Monday, June 18, 2007

Should dogs be allowed in restaurants with outdoor patios?

I only asked this question because my parents have a dog that they take everywhere with them. When they come to visit, it is very tough to do things with them because frankly most places are not dog friendly. They even brought the dog to my son's graduation, although they weren't allowed into the stadium and had to sit under a tree a mile away. Luckily we filmed it all so they were able to see close up footage of my son graduating. We took my parents + dog to the park and had a picnic. Took them fishing. Did some outdoor things with them but they are getting elderly and my mom, especially ,is not able to get around very well. It would have been nice to take them out to a trendy nicely air conditioned restaurant to eat.

As an owner myself of an adorable canine, there are times that it would be nice to take her with me. However, she likes to jump and bark and chase so I cannot guarantee that she will be on her best behavior when we do go out in public. It would not be practical to take her out to eat unless she gets some proper training.

There is a big debate on this subject. I'm kind of on the fence with this one because if the dog is well behaved, I think it should be OK. The problem is if they are not. If I were a patron sitting there trying to enjoy my meal and someone's dog was constantly barking or had to relieve himself, I think that would kill the enjoyment right there.

A solution might be to have more restaurants that cater mainly to the pet owner crowd and offer not only meals for people but meals for certain types of pets too.


7 comments:

BetteJo said...

I just caught up on your blog - oh my gosh - migraines - IBS (which I have) - dogs in restaurants - planning showers and STILL thinking about spreading out into other art forms?
I'm in awe! :)

Terry Banderas said...

Nice painting of this husky. I like your art.

Terry Banderas said...

This is a very nice illustration. I enjoy your artwork.

palette48 said...

Terry,

Thanks for the comments and I enjoyed viewing your art too.

palette48 said...

bettejo,

Since you are an IBS sufferer too, I was wondering if you had any helpful hints in managing it? I would appreciate it a lot.

Thanks!

BetteJo said...

My best suggestion would be to eat right, 3 meals a day, sticking with high fiber, low fat, staying away from (for me) sugar, baked goods, and rich dairy. But - I am very bad about it. Also - Healthy Trinity by Natren - you can find it online - it's a probiotic capsule, keep it in the fridge, etc. Expensive though. Unfortunately - no matter how well I am managing it - if I get really upset or nervous it will flare up anyway. I think it ends up being a very personalized management plan. Like cheesecake is terrible for me - but may not bother someone else. A food diary may help in the beginning, to try to identify any specific food triggers. Mainly like I said - eating right and regularly is the best medicine, and for me - the hardest. Oh - started for me around puberty - all those hormones and all those emotions!!
Good luck!

palette48 said...

Thanks bettejo,

I am doing a food diary to see what some of the triggers are. I'll have to look at the probiotic too. Thanks for the helpful tips!