Before taking your dog to pet friendly restaurants, teach him some manners. It will make dining out a more pleasant experience for you both!
One of the biggest challenges people face when traveling with their pets is figuring out where to eat. Leaving pets in cars – especially in the summer – can be dangerous. But the thought of taking a dog that acts more like a dingo to pet friendly restaurants isn’t ideal either.
Whether you have a pup who’s just learning his dining manners, or working with an older or reactive dog, these tips will help you teach your dog to behave at restaurants.
Start Training At Home
The first rule of being a good dog owner is knowing your pup. So, if your pooch isn’t ready for prime time, don’t put him on the main stage! Begin by working with your dog at home.
With our puppy, Myles, we started by teaching him to lay on his mat while we ate. A toy, stuffed with his food and frozen overnight, kept his attention while we finished our meal.
Once he had the hang of that, we took the stuffed, frozen toy outside where there are more distractions. Then we added some friends for even more challenge!
Asking your dog to lay on his mat while you eat is something you can practice at home multiple times every day for his whole life. It’s a great skill to have when you’re hosting a dinner party or your house is full of holiday guests.
Tips For Dining At Pet Friendly Restaurants
Once your dog is behaving well at home, it’s time to take things up a notch. But, you can’t just decide one day to take your dog for brunch at the hip new place with people lined up around the block! With every new experience, the most important thing is that you set your dog up to be successful.
You could start by going for a cup of coffee at a time when traffic will be slow. If that goes well, choose a quiet restaurant during a moderately busy time of day. Before you know it, your dog will be contently laying under your table for a multi-course meal during prime time.
Find The Right Restaurant
Choosing restaurants that are truly pet friendly will make for a better experience. When seating you, hosts at pet friendly restaurants will ask where your dog will be most comfortable. They’ll understand if you request a shady spot, or one that limits your dog’s view of other diners. And they’ll bring out a bowl of water for your pup.
You’ll also want to consider whether your dog will be comfortable given the restaurant’s seating arrangement. Some restaurants say their sidewalk seating is pet friendly, but trying to squeeze even a small dog under your table away from busy foot traffic would be difficult.
Other restaurants that call themselves “pet friendly” have a fenced seating area and require pets to be tied outside the fence. We don’t consider that pet friendly and avoid those establishments.
The ideal dog friendly dining area has some shade, enough room between tables that dogs can lie down without being disturbed, and something that screens other diners — like potted plants or a lower level.
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Be A Good Ambassador
Having the opportunity to eat at pet friendly restaurants is a privilege, and we all need to take responsibility for making sure our dogs don’t ruin things for everyone. Doing something that might offend other customers or make additional work for the staff could cause a restaurant to change their pet policy.
So, be sure your dog relieves himself before you arrive at the restaurant, keep him off the chairs and table, and don’t feed him off the restaurant’s plates or utensils — unless they’re provided for that purpose.
Stay Alert
Patiently training your dog and choosing the right pet friendly restaurants are a good start. But even if you have the perfect dog, eating out together means you’ll need to split your attention. While enjoying the meal and chatting with your companions, you’ll also need to keep an eye out for possible issues.
Another dog could pass by. The waiter might deliver a especially tempting dish to a nearby table. Someone’s toddler could toss food on the floor. A dog lover might decide to pet your pup. It’s your job to be alert and head off issues before they occur. And be sure to have few special treats to reward your dog for not reacting to something that would normally upset him.
Be Prepared To Leave
We all have bad days. Dogs included. And you can’t plan for everything. A squirrel might appear looking for tidbits. A rambunctious soccer team could show up for pizza.
If something happens and your dog starts to react, just get up and leave. It’s best if you have a friend who will pay the bill and have your food packed to go. But if you’re on your own, leave enough cash to cover the check and beat a quick retreat.
Tips for People Dining Near Dogs
Patronizing pet friendly restaurants – even if you don’t have a pet with you – is always appreciated. And don’t forget to thank management for their pet friendly policy! If you’re in this situation, there are also a few things you can do to help support the pet owners dining with their dogs:
- Ignore the dog. Yes, I know it’s hard. But if you see someone enjoying a relaxing meal, their dog lying peacefully at their feet, please don’t approach them. Disturbing the dog is no different than walking up to a family’s table to give their child a good tickle.
- Ask for permission. If you simply can’t resist, please ask for permission before you reach to pet the dog. And don’t let your feelings be hurt if the answer is no. Dogs are at different stages of ability. Perhaps it’s taking all this dog’s willpower not to lope over and cover you with kisses. Laying calmly by the table could be really hard work, and something as simple as a quick scratch could set him back in his training.
