‘No Dogs,’ not really anymore! Over the last year or so, I’ve noticed a change in attitude to the places that dogs are welcome. Take today for example; my family and I went for a short walk and then sat outside a cafe, in the Town Square, warm sun on our faces, Paddy and Tracy by our table. It didn’t take long before a member of staff asked if the dogs would like some water, followed by the Manager asking if they were racing dogs.
Similarly, at Christmas, our dog-walking group lunched at a pub in the New Forest, after a long walk naturally and the dogs lounged contentedly on the floor. The waiting staff took great care to tread around them – priceless! The Manager of a pub near us positively encourages dogs coming into the bar, customers can’t resist a smile and sometimes a stroke.
Dog friendly accommodation is another fast growing option. Take your dog on holiday and save kennel fees. Last July we stayed at ‘The Acorn Inn,’ Evershot, Nr Yeovil, Somerset with Pad and Trace. It was £10 extra for each phenhome.com dog. They provided a water bowl and towel for the dogs and a big welcome. The country walks around the area were fantastic and the dogs settled easily.
We also took Pad and Trace on a steam railway; their first time on a train! They were a bit unsteady with the movement in the carriage at first but soon settled down on the floor for a snooze. Quite a number of children looked at the dogs sleeping and chuckled excitedly. I also took Tracy into a ‘dogs allowed Department Store’ not so long ago. We walked through the Perfume Counters and over to the lift area. Watching people’s reactions is so funny; some look incredulous, some just laugh. You’d be surprised how many other shops allow dogs to enter, obviously not where food is sold but elsewhere …
My conclusion is that in general, people like to see well-behaved dogs and they definitely do bring a ‘feel-good’ factor to almost any environment. Not only that, just think how many more people get to learn about how great owning a rescue greyhound can be!
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I’m really pleased that attitudes are changing to be more like in Europe where dogs seem welcome in so many more places.
I manage The Vyne National Trust property near Basingstoke and I’m hoping to persuade my team that allowing dogs into the grounds would not be a problem. We’re hosting a trial day on 20 May 2012, so come along and join us along with the dogs from Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare.
It’s so annoying that people see potential problems, rather than realising that many customers like to see dogs and enjoy saying hello and having a cuddle!