Showing posts with label pets in public places. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pets in public places. Show all posts

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.