, allows dogs on-leash on the Tan walking track that circles the gardens, but dogs are not permitted inside the gardens themselves. The Tan is one of Melbourne's most popular walking and running tracks (3.8km loop) and is a solid on-leash option.
Richmond
Council: City of Yarra Dog-friendliness rating: Good
Richmond is not the first suburb people think of for dogs, but its inner-city convenience and improving green spaces make it a practical choice for working dog owners.
Citizens Park (also known as Burnley Park) along the Yarra River has an off-leash area and is the primary option for Richmond dog owners. The park runs along the river, which gives it a sense of space despite being hemmed in by urban development. Dogs can access the river in some sections, which is popular in summer.
Richmond's advantage is its central location. If you work in the CBD, you can get home at lunch to let your dog out or have a walker visit easily. The suburb's grid layout and flat terrain make it walkable, and the Swan Street and Bridge Road café scenes are steadily becoming more dog-friendly.
Kevin Bartlett Reserve near Victoria Park station has a small off-leash area that is functional but not destination-worthy. It is a practical daily option rather than a weekend outing.
Bridge Road has undergone a revival in recent years, and several of the newer cafes and restaurants along the strip actively welcome dogs. Richmond is also well-served by pet supply stores, groomers, and veterinary clinics — the density of pet services reflects the growing dog-owner population in the area.
Practical Tips for All of Melbourne
Council Registration
Every dog in Melbourne must be registered with its local council by 3 months of age. Registration fees vary by council, by whether your dog is desexed, and by your concession status. In the City of Port Phillip, for example, a registered desexed dog costs significantly less than an unregistered entire dog. Microchipping is mandatory in Victoria for all dogs.
Off-Leash Etiquette
Melbourne's off-leash culture works because most people follow the unwritten rules: pick up after your dog, ensure your dog has reasonable recall before going off-leash, and leash up if a nervous dog enters the area. If your dog is reactive or in training, a yellow ribbon on the leash is an increasingly recognised signal that other dogs should not approach.
Summer Heat
Melbourne's summers regularly hit 35-40+ degrees Celsius. Between November and March, restrict walks to early morning (before 9am) and evening (after 6pm). Pavement and sand can burn paw pads — if you cannot hold the back of your hand on the surface for 5 seconds, it is too hot for your dog. Many Melbourne parks have drinking fountains with dog bowls at the base, but carry water anyway.
Finding a Sitter in Melbourne
Melbourne's size and suburb-specific character mean that finding a sitter in your neighbourhood matters more than in smaller cities. A sitter in Fitzroy will know Edinburgh Gardens and its quirks. A sitter in St Kilda will know the off-leash beach times. This local knowledge translates to better care for your dog.
You can browse pet sitters in Melbourne on The Pet Sitter, filtered by suburb. We are building the largest network of local pet sitters across Melbourne's inner and middle suburbs, from Fitzroy to St Kilda to Brunswick and beyond.
Whether you need overnight boarding while you travel, daily dog walking while you work, or a house sitter who will keep your dog in their own routine at home, having someone who knows your local area makes all the difference.