Some of us are uneasy about bringing our babies with us when we go out to eat. Some of us worry that we would spend the majority of time correcting and disciplining the dog and have very little time and energy left to spend enjoying the company or the food. I know this is a worry for me. My dogs are too interested in getting petted by any nearby person and barking at any passing or nearby dog. It is not that I am embarrassed by the barking. I don't embarrass easily. It is more about trying to control and discipline the babies while trying to enjoy my meal and conversation at the same time.
There are classes you can take with your dog to help desensitize them to distractions. There are exercises you can do with your dog to reinforce their sense of security and self-control. The issues for most dogs about being in a restaurant are about self-control in an environment of over-stimulation or about insecurity and fear. What I am learning is that being afraid and waiting until they are ready does not help the babies to get ready.
We went to Doral for lunch today. We had the day off, but we went to the office, walked through to meet everyone and check out my office, and then we took my friend Andee out to lunch. We went to our favorite hoagie shop and sat outside for over an hour. The babies were a bit nervous and curious for a little while, but they did settle down. They did not beg for food and they did not bother people at neighboring tables. They did stand up and pay attention as anyone walked by, but they did not bark or lunge. They just stood, looked, and sniffed. I was very surprised at how well they behaved.
There are many many dog-friendly dining establishments in Brickell. The Brickell Irish Pub has no official pet policy or weight limit, but they do allow dogs on their outside patio. We have not eaten there yet, but I hear the burgers are not bad. Other dog-friendly eateries in Brickell include Balans, Abokado, Rosinella, the new Burger and Beer Joint, Baja Fresh, Gordon Biersch, PF Chang's, Perricone's and Rosa Mexicano. The most dog-friendly dining establishment in Brickell has to be Segafredo. They offer free Evian for all pets, PLUS, scroll down on the menu page to see what they offer for sale to feed your four-legged dining companions. And don't forget JB Kitchen and Bar, as in yesterday's article!
Let's all get out there and take advantage of what Brickell has to offer. The only way that we can know if our babies are ready to dine al fresco is to try them out and see how it goes. The more we do it, the more they will get used to it and the easier it will get for all of us.
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