Does everybody in Dunedin own a dog? Sometimes it feels like it.

There are dogs under café tables. Dogs walking along the Pinellas Trail. Dogs poking their noses into shop doorways. Big dogs, little dogs, pedigreed dogs and dogs of decidedly mysterious ancestry.

There are water bowls outside businesses. Restaurants with dog-friendly patios. Dogs on to the beach. There are even pictures of dogs painted on the buildings.

Welcome to “Dogedin.”

That’s the affectionate nickname Dunedin has acquired over the years, and it really does describe the place. Dunedin has become one of the most dog-friendly communities on Florida’s Gulf Coast – or really anywhere in Florida.

The city’s own tourism organization acknowledges the “Dogedin” nickname and points to its dog-friendly restaurant and brewery patios and proximity to one of Florida’s relatively rare dog-friendly beaches.

How did this small Pinellas County community become so doggone nuts about dogs? Like a lot of things about Dunedin, it seems to have happened because the town simply decided to be itself.

Meet the Dogs on the Walls

Perhaps the most visible evidence of Dunedin’s canine obsession that is impossible to miss is the murals that are painted on many of the city’s buildings. Artist Anna Hamilton has become particularly associated with Dunedin’s dog murals through her Murals for Mutts project. One of the best-known is the collection of pet portraits associated with Skip’s Bar downtown.

These aren’t imaginary cartoon dogs; they are portraits of actual local pets.

Over the years, Dunedin’s dog murals have turned portions of downtown into what amounts to a community doggy photo album. Dog Pub Social, another particularly dog-centric Dunedin establishment, describes Hamilton’s work as appearing at locations around town, including Skip’s, The Living Room and its own “Dogedin 2” wall.

The murals aren’t simply public art about dogs; they tell the stories of actual Dunedin dogs.

In Dunedin, the Dog Often Comes to Lunch

In many towns, bringing the dog along means planning your outing around the places where dog are not welcome. But Dunedin often seems to work the other way around.

Outdoor dining is a natural fit for Florida, and Dunedin’s compact downtown is particularly well suited to it. Sidewalks, patios, small independent restaurants, breweries and cafés all contribute to a culture where eating outside is common. And where there are outdoor tables, you’ll frequently find dogs underneath them.

A dog at the next table gives strangers something to talk about.

“What kind of dog is she?”

“How old is he?”

“Can I pet him?”

Five minutes later, people who had never met are chatting.

Dunedin is a community that thrives on sidewalks, patios, festivals, breweries, markets and chance encounters. Dogs fit naturally into that environment because dogs have a remarkable ability to turn strangers into acquaintances. Here, dogs aren’t merely tolerated; they’re part of the social scene.

And Then There’s a Bar for Dogs

Just when you think Dunedin’s devotion to dogs couldn’t become much more obvious, consider this: The city has an off-leash dog park that’s also a bar. Dog Pub Social bills itself as Dunedin’s first off-leash dog park and bar. Its fenced play areas include dog playground equipment, puppy pools and artificial turf. There are even staff members, called “Rufferies,” that supervise the play areas.

Dogs have to meet vaccination and other requirements before entering the off-leash areas, while their humans relax with a drink and socialize. You don’t have to own a dog to go there, but it helps if you like them.

Dogs Even Get Their Own Beach

A few miles from downtown, across the Dunedin Causeway, is beautiful Honeymoon Island State Park. Most Florida dog owners know the problem with taking Fido to the beach: at many beaches, they are not welcome, but Honeymoon Island is different.

At the southern end of the island is a designated pet beach where leashed dogs can accompany their owners onto the sand and into the Gulf. Dogs are also permitted on designated nature trails. Current park rules require pets to remain on a handheld leash no longer than six feet.

VISIT FLORIDA notes that although Florida has an enormous coastline, dogs are prohibited from many beaches. Honeymoon Island’s designated dog beach is a notable exception.

So picture this: You leave downtown Dunedin with your dog, drive west along the Dunedin Causeway with St. Joseph Sound on either side, cross onto Honeymoon Island and eventually find yourself walking together beside the Gulf.

For somebody contemplating a move to Florida who considers the family dog an actual member of the family, that’s not an insignificant amenity.

The Pinellas Trail Helps, Too

The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail passes directly through downtown, creating a steady stream of walkers, joggers and bicyclists. VISIT FLORIDA describes Dunedin as a designated trail town with a bike-friendly downtown built around the trail.

Naturally, plenty of the walkers have four legs.

You can start downtown, walk along the trail, stop for something to drink, wander through the shops, and continue toward one of Dunedin’s parks.

Dogs aren’t allowed everywhere, of course. For example, the City of Dunedin says dogs are prohibited from the beach areas along the Dunedin Causeway itself, although leashed dogs are permitted on the Pinellas Trail running alongside it. The designated dog beach is farther west, inside Honeymoon Island State Park.

Still, the combination of walkability, outdoor dining, and the trail helps make Dunedin unusually easy to enjoy without leaving your dog at home.

Dogs Have Become Part of Dunedin’s Identity

Eventually, something interesting happens to a town when enough restaurants welcome dogs, enough merchants put water bowls outside, artists paint dogs on buildings, and residents begin casually referring to their hometown as “Dogedin.” It stops being a collection of dog-friendly amenities and starts becoming part of the town’s identity.

Dog-oriented events have become part of the local calendar, too. Even Florida’s official tourism site lists Dogtoberfestamong Dunedin’s pet-friendly attractions. But perhaps the most telling evidence isn’t an event or a mural or a dog beach; it’s how ordinary the whole thing seems once you’ve spent some time in Dunedin.

What “Dogedin” Says About the Town

For someone considering moving to the Tampa Bay area, all this dog business actually tells you something important about Dunedin.

Plenty of Florida communities have sunshine, palm trees, swimming pools and restaurants.

Dunedin has those things, too. But Dunedin has developed something that’s much harder for a community to manufacture: a recognizable character. It’s a little quirky, a little artistic, very outdoorsy, very independent-minded, and very casual.

The Scottish heritage is part of it. The breweries are part of it. The Toronto Blue Jays are part of it. The Pinellas Trail is part of it. The murals and festivals and waterfront sunsets are part of it. And several thousand dogs are part of it, too.

Choosing a community isn’t only about square footage, property taxes and how far you’ll have to drive to Publix. It’s also about whether you feel comfortable there.

Can you picture yourself walking downtown on a Saturday morning? Do people say hello? Can you stop for lunch without rushing? Does the place make you smile occasionally?

And if your dog is an important member of your household, there’s another question:

Can he come, too? In “Dogedin,” the answer is a resounding “yes!”

Want to know more about “Dogedin,” or about living in North Pinellas County? Get in touch with Beth anytime: 727-643-7100 or bethfrederickRE@gmail.com .

Photos by Bill Frederick