by Kristen Poli

Created on: September 13, 2008

I adore dogs, but I must disagree with the idea of taking a dog into a restaurant with the family. Unless the dog is a guide-dog or the restaurant is made specifically to be pet friendly, dogs should remain at home to guard the house while the family goes out to eat.

There are quite a few reasons as to why dogs should not venture into restaurants with people. For one, it would be unfair to the other customers. What if the elderly man in the next booth is allergic to dogs? What if your dog thought that the food the waitress carried smelled so delicious that he just had to try some of it and jumped up to grab a bite? What if your dog would not stop barking, or had to do his business? That doesn't sound like a nice night out to eat for the family in my opinion.

Another reason that dogs should not go to restaurants is because it wouldn't be fair to the poor dogs. Think about it: restaurants are full of people and food, both of which will most likely lead to trouble. The dog could become nervous with all the strange people around, probably voicing his concerns at these strangers quite loudly to you and the rest of the restaurant until you leave. Or, he could be one of the friendliest dogs around and he may just have to greet everyone and anyone who walks past with a slobbery kiss.

Despite how many dog lovers there are in the world, I can guarantee that not everyone will relish the idea of getting kissed by a dog right before they eat.

If you did happen to take your dog to a restaurant, what would he do there? Lay by your feet while the taunting scents of food waft all around him? I don't think so. Obviously he's going to believe that he can have some as well, and if you don't get it for him, he may just try to find someone else who can feed him.

And if you do feed him, that's all well and good until a certain type of food doesn't agree with his stomach and he must get rid of it out of one end or the other. Some people food are okay for dogs; some are not. If your dog gets sick, the vet's bill will probably be much higher than the bill you just paid the restaurant for getting those stains out of their carpet.

Again, I love dogs, but this idea isn't very plausible. Yes, it'd be nice to have a complete family outing, Rover included, but a public restaurant is not the place for a dog. There will only be trouble and frustrations from trying to enjoy a nice meal while also keeping an eye on Rover to make sure he doesn't jump on any food-carrying waitresses. If you want to have a meal with your dog included in the family, I suggest take-out.

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