by Jamie Rider

Created on: June 14, 2008   Last Updated: June 16, 2008

Several years ago I lived in Columbus, Ohio. While I would never presume to try and enter a restaurant with a dog for inside dining due to local health codes, I got the opportunity to walk my dog and enjoy a coffee at several outdoor caf areas. The first Saturday of every month was "Gallery Hop" in the area of town on High Street immediately surrounding Ohio State University. Local stores, especially galleries stayed open late, colorful street vendors filled the sidewalks and overflowed into the on-street parking.

Perhaps it was the type of dog I had, or their level of behavior, but from the level of inquisitiveness and interest in my fellow diners you would have thought that my dog was a street busker playing Andes Pipe music and not a Briard out for a Saturday night stroll. Briards are impressive, even fairly young dogs can weigh between 60 and 90 pounds. Covered in fur reminiscent of Chewbacca from Star Wars, in self defense of passerby questions I would wear a tee shirt embossed with "Briard, an ancient French herding dog" so that I could have enough peace to finish my iced latte before it was watered down by the heat, abandoned while I explained the origin of the noble beast I had at the other end of the leash.

My fellow diners, perhaps because of Iota's manners, always expressed the same interest as passers-by on the street. Rather than harsh looks or complaints, we made new friends as we went. She was the type of dog that was alert, but minded no table surfacing, and while interested in passers-by, it was polite and involved no barking or jumping. As staff grew to know and expect us, often there would be a bowl ready to come out with water and a slice of cheese for her to sit and wait for the staff to set down.

We shared the outdoor section with smokers and people-watchers. On one rainy evening, they invited us in and none of the "regulars" looked twice at the two of us. But not every dog is so well behaved or cliental so understanding.

While I do not feel it is realistic to expect health codes to change and dogs to be welcome in every restaurant venue, for those restaurants that offer outside dining, it is only reasonable to allow dogs. It is important to protect that policy by being stern with people and excluding any canine diners that show inappropriate behavior towards other diners, but that is true of human customers as well. The only dogs that should not be limited to the outside area are service animals. Given their critical work, there should be no limitations of any kind, other than in food preparation areas, as to where owners may take service dogs. To do so violates both the legal rights and our moral obligation to people with disabilities. In the United States, this canine allowance is enforced by the reasonable accommodation clause of the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA.

The people of Columbus, Ohio are often considered as Middle America as Middle America can be. If they were willing to welcome a well-behaved canine to the nearby table, others will be open as well. In the United States there are 40 million dog owners, many of whom have significant buying power. The United Kingdom has approximately 5 million dog owners. What traffic a venue might lose to those not wanting to share their meal with Fido, in an artistic, open-minded or dog-centric area can be more than offset by the traffic from animal enthusiasts.

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