Monday, May 11, 2009
News Dogs in Restaurants? Discuss Among Yourselves.
Posted by Carrington Fox on Mon, May 11, 2009 at 6:20 AM
The Tennessee legislature is sniffing around the idea of allowing dogs in the outdoor areas of restaurants. Is this a good plan--or a dog of an idea? Discuss.
Comments (27)
Showing 1-27 of 27
I really don't like the idea of eating around other people's dogs (or even worse: the kind insufferable dog people who would bring their pets to a restaurant). That said, I'm avoiding patio seating anyway since most have become the defacto smoking section, so what the hey!
like
dislike
#1 - Your dog is NOT important
#2 - Your dog *stinks*
#3 - Somebody's dog sooner or later is going to piss on you/someone/your pocketbook/bag/laptop/etc, etc, etc.
#4 - If you are a person who want to make food for sale from from home ("domestic kitchen") you are forbidden to have any pets in any way due to contamination issues. Yet Metro will allow these flesh bags covered in fleas, shedding dander, shedding hair, and able to drop big steaming coils of poo to be allowed within shitting distance of the kitchen???
#5 - Fairly soon, registered concealed weapon permit holders will be allowed to bring their deadly weapons to parks, bars, restaurants, - everywhere! Here's hoping yer puppy does not piss off or nip at one of these loopy patrons who will likely empty their 15 round magazine into fido. "Self defense".
#6 - What about my cat? Ferret? Hamster? Beta fighting fish? Chimpanzee?
#7 - I have never understood the total absence of rational thought that pet owners possess. For instance, If I am talking with you and happen to have a flatulence event, I am immediately scorned for being disgusting. Yet, when your dog shits on the kitchen floor, you pick it up with your hands........ That's OK? Litter boxes. WTF?
#8 - Dog fights.
Thank you for helping me save money by avoiding establishments that may permit this.
I don't have any problem with it. They do it in Italy and they managed to come up with the Renaissance.
The problem with dogs in restaurants is that some dogs are very well trained and behave well around groups of people without jumping on laps, knocking over servers, begging from everyone, barking at strangers, etc. and some dogs don't. It's likely more the owner's fault than the dog's and you can't make a policy that says only well behaved dogs are allowed. I'm a dog owner and a fan of dogs in general, I have no issue with a dog on a public patio if they can stay with their owner and not cause chaos for others trying to enjoy their meal/coffee/whatever. But a dog in a restaurant just seems like a a bad idea.
Then again, the same thing can be said about some people's children in restaurants and we let them in pretty much everywhere!
i don't see a problem with having dogs in outdoor areas of restaurants. for one, this is done all over europe and nobody seems to have a problem with it. For the most part, people only bring their dogs to public places if they are well behaved - in order to save themselves from embarrassment. I'm not saying that the occasional badly behaved dog couldn't ruin your experience...but then again small children can be just as disgusting and obnoxious in a restaurant setting. I'm not trying to equate the two....i'm just saying people act like dogs are much more disgusting and unruly than they actually are. Nobody is inviting them into the kitchen...after all - we are talking about outdoor space here..
Great idea. Especially for those in walking distance of Hillsboro Village or Elliston Place. Maybe restaurants in these areas will begin offering a doggie menu.
Correction: it's early in the morning and I first read this as being about dogs INSIDE restaurants.
I have no issue with dogs on the patio, and clearly I need some more coffee this morning!
Ryan,
I couldn't have said it any better re: people and their children. I mean, how appetizing is it to have a child sitting next to you shoving scrambled eggs up its nose? Forget the crying and banging of silverware, glasses, plates, etc.
Works fine in Germany, but I notice that das Volk are not fool enough to show up with larger breeds whose tails could knock over glasses, among other drawbacks. (My childhood Great Dane could clear a city block with his farts.)
I've seen this work nicely in other cities.
Many dogs can be perfectly behaved, quietly staying under the table and controlling their bodily functions. Owners are responsible for the behavior of their pets and while there may be a bad apple or two in Nashville, generally people only bring dogs that will behave well in such an environment. No pet owner wants the embarrassment or inconvenience of being responsible for a misbehaving dog in a restaurant.
The dogs are happy, and it brings a more relaxed and friendly vibe. Bear in mind, only allowing dogs in outdoor seating areas is being considered; not indoors.
fire hydrant, clearly you know very little about dogs and have some issues about hygiene. You're probably freaked out by yourself from the sound of your posting. I feel a little sorry for you; dogs aren't the cure-all for life but they are nice to have around-- and really don't come with most of the problems you anticipate, if things are done right.
Yeah, it works in Europe. Because most Europeans have SMALL dogs. Many of the ones here are much bigger and much worse behaved. You're kidding yourself if you think only people with well-trained dogs will take them to restaurants-- do only the people with well-behaved kids take them out? Nope. And children are bad enough, but at least no one's allergic to them. I would beg that there be sections that are guaranteed dog-free so I don't have to spend my entire meal itching.
Adult Diner:
Were you never a child?
I've seen a lot of posts like this over the last year and am always disgusted. In general people bring kids to 'family friendly' restaurants because it's easier and more forgiving, but kids are human beings and should be welcome everywhere. It's part of the learning process.
I'm sure you benefitted from some learning experiences of your own along the way.
i, in fact, spent a month last october in italy and was surprised not only by the number of dogs in restaurants AND bars, but also at their size...most were larger breeds..i.e. labradors and hounds...and by the way, i have actually SEEN dogs on the patios of some restaurants here in nashville (where the establishment either allows or doesnt mind) and not once have i seen a badly behaved or unruly one. think about the dogs sitting lazily outside of fido.
give nashvillians a little more credit. we are not all irresponsible rednecks who want to bring our misbehaved, mangy mutts with us to dinner.
