# taking baby in restaurants



## littledog (Dec 7, 2006)

We are planning a trip out west from Ohio this August. I plan to take my baby with us. I have a carrier that looks pretty much like a big purse. I was thinking I could take him into the restaurant with us to eat. How have others of you worked this out. I asked Bob Evans once and they said "no". I decided if it wasn't good enough for my dog, it wasn't good enough for me. Any suggestions.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

It is against health regulations to take pet dogs inside an eating establishment. Some restaurants with outdoor seating are dog friendly. But no restaurant should tell you it is okay to being your pet dog inside. 
Just be aware if you sneak your dog in and get caught, it is the restaurants legal responsibility to ask you to leave. Don't take offense...they have to follow the rules to stay open.


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## Hunter's Mom (Dec 8, 2008)

I was going to say exactly what Jackie said. If possible, since it will be summer, you should look for places where you can eat outdoors.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

jmm said:


> It is against health regulations to take pet dogs inside an eating establishment. Some restaurants with outdoor seating are dog friendly. But no restaurant should tell you it is okay to being your pet dog inside.
> Just be aware if you sneak your dog in and get caught, it is the restaurants legal responsibility to ask you to leave. Don't take offense...they have to follow the rules to stay open.


:thumbsup: I'd make sure there are drive in restaurants on your route and plan your stops accordingly.


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## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

Yeah no restaurant will allow it. Only service dogs. No food stores would either. I've seen people taking dog in places like Marshalls (discount clothing/housewares etc. store) and other stores like department stores and stuff. I've taken Andy in Lowe's numerous times. (carried or in the cart) Out in the open and no one ever says anything. But if it were a food establishment they would. Unfortunately that is the law.

You can always do it, but if she were to bark or something or someone would see you, there is a good chance you'd be asked to leave, whether you were done eating or not. They could get in trouble with the health department.


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## maltlovereileen (Jan 19, 2009)

I guess I'm a rebel at heart... with our first two malts (since they were only dogs) we travelled everywhere with them (but didn't start doing so til they were out of their 'puppy phase' for obvious reasons ). I had a dog bag with mesh that was very discrete and took them into restaurants, theaters, virtually everywhere we were going. Both of these dogs were well behaved and didn't make noise in the bag. Of course, when able, we prefer to eat in restaurants with outdoor seating that allows dogs...much more fun when you can let your dog's head pop out of the bag  The BEST place to travel with a dog is France - you were welcome to bring them openly into restaurants and they would even bring a dish for your chien's dinner 

For less stress than smuggling, I recommend researching pet friendly places ahead of time... google 'dog friendly' and where you are going... example 'dog friendly ohio' : DogFriendly.com - Ohio Travel Guide for Dog Owners ... you would plug in wherever you are planning to travel through  If you know ahead of time where you can stay/eat/dog parks are, etc it makes the trip a lot smoother


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## puppymom (Jun 13, 2005)

When you sneak a dog into a restaurant you jeapordize the owners liscense. It isn't fair to risk them being fined or worse losing their food permit. 

We travel frequently with the pups and find many establishments have outside seating. Cracker Barrel especially has that long front proch with the tables and rockers. We sit on the porch and order take out. At many of them we find that a wait staff person will actually come outside to see if we need anything. If we can't find a resturant that has outdoor seating we get take out and find a rest area with picnic tables. 

There is a web site, and I can't remember what the name is, that helps you with "pet friendly" travel plans.


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## jenniferhope423 (Jun 25, 2007)

I wouldn't take the chance of bringing my babies inside a restaurant. I'm not a rule breaker. I prefer to call ahead and ask if they allow pups on the patio area. Most restaurants with outside seating don't mind at all.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

puppymom said:


> When you sneak a dog into a restaurant you jeapordize the owners liscense. It isn't fair to risk them being fined or worse losing their food permit.
> 
> We travel frequently with the pups and find many establishments have outside seating. Cracker Barrel especially has that long front proch with the tables and rockers. We sit on the porch and order take out. At many of them we find that a wait staff person will actually come outside to see if we need anything. If we can't find a resturant that has outdoor seating we get take out and find a rest area with picnic tables.
> 
> There is a web site, and I can't remember what the name is, that helps you with "pet friendly" travel plans.


:thumbsup: I couldn't agree more.

Here are a couple of websites that help you plan a dog friendly vacation:

DogFriendly.com® - Pet Travel Guides and City Guides for Dog/Pet Owners

Pets on the Go: Pet Friendly Travel Unleashed!

Dog & Pet Friendly Hotels & Pet Friendly Travel - TRIPSwithPETS.com


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## littledog (Dec 7, 2006)

thanks for the info - especially the websites. That will help.


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

I wouldn't sneak one in either,it's true the restaurant can be shut down and fined,even if they didn't see the dog but another customer would complain. Personally I'd love to take them in a restaurant,they are cleaner and better behaved than some kids!
I've never had an outdoor cafe say no though,but I always ask first,just in case.


