My top tip for dining out with your furry family is:
don’t hesitate to ask.
My family loves going out to dinner, but we almost never go out anymore because we feel sad having to leave Sadie home alone. So we get excited when we discover a new restaurant that is dog friendly. Sadie loves going out to dinner with us, exploring a new place with exciting new smells. And we love having Sadie as a dinner companion. But it’s hard to find places that allow dogs in my area, even if they have outdoor dining areas. And you can’t necessarily rely on reviews or word of mouth to find out if a restaurant is dog friendly, because one manager may love having dogs, but if someone else is in charge that day, he or she may be too nervous to allow your dog to stay. So my best piece of advice is don’t hesitate to ask, because what the restaurant staff says may surprise you.
For example, Sadie and I recently stayed at a dog friendly hotel that had an attached restaurant. The hotel clearly had frequent canine guests, as they had welcome treats and food and water bowls already set up in the rooms. So I assumed it would be an every day request to eat with my dog on the patio of the restaurant. As usual, assuming didn’t work out well. Apparently I am the first person to ever ask to eat there with my dog! The wait staff and kitchen staff had a discussion about my request and decided it was fine with them if the hotel manager approved. So then they had to track down the hotel manager to give permission for me to eat outside with my dog at the dog friendly hotel. Eventually the manger approved and we had a nice dinner on the patio. But the point of my story is that no other dog owner ever thought to ask. Imagine all the other poor doggies left alone in their hotel rooms when they could have been enjoying dinner with the rest of the family. All it took was a simple question.
This post is part of Thoughtless Thursday blog hop hosted by Ruckus the Eskie, Love Is Being Owned By a Husky, and M.K. Clinton.
This post is also part of the Thursday Barks and Bytes blog hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like A Dog.
Around here, most places are clearly no pets. There are some outdoor places where we could go, but it is quite limited. Since we are usually at least two dogs it is even more difficult and we are normally happy to hang out at home and relax.
Emma recently posted…Back To Dog School
Hehe! This looks like fun!
It is odd that no one ever asked to eat outside with their dog. I am glad that you asked. Thanks so much for joining the hop!
2 Brown Dawgs recently posted…Thursday Barks And Bytes-The Constable
We wish there were more dog-friendly places where we live! Hope you enjoyed your dinner!
Golden Daily Scoop recently posted…How to Ditch that Wet Dog Smell #HappyHealthyOdorFree
So glad you asked. 🙂 This is how I usually go about it. I ask, because you never really know. We have several dog-friendly restaurants no far from us, and I am so grateful that they allow the dogs. 🙂
Good advice! You never know if you don’t ask!
De Hufford recently posted…Technical Thursday, Aussie Style
We have very few dog-friendly restaurants, but they will occasionally offer dog-friendly terrace eating as a fundraiser for our humane society. Thanks for hopping with us on Thoughtless Thursday.
M. K. Clinton recently posted…Bayou Great Pet Supplies at Bentley’s Bargains
Lots of dog friendly restaurants in Palm Beach, Florida. My favorite is The Chesterfield Hotel, outside dining in the courtyard. Feels like you’re in Europe.
I have not seen any places here they allow you to bring your pooch.. Sad but true,,,