Like it -- have seen it happen in many other cities & feel like people who are worried are on the wrong track.
For the most part, it's a self selecting group. People generally don't take their dogs if their dogs are a hassle -- why ruin a good meal/drink etc. by taking a poorly behaved dog? (Same logic applies to kids -- most folks with poorly behaved kids don't bring 'em.)
My reason for tying poorly behaved kids and poorly behaved dogs together (not literally) was because in general both are relying on the adults around them for cues on how to behave in public.
There are some dog owners who take their dogs everywhere without teaching them how to behave around other people. They think everyone loves their dog as much as they do, would love to have their dog licking them and jumping on them and eating off their plate. This is not the dog's fault - this is the stupid owner who assumes everyone feels the same way they do about their dog and everything their dog does is adorable and charming. Like some have mentioned, people have allergies or anxiety or just plain don't like dogs and they should have the right to dine out in public without worrying about someone's poorly behaved dog.
There are some parents who are the same way, not all, but some. They take their kids out in public and think that everyone enjoys interacting with their kids as much as they do. They let their kids run around unsupervised and don't teach them how to be polite or respectful of other people. I've worked in restaurants where parents view a meal out as a way to let everyone else in the restaurant watch their kids so they don't have to. The kids are running around, bothering people at other tables, making a huge mess of their food, etc. The parents are just oblivious or happy that they get a few moments of peace and don't say or do anything. It's not the kid's fault, they don't know any better than what they've learned from the parents. Kids need to be taught how to dine out in public and the only way to learn that is to do it, but the parents need to be involved in teaching them that it's not a free for all everytime you're not in your own space and someone else has to clean up the mess.
I'm a parent and, to a certain extent, I do see the comparison between kids and dogs in restaurants as fair. There are places I take my kids and there are places I don't...and when I see kids in certain restaurants I cringe just like I would if I had to eat at a table next to a dog, even outside.
That said, it is outside. As I said before, you've already got all the smoking out there to deal with, which is nastier and covers a greater area than dog poo. And chances are there are also indoor seats available, so for those of us bothered by dogs, we can just stay in there.
I do like the point brought up of why just dogs. What about cats? Parrots? Miniature ponies? A lot of people find them nicer pets and better companions than dogs, and some individual animals of other species have the capacity of being well-behaved in public. So why trust dog owners to decide if their animal can hack a trip to the sidewalk cafe, but not owners of other pets?
I would LOOOVE to be able to bring my dog to patios (kudos to Batter'd n Fried for already allowing this on their patio). This would be especially nice (for me) in East Nashville, so after the dog park or greenway, we can grab a bite to eat.
I think it should be fine to other patrons - if you hate dogs (or children) sit inside. Owners should definitely know their dogs and know if they would be a loud, clumsy problem. Most dogs are more well-behaved then you'd think.
I'd much rather people have their dogs with them at restaurants than guns. I think a place that allows people to walk around with their weapons but bans people from doing so with their pets makes a real statement on the level of our civilization.
I'll take kids AND dogs before I put up with over-parfumed ladies and meatheads doused in Axe.
YES about the perfume. Just thinking about it is bringing back awful memories of high school and boys who seemed to bathe in Polo. SHUDDER.
It's amazing how this legislature can take care of all these things we didn't know were issues (like toting your concealed peacemaker in while you sip your Jack & coke and granting an unregulated/uncertified home school education the same diploma that rigorously monitored, tested and certified schools grant), while continuing to flail about in utter helplessness when faced with the very basic desire to buy beer in a liquor store and wine in a grocery store.
Now, having said that, I can't say I'm against this, as the poo will hit the proverbial fan when the well-bred bring their premier-papered pooches to watch them peck on the patio, and find their pampered princesses pulling in the puffs of the proscripted tobacconists. Hell hath no fury like that woman (or man) watching their poodle sneeze.
There are literally thousands of restaurants in the US that allow pets in the outdoor areas of restaurants. For those of us that are pet owners, it's fantastic. We spend all day at work, away from our pets, and when we get home we'd like to include them in our leisure plans - including getting something to eat. Of course owners must be responsible and remove a dog that is not behaving immediately, so as not to interrupt the experience of the other patrons. Also to consider is the fact that a large number of people choose to travel with their pets. If Tennessee wants to be a desirable destination for those folks it will help if there are places they can eat!
I lived in Toronto and they allowed this, and it was wonderful. Sometimes you just need a drink after a walk with the pooch, and we would sit on the porch with our dog and chill. The problem became that the owners of the restaurant came to love our dogs, and as soon as they saw us sit down they would get water and bread for our dog before they served us! Now once or twice she did become unruly, and we left immediately, but I fear that some owners wouldn't be so conscientious.
I don't think that they should necessarily allow all dogs on all patios, but instead allow proprietors to make the choice but decriminalize the action. So, then if they want dogs they can have them, if not then it's a canine-free zone.
I do have a question here, and it's not strictly limited to the canine aspect of this discussion -
when I am at such a place ALONE with my pooch, and nature calls for me, not the hound, what do I do with the dog ?
I don't even know the right way to deal with this when ensconced at a wifi cafe with french press and laptop - do I take my laptop with me, do I notify the workers so they don't clean up behind me, do I leave everything, including my employer's hallowed confidential hard asset and hope to god that nobody absconds in my oh-so-short absence? - so anyone's best practices with or without fido/rex implications are most appreciated ! (Not normally fond of the belt-and-suspenders approach to such problems, but for now, I basically do both a and b when in the situation described...which explains why I mostly stay in the office instead.)
