Welcoming, friendly or just tolerant?
In our experience brands are waking up to the fact that excluding dogs is bad for business. It's certainly a lot easier to take pup with you now than even just a few years ago. However we find that the interpretation of dog friendly varies quite a bit between different businesses and brands. In our view, for a food business to count as 'dog friendly' they have to allow dogs to sit inside. To help guide you we use three broad categories:
- Dog Welcoming - a business that positively embraces dogs, permitting them indoors with largely unrestricted access/seating and doing that little extra to make them and their owners welcome - such as dog bowls, biscuits, doggy menus, or permitting them at the ordering counter so someone on their own can still order with their pup
- Dog Friendly - Dogs are permitted inside and some facilities like dog bowls and biscuits may be available, but dogs may be restricted to certain areas and not at the counter
- Dog Tolerant - Dogs are not permitted inside, but there may be outdoor facilities, such as dog bowls, covered seating areas etc
Dog Friendly Brands
The lists below reflect our experience (or where the brand has specifically advertised themselves as dog friendly). It's always best to check before travelling, especially where brands are operated by franchisees who may apply different rules. Some on the list here might surprise you, and certainly when we talk to other dog owners many are unware they can take pup to these businesses. Cafe's, Bars and Restaurants
Shops & Retail
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Hotels
Most dog friendly hotel chains charge a small fee to let your pup stay with you. It's also worth checking where you dog can go in the hotel, especially if you're thinking about using the bar areas or dining for dinner and breakfast. Best to check with your chosen venue before booking as policies may vary by site.
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A Word of Caution
We do our best to make sure the information provided is accurate, but it does reflect our experience at the time of visiting so we always recommend you check the up to date information with specific venues before travelling.
We do our best to make sure the information provided is accurate, but it does reflect our experience at the time of visiting so we always recommend you check the up to date information with specific venues before travelling.