Mary Allen
A beer after work, a meal in a restaurant, a visit to a music festival: Many dog owners don’t want to do without either. But are you allowed to take your four-legged friend with you to the pub? And what needs to be considered?
Regardless of whether it’s a restaurant, pub, or festival, most cantons allow you to take your dogs outside with you. However, that does not mean that they are welcome everywhere. After all, the host decides who he accepts as a guest – and that applies to both two-legged and four-legged friends. It is, therefore, a good idea to clarify this in advance.
A look on the internet reveals a number of restaurants that advertise that they are particularly dog-friendly. These include the “Roseg Gletscher” hotel restaurant in Pontresina GR. “We’ve been running the hotel for eleven years, it’s a paradise for every four-legged friend who can stay with us for free,” says Lucrezia Pollak-Thom. However, they have no expectations of dogs and dog owners, “since we have not had any negative experiences to date”. It would only be nice if the way in the restaurant was free for the staff and the dog was housebroken. If something goes wrong, it’s not that bad either.
Few see it quite so relaxed. Others want the dog to sleep on the floor in the hotel room or under the table in the restaurant, which is at best on the edge. At least the latter makes sense according to experts. Animal psychologist Ingrid Blum recommends choosing a quiet corner “where you can keep the dog to yourself without the staff feeling bothered”.
«It can also be useful to have a blanket on which the dog can lie. Small dogs feel more comfortable in an open bag than on the ground,” continues Blum, who runs the Fee dog school in the cantons of Aargau and Lucerne. The topic of treats seems to be somewhat ambivalent. According to Blum, an unscented chew can be useful for reducing stress, and many owners also rely on it to keep the dog occupied.
Complaints are Rare
However, restaurateurs are divided. While treats are part of the service in some places, such as in the “Roseg Gletscher”, other innkeepers have had bad experiences with them. So says Markus Gamperli from the Hotel Sportcenter Fünf-Dörfer in Zizers GR: “It depends on the volume!” There are also one or two complaints from non-dog owners that the animals are too loud or too restless. But at least according to Katrin Sieber from Hotel-Restaurant Alpenruh in Kiental BE, discrepancies have always been able to be clarified quickly so that everyone involved was satisfied.
So that there is no bad mood in the first place, both dog and owner are equally in demand. It is important that the dog is socially acceptable and relaxed. He has to deal with a lot of people, uniforms, a certain level of noise, and tight situations, says Blum. “Just ordering the dog into place is not an option,” she emphasizes. The animal must feel safe with its familiar caregiver in order not to panic if a glass falls off the waiter’s tray or a group of children rushes past. Last but not least, a good relationship of trust should be the basis of joint ventures. It is also advisable to go for a walk around the bar before visiting the restaurant so that Bello can both work out and relieve himself.
Festivals are Taboo
To avoid stress, you should also prepare your darling for the exit. “If they’ve gotten used to it slowly or from an early age, you can take dogs to a quiet, non-stuffy restaurant,” says Blum. This is also confirmed by colleague Gloria Isler, who runs the Animal Sense practice in Zug. She advises training the dog during the day when the restaurant is not busy. Calm behavior should be rewarded and “if the puppy is restless or demands attention, it should be ignored”. In general, it is worthwhile to get the dog used to many situations as a puppy. your tip? A noise CD with recordings of fireworks, vacuum cleaners, and children’s screams.
In the summer months, in particular, there are many festivals in addition to bars and restaurants, which are often visited by dogs. After all, here they are in the fresh air and have grass under their paws. If it weren’t for the garbage and the loud music. Therefore, both experts speak out against it. Blum: “Dogs don’t belong at open-air events. Taking it along would be classified as animal cruelty.” Because dogs have an enormous ability to hear that is far superior to ours.