Cookie Policy
Cookies, local storage, and your choices
This policy explains the browser storage and optional third-party technologies used by DogSphere.
Last updated: 2026-07-20
1. Our approach
Essential storage is used to keep the site secure, operate sign-in, retain functional choices, and remember your privacy decision. Optional analytics and advertising are off until you choose to allow them. You can change that choice at any time.
2. Technologies we use
| Type | Name or provider | Purpose and duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | dogsphere_token | Keeps a signed-in account authenticated. It is HTTP-only and has a browser lifetime of up to 180 days. |
| Essential | dogsphere_consent | Records the optional analytics and advertising choices you make for up to one year. |
| Functional storage | theme and dogsphere:search-state:v2 | Remembers a display preference and recent/comparison places in local storage. Recent places are limited to 90 days; comparisons remain until cleared. |
| Security | Cloudflare Turnstile (if enabled) | Helps distinguish people from automated abuse on public forms. |
| Optional analytics | _ga (Google Analytics 4) | Distinguishes browsers so we can count visits in aggregate. Set only after you allow optional analytics; expires after 2 years by default. |
| Optional analytics | _ga_BNQNFWLNH6 (Google Analytics 4) | Keeps the state of a visit (session) for the same aggregate measurement. Set only after you allow optional analytics; expires after 2 years by default. |
| Optional analytics | Plausible Analytics (if enabled) | Cookieless page-view counting. Loads only after you allow optional analytics. |
| Optional advertising | Google AdSense (if enabled) | Loads only after advertising is enabled and the required consent-management configuration is in place. |
3. Google Analytics
With your permission, this site uses Google Analytics 4 (property G-BNQNFWLNH6) to understand how people use it in aggregate — for example which pages and searches are useful. Until you allow optional analytics, the Google Analytics script is not loaded and Google Consent Mode keeps analytics storage denied. Allowing analytics does not allow advertising: advertising signals stay denied unless you separately allow advertising. We do not send names, email addresses, dog details, or the text of your reviews and contributions to Google Analytics.
Google receives information such as the addresses of the pages you view — on search pages these include your search words and any area you chose — your browser and device type, and your IP address, from which it derives an approximate location; Google states that Google Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses. Read how Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services. You can withdraw permission at any time with the button above, which stops further collection on this site.
4. Europe, the UK, and Switzerland
Visitors to our European-facing domain see an opt-in choice for optional technologies. If personalised Google AdSense advertising is introduced for visitors in the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, it will only be used with a configured Google-certified consent management platform that supports the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework. The site checks for the CMP's live consent API before requesting European ad technology; this site's own settings panel does not replace that required certified CMP.
5. United States privacy choices
On a US domain, the choice labelled “Do not sell or share” turns off optional advertising. We also honour a browser Global Privacy Control signal by keeping advertising disabled while the signal is active. The label is designed to cover applicable choices relating to covered sale, sharing, or targeted advertising; it does not affect essential account and security storage.
6. Browser controls and third parties
You can delete or block cookies and local storage through your browser. Doing so can sign you out or remove saved browsing preferences. Third parties such as map, image, security, analytics, and advertising providers may set or receive their own technologies when their services are used; their controls and policies apply to that processing.
For broader data-rights requests, visit Your Privacy Choices or read the Privacy Notice.