Friday, June 5, 2015

Do Dogs and Restaurants Mix?

Summer is here which means sunshine and outdoor restaurant spaces. So, this leads me to a question.  What do you think about allowing dogs at outdoor restaurants in Western New York?  I have seen this in the Elmwood Village area of Buffalo, and I think it would be great!

Last summer, my family and I travelled to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where there are many outdoor restaurants, all of which allowed well-mannered dogs on leashes to sit closely to their owners.  The dogs we saw were all well-behaved and stayed near or under the tables where their owners sat.  Portsmouth is a popular tourist destination, and this seems to enable dog owners more flexibility if they can choose to bring the family dog on vacation.  It's also nice for the locals to be able to bring their dog(s) with them.  Many of the local shops had water bowls set out on their steps.  Portsmouth is a dog friendly town.

I'm also wondering if this was allowed, how are problems handled if they do arise?  I thinking about the dog owner that doesn't acknowledge that their little cock-a poo, "His name is Anderson Pooper!",  takes nips out of people any chance he gets.  "Oh, that's not blood, you silly!" they say.  Or,  thinking about my own slightly spoiled Shih Tzu, who has an annoying tendency to incessantly bark at people, other dogs and our mailman, Todd.  If she pulled that at a restaurant, I would pick her up and slink away in embarrassment, but maybe not everyone would.

I think most dog lovers would be open to this idea, but what about  non-dog people?  Would you find dining with dogs offensive?   Would it be off-putting if a dog ran up for a quick sniff, or had an sudden and inconvenient urge to scratch an indelicate spot? Of course, when your Uncle Henry does it, you would pretend that you didn't see him do it.  Would you do the same for a dog?

2 comments:

  1. I live near Annapolis, MD, many shops along Main St set out bowls of water or biscuits for dogs to enjoy. It is not uncommon to see a family enjoying the board d'fare of a local bistro whilst Fido relaxes at their feet. Most of these pups are well behaved; better behaved than some children. Back in the 1980's I visited Brussels, Belgium. The Europeans have a much more tolerant attitude towards most things, including the inclusion of animals at the table. While relaxing in a small cafe, a lady entered with her small dog. She took a table and ordered a meal and one small plate for the pup. Both enjoyed their food amongst the other patrons. Now in all of these situations the animals I witnessed were very well behaved. No harm, no foul. But what happens when Rex decides that your Rib-eye looks and smells better than his Alpo? I would be accepting of animals outside, but not so sure if I'm ready to strap-on the feed-bag with them indoors.

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  2. I'm not sure how happy I'd be to be having dinner with an unknown dog. I wouldn't have a problem with the dogs that lay down under the table or next to their family, but like you said, the ones that don't behave would be a real problem for me. And one that is constantly drooling and looking at me would bother me. I guess it all depends on the dog. My little girl would be horrible in any restaurant, she is afraid of people and other animals and I can't imagine having her somewhere that others would have to deal with her, even if it's just her shaking and being afraid, we'd have to be holding her the whole time. Not my cup of tea, I guess.
    Thanks for another thought provoking post, well done!

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