READ MORE ⇒ 11 Tips For Greeting A Strange Dog
What If Your Dog Isn’t Ready
Let’s face it … being a well-behaved dining companion is an advanced skill. It takes practice, and still doesn’t always go well. Perhaps your dog is still learning, or is too reactive to succeed in that environment. Does that mean you can never eat out with your dog?
Absolutely not! Picnic-style is the way to go when your dog isn’t ready for the challenge of pet friendly seating areas. Look for a deli, grocery store with a prepared food counter, or pizza joint and get your meal to go. A picnic table in the park might be just the step your dog needs to go from your backyard to a pet friendly patio.
Whatever your dog’s abilities, don’t lose heart. Your pup is doing the best he can. The most important thing isn’t where you eat … it’s that you’re doing more together.
My dog attention barks when sitting in a pub. I have a mat, treats and chews as I can’t have him annoying other customers. How can I get him to just sit and watch the world go by?
Hi Larraine! That’s a great question. The first step is to make sure your pup isn’t getting the attention he’s hoping for when he barks. Meaning you and everyone else needs to ignore him when he’s not being quiet. It’s probably best to start working on that one at home before trying it in a busy pub. =)
I’ve also worked on teaching Myles the “hush” command. That starts by teaching them to bark on command. I started saying “tell me” when Myles was barking, and if he continued barking, I let him know he was doing great by barking with him. He thought that was great fun! While he was still barking, I held a treat in my closed hand in front of his nose and the moment he stopped barking to sniff it I said “hush”. If he stopped barking I opened my hand and he got the treat. (It’s pretty easy, because dogs can’t bark and sniff at the same time.) Then, as he caught on, I started extended the time between the hush command and when I opened my hand to give him the treat. I takes a bit of time, but it’s a worthwhile command to have! I hope that helps you — good luck!
Any advice on what to do when we take our dog out as a couple to a cafe, if my husband gets up to order our dog gets really stressed and tries to follow him. Completely ignores me and fixates on my husband, tries to pull towards him and when he comes back jumps all over him. He’s a big Labrador so it’s hard to hold him.
Hi Claire, and thanks for your question. Initially, I’d suggest you go place the orders for now and let your husband wait with your pup. Longer term, it sounds like you’re dealing with some separation anxiety. I’d pack some really good treats take your pup somewhere like a park where you can practice having your husband walk away, go out of view, and then come back. Throw a few treats in the grass so your pup has to sniff for them and while he’s distracted have your husband go a short distance away. As long as your pup stays focused on the treats, keep throwing one or two at a time. After a short while (like 15 or 20 seconds) have your husband come back. When he gets back to where you’re sitting, if your pup is calm, he could greet your pup calmly. If your pup is jumping all over, your husband should not pay any attention him until you pup calms down, and then he can greet him calmly. As you pup’s behavior improves, you can increase the length of time your husband is “away.”
The goal is to teach your pup that 1. good things happen when your husband walks away (treats), 2. acting with too much enthusiasm when your husband returns means an end to the treats and no attention from either of you and 3. being calm is the best way to get your attention.
If these suggestions don’t help, consider finding a positive-reinforcement trainer to help you help your pup with his separation anxiety. Good luck!
Hey! Wondering if you would have any suggestions for a bit of a challenge we are having with my pup. Anytime we take her to a public place and sit down, outdoor or indoor, she will sit and bark at us. We have tried multiple things to get her to settle in, treats, chews, practicing downstays at home, and nothing has worked. I feel like it could be multiple factors causing it maybe overstimulation or demanding food that we are eating. We would like to bring her out with us but have reached a road block. Any suggestions or advice?
Hi Emma! Yes, I can see where that behavior would be challenging at a restaurant. Of course, it’s impossible for me to know what’s causing your dog to bark at you when you sit down to eat, but there are a couple of things you could try.
The first thing I’d work on is to teach her that she never gets fed from any table. And it’s simple to do – you just NEVER feed her human food from the table, no matter where you are. Dogs pick up on that stuff really quickly, so it shouldn’t take her long. At the same time I’d work on teaching her “hush.” It’s a fun one, because you start by teaching the dog to bark. I use the command “tell me” with Myles — when he’s barking I say “tell me” and then I happily bark along with him. After a bit, I stop barking and hold a treat in front of his nose so he can smell it but can’t take it. When he stops barking to smell the treat (because dogs can’t do both at the same time) I say “hush” and then give him the treat. Then I slowly started increasing the time he had to be quiet to get the treat.
