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By Gina Spadafori

November 8, 2007

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Not long ago, my brother and I treated ourselves to dinner at an expensive restaurant, the kind no one would confuse with a McDonald’s, and not just because of the absence of a Playland outside the door. Dating couples crooned to each other in low whispers, waiters introduced themselves by their first name before discussing the wine list, people looked to score Ms./Mr. Right (or Ms./Mr. Just For Tonight) at the bar over drinks with silly names or expensive microbrews. Over in the corner, a business deal was being struck (or celebrated) at a table of wheeler-dealers.

And right in the middle of it all, a preschool-aged child alternated between screaming, throwing food at other tables and toddling off to visit other diners, while his parents tried to make like a chameleon and disappear into the carpet, ignoring the daggers shot at them while pointedly enjoying their meal, a task they had made almost impossible for everyone else in the place.

My brother, who thinks my dogs are a tad overwhelming when in full “pack greeting” mode, grimmaced at the roaming child, rolled his eyes and said, “Geez, they’d have been better off allowing your damn dogs in here, and banning children.”

Exactly, which is why I don’t understand the fuss over having dogs allowed in restaurants, especially at outdoor tables.

Turns out many restaurants are agreeing — about the dogs, anyway, because of course no one is going to be — or should be — banning children, leaving the decision to take the unruly ones to restaurants entirely up to parents, most of whom have much more common sense and consideration (if not more control) than the couple with the preschooler at the restaurant that night.

Chances are the trend towards allowing well-mannered dogs at outside tables isn’t about restaurants loving dogs, though, as much as loving the businesses. After all, seven of 10 households now have pets, as opposed to three of 10 with children. Doing business with dog-lovers is good for business, and it’s far easier to ask someone with an ill-mannered dog to leave than someone with an ill-mannered child.

This piece from MSNBC.com tracks the trend (thanks, Susan!):

There is no question about it — Americans are barking mad about their pets and this vignette is a mere slice of our new café society lifestyle as cities like Chicago pass ordinances that allow dogs to accompany their owners in outdoor areas of restaurants, and states such as Florida write into the law that restaurants everywhere can opt for allow doggie dining if they choose.

“If you’re going to take your dogs with you to restaurants and coffee shops, you have to be mindful of others at all times, says [Justin] Rudd.  “If a restaurant is crowded on a particular night, we’ll go somewhere else. And it’s important that your dog is very well socialized around both people and other pets. I never let them beg at the table or feed them off my plate.”

What about those who would prefer to have a fur-free meal? It’s fast becoming a debate similar to the smoking or non-smoking one. Even die-hard smokers would have to admit that dogs are far less invasive.

A well-trained and well-socialized dog, that is. Remember that old saying, “Good girls go to heaven but bad girls go everywhere”? When it comes to dogs, good dogs go to heaven AND go everywhere.

I hope the trend continues. I’d much rather dine near a well-behaved dog than an ill-mannered child.

Here’s the rest of the article.

Filed under: animals: pets,behavior — Gina Spadafori @ 9:17 am

21 Comments »

  1. “I hope the trend continues. I’d much rather dine near a well-behaved dog than an ill-mannered child.”

    And that says it all!

    Comment by The OTHER Pat — November 8, 2007 @ 10:17 am

  2. I’m sure the parents described would have liked to have left toddler in cage in the car with a toy to chew :)

    Comment by Laura Bennett — November 8, 2007 @ 10:44 am

  3. lol Laura!
    unfortunately, even that option is being reduced for dog owners. Even when the weather is perfectly safe for a dog to be in a car, we get harassed (angry notes from freaks or warnings from animal control)

    Comment by EmilyS — November 8, 2007 @ 10:48 am

  4. Sorry Emily but it is NEVER ok to leave your dog in your car. Ever.

    Comment by ladybug1580 — November 8, 2007 @ 11:45 am

  5. Living in the real world, I’m inclined to disagree with you. However, in the interest of learning more about your viewpoint, would you care to expand on that statement? (i.e. specific examples of the kinds of risks you see a dog being left in a car being susceptible to, etc.)

    Comment by The OTHER Pat — November 8, 2007 @ 12:01 pm

  6. Well, ladybug1580, I do. All the time when the weather is cool and the errand I’m running is brief (and usually, when I can watch through the window while running the errand).

    Let’s not be the pet nazis here. There’s no one way to perfectly care for a pet.

    That kind of attitude is what gets rescue groups in trouble and keeps pets from getting perfectly good and caring homes.

    Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 8, 2007 @ 12:17 pm

  7. My well-behaved dogs have been kicked out of the outdoor seating areas of several local restaurants. They were on a quiet downstay, not in the way, and not bothering anyone. The restaurant manager/staff uses the excuse “the health inspector doesn’t allow it”. BS. A call to the county health inspector’s office confirmed that there is no such prohibition. I don’t ever go back to these restaurants, with or without my dogs.

    Comment by LauraS — November 8, 2007 @ 12:27 pm

  8. But Laura, they’ve then succeeded in their objective of getting rid of you.

    Wouldn’t it be better to go back - proof in hand that there is no prohibition against you being there, thereby clearing the way for others?

    Comment by The OTHER Pat — November 8, 2007 @ 12:34 pm

  9. ladybug1580: WHY is it “NEVER” ok to leave a dog in the car????