Once she has those to things down, I’d start packing picnics. Find a picnic table in a park and make the experience as close to a restaurant experience as you can — spread out your lunch, ask her to lay down, keep her on a short leash, etc. If she barks, ask her to “hush.” If she continues barking, put her in the car (as long as it’s not hot) for a few minutes and then begin again.
My approach is always to take away something the dog enjoys if they don’t obey a command. For example, if Myles is barking at something outside and won’t quiet when I ask him to hush I close the window shade so he no longer gets to look out the window. If he still continues barking, I might take his collar and remove him from the sofa. Generally that does the trick and he quiets down. We have a strict “no barking on the deck” policy because we live in town and I don’t want him irritating the neighbors. If he barks while he’s on the deck, I take him by the collar and he has to come inside for a while. There is no yelling — he just loses his privileges until he remembers his manners. I hope that helps with your pup. Good luck!
Just got asked not to return to a dog friendly restaurant and feel horrible. This was the first time for my rescue and albeit she did let out an occasional bark, often triggered by another dog, I feel like she wasn’t horrible. She was super excited. GuessI need to work on more exposure. Feeling terrible and thinking vacationing with her may have been a mistake.
I’m sorry that you’re feeling this way, Rescue mom. Try to go easy on yourself and your pup – this was her first time, so she’s still learning! The only way to get better is to practice, so the next time you eat out together consider a coffee shop or a location with counter service where your food will come faster and the time she’s expected to lay quietly is shorter. Once she gets the hang of that, work up to restaurants with table service, but shoot for times when the patio won’t be busy. If most of the outdoor seating area is empty your dog will be less likely to bark, and the restaurant staff is more likely be more forgiving if she does. Remember – no one (or dog) is perfect. These things take time and patience. Do your best to avoid disturbing other guests, but if you do shake it off and keep trying!
Thank you so much for the advice!! ☺️
Happy to help, Lynn. We’ve all been there – the important thing is to not give up.
I hope things are better
I have a two year old greyhound and he’s great at home with not disturbing my eating at all. He waits patiently to share . But as he’s gotten older he’s worse and worse in a pet friendly restaurant. Head on the table and going for whatever is on my plate and everyone else’s. Really frustrating now.
Hi Natalie! Apparently, somewhere along the line, he got the idea that the rules at home don’t apply when he’s out. The good news is, he already knows what he should be doing! He just needs to be reminded that the rules apply everywhere. I’d recommend starting with something easy – like going for a picnic in a park where you can sit at a table and he can lay beside you. When he’s got that down, try a coffee shop during a slow time of the day. That will limit the amount of time he needs to practice his skills, and make you less stress about him annoying other people. My hunch is that if you do a bit of remedial training, he’ll pick it up quickly, and you’ll be back to where you were in no time. Good luck!
Thank you! Great advice. He is a very well behaved boy, extremely gentle and friendly and truly a smarty so I expect that he will get it right after some consistent reminders from me. He just loves to eat so much that it’s crazy. Thanks again!
We’re happy to help! Good luck and waggin’ trails to you both.
I have an 8 year old Westie and have recently moved to a town where we can walk everywhere. I’d like to stop and have a cup of coffee in a cafe, but my dog gets anxious after about 5 min. and starts to whine (then I get stressed!) Not fun!
Any advice?
Hi Sarah! I’m so glad to hear that you’re enjoying your new home together. If your dog is not protective of treats, perhaps try bringing along a chew for her so she has something to do while you have coffee. For Myles we use a toy made by KONG – it’s a rubber ball with a hole all the way through. We slide a bully sick (the xtra large size) through, so he has that to keep him occupied when we’re eating out. I hope that helps — good luck!
Adventure cats also enjoy having a cup of coffee or a nice meal out with their guardians. Most of the same rules would apply to cats, sitting in their backpack or stroller is usually a best option. One of my boys is almost obnoxiously friendly if I don’t keep him in his backpack. He’ll welcome pets from anyone though. Dogs should be prepared to ignore cats they see in public too. The adventure cat movement is growing and encounters are more likely.
Hi Emilia! Thanks so much for your note and for the great reminder that cats like to participate in these types of outings as well. I really enjoy seeing people enjoying these types of adventures with their feline adventure buddies!