    Comment by EmilyS — November 8, 2007 @ 3:47 pm

  10. We had a new upscale mall open in October that welcomes pets. Even has facilities set up for them, play area, disposable bags, water fountains.
    They are allowed in many of the stores which have signs posted letting customers know if the pets are allowed in or not.

    Comment by VJ — November 8, 2007 @ 5:26 pm

  11. While we were starting up our dogpark, our downtown merchants were putting together a plan to have “outdoor cafe dining.”

    They whipped that legal package through very quickly so that they could convince all the folks coming through town for the dog park that they should stop in the downtown area afterwards with their dogs and have a bite to eat.

    Comment by Dorene — November 8, 2007 @ 6:52 pm

  12. If you love my business, you’ll love my dog.

    I’ll take a pack of dogs in a restaurant any day over one screaming kid.

    Comment by Lynn — November 9, 2007 @ 12:52 am

  13. One of my favorite sayings is, “The better trained a dog is, the more freedom he has.” Seems oxymoronic to the dogs-as-free-spirits crowd, but I believe it’s true. A trained dog is welcome a lot more places than one who is not leash-trained, jumps up on people, can’t hold still, acts on the belief that all furniture is for dogs at all times.

    Comment by kabbage — November 9, 2007 @ 6:16 am

  14. I’ll second (or is it third or fourth) that a well trained dog is welcome more places. Heck, well trained dogs are more FUN to take places; I think a lot of people leave their dogs home because it’s too much hassle to take them any where because they’re so unruly. I’m very lucky in that a ‘boutique’ pet store in my area is going to open a resturant/bar soon specifically for people and their pets! Even if the food doesn’t turn out to be all that great, I’m going to support their bussiness.

    Comment by Cardimom — November 9, 2007 @ 7:36 am

  15. I will confess that there are times (when the weather was appropriate) when I’ve left one of the cats in the car (in his carrier) while I run a quick errand. Because one of the cats has multiple health issues, my sole day off generally entails a trip to the vet’s. If I’m already out and about with him, and I have to deposit a check, grab an ingredient or two, or pick up a bale of hay for the bunny, I’m not about to waste half an hour driving home and back if I don’t have to. If it’s cool outside, five minutes in the car is not going to hurt them.

    I do, however, fear that some disapproving nutter might attempt to break in and lift them, so I try to stick where I’m able to keep an eye on the car at all times.

    Comment by Gwen — November 9, 2007 @ 8:33 am

  16. LADY BUG WON’T ANSWER BECAUSE IT IS JUST HER NARROW MINDED OPINION. WHEN THE WEATHER IS FINE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO HARASS YOU. I HAD SOMEONE LEAVE A NOT ON MY CAR THREATENING TO CALL ANIMAL CONTROL AND IT WAS 47 DEGREES OUT. MY DOG WAS EXCITED AND PANTING BECAUSE SHE WAS DISTURBING MY CAR AND GETTING HIM EXCITED BY TRESPASSING UPON IT WITH HER NOTE. NOT BECAUSE HE WAS HOT. I NEVER KNEW THAT HAPPENED TO PEOPLE. WE ALWAYS LEFT MY DOG IN THE CAR GROWING UP UNLESS IT WAS OVER 80 OR UNDER 30 ALLYEAR. SHE CALLED ME INHUMANE. HOW IS IT INHUMANE? PLEASE LADYBUG ANSWER THIS. IT’S NOT HOT AND NOT FREEZING OUT. THE DOG LOVES TO GO BUBYE ,HE WAS HAPPY AS SH*T. FUNNY THING IS I BET SHE EATS MEAT HOW INHUMANE IS THAT, YOU MURDERED A COW. PEOPLE NEED TO BE MORE TOLERANT OF OTHERS CHOICES WHEN NO ONE IS IN DANGER. THIS WORLD IS GETTING CONTROLED BY CONTROL FREAKS.

    Comment by BLACKNIGHT — November 9, 2007 @ 11:51 pm

  17. Caps Lock causes cancer. Especially in pets.

    Comment by Christopher — November 10, 2007 @ 2:34 pm

  18. When we travel with the pup, she generally stays in the car while we’re at a restaurant. We can’t leave her at the room (even crated), or she’d cry and bark. Our restaurant trips are in the fall and for dinner, so the temperature is fine, and since the car is familiar territory, she’s much calmer there than she would be in a strange room. We lock the doors and crack the windows.

    Comment by lin — November 10, 2007 @ 4:34 pm

  19. My dog doesn’t mind at all being in the car for a few minutes when I run an errand, assuming the weather is appropriate. She loves the car and waits calmly for me to return. I also don’t worry much about someone breaking in to steal/”save” her, because she knows what to do with people of poor intention. :)

    Comment by John — November 10, 2007 @ 6:50 pm

  20. Hi, I just came back from Mexico and was catching up on my blog reading when I came accross this comment posted under my screen name. I’ve used the screen name ladybug1580 since 1995. I don’t know who posted here under my name, but I don’t appreciate it.
    I will be posting here under my real name next time I stop by.
    And just so you know where I really stand on this issue: I leave my dog in the car while I run errands as long as the weather is comfortable for him.

    Comment by Formerly ladybug1580 — November 11, 2007 @ 5:46 pm

  21. ladybug1580, thanks for clearing that up :-)

    Comment by LauraS — November 12, 2007 @ 1:44 am

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