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

puppymom said:


> When you sneak a dog into a restaurant you jeapordize the owners liscense. It isn't fair to risk them being fined or worse losing their food permit.
> 
> We travel frequently with the pups and find many establishments have outside seating. Cracker Barrel especially has that long front proch with the tables and rockers. We sit on the porch and order take out. At many of them we find that a wait staff person will actually come outside to see if we need anything. If we can't find a resturant that has outdoor seating we get take out and find a rest area with picnic tables.
> 
> There is a web site, and I can't remember what the name is, that helps you with "pet friendly" travel plans.


:thumbsup:


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## maltlovereileen (Jan 19, 2009)

:blush: I guess I never really thought/worried about it since no one ever knew/would know we had a dog in there... very lucky that ours knew to stay under cover. Probably shouldn't have told anyone :w00t::blush::innocent:


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## jadey (Nov 2, 2006)

jmm said:


> It is against health regulations to take pet dogs inside an eating establishment. Some restaurants with outdoor seating are dog friendly. But no restaurant should tell you it is okay to being your pet dog inside.
> Just be aware if you sneak your dog in and get caught, it is the restaurants legal responsibility to ask you to leave. Don't take offense...they have to follow the rules to stay open.


yeah exactly that.


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

maltlovereileen said:


> :blush: I guess I never really thought/worried about it since no one ever knew/would know we had a dog in there... very lucky that ours knew to stay under cover. Probably shouldn't have told anyone :w00t::blush::innocent:


I own a restaurant and I can tell you it really isn't funny. Would I love to let your precious baby in, yes, but by law we can't .By people thinking it's funny or cute or by thinking they won't get caught which eventually they will our fines would be astronomical and that isn't really fair. I love ALL animals but rules are rules and we as owners have to pay for people sneaking their animals in , not them, us. :thumbsup:


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## pinkpixie1588 (Oct 12, 2009)

maltlovereileen said:


> I guess I'm a rebel at heart... with our first two malts (since they were only dogs) we travelled everywhere with them (but didn't start doing so til they were out of their 'puppy phase' for obvious reasons ). I had a dog bag with mesh that was very discrete and took them into restaurants, theaters, virtually everywhere we were going. Both of these dogs were well behaved and didn't make noise in the bag. Of course, when able, we prefer to eat in restaurants with outdoor seating that allows dogs...much more fun when you can let your dog's head pop out of the bag  The BEST place to travel with a dog is France - you were welcome to bring them openly into restaurants and they would even bring a dish for your chien's dinner


I've snuck Leila into a restaurant before, too . She was in a purse type carrier and she was all zipped up underneath the table the whole time. She never makes a peep and she gets to be near me, which is her favorite place to be. If I have the option, I choose a place where I don't have to sneak her, but sometimes it isn't possible. My other option at the time was leaving her in my uncle's apartment alone, where he wasn't allowed dogs, so any barking would've been a big problem. 

I know lots of people feel very strongly about this issue, and I'm definitely in the minority, but just wanted to let you know you aren't alone in wanting/trying to bring your malt EVERYWHERE with you.


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## =supermanskivvies= (Aug 7, 2008)

My family and I are currently planning a trip with my dog (to Door County, Wisconsin), so I've been looking into this as well. We're planning on eating mostly at places with dog-friendly patios. My mom found a microbrewery that allows dogs in their outside seating. Dogs AND beer? Two of my favorite things. :thumbsup:

If outside seating is not an option, you could always get carryout. Then you could either have a picnic, or bring it back with you to the hotel.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

The food is the reason we don't travel with Alex (his health too lately). We like good food and with a dog it is just not possible to find a nice restaurant with outdoor seating. Take out is not the same. My daughter was confronted with this when she was working as General manager at La Madeleine and PEI WEI. She does not have something against it, but the law is the law. She told the people, they can stay on the patio but not inside.


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## maltlovereileen (Jan 19, 2009)

=supermanskivvies= said:


> Dogs AND beer? Two of my favorite things. :thumbsup:
> .


:HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley::thumbsup::amen:


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## puppymom (Jun 13, 2005)

It is so nice to see such a change in tone here, I can remember years ago when discussions about sneaking our pups into places practically turned into "knock down drag out's". I've always figured that breaking the rules when it came to where the pups were or were not allowed only hurts the future prospects of more pet friendly places.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

im glad this was asked as i wasnt aware of this either. i guess it would be unfair to the owners to have to pay a fine because a fluffmom decided to sneak one in. 

i like the idea of the outdoor patios.. how bout the movies , i wanted to take dolce to the movies the other day , im pretty sure he would be quiet but i always wonder .. what if he needs to pee or something?


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## littledog (Dec 7, 2006)

*traveling*

We all know how traveling is sometimes. It gets late, you gotta stop and you just can't bear another McDonalds or Burger King meal today. I guess take out is our best answer.
Now let's see if I can attach a picture.:smilie_tischkante:


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## heartmadeforyou (May 16, 2009)

I take Bogie just about everywhere. We eat at outdoor restaurants mostly, or he stays in the car (locked and running and in sight) while we eat. He goes (with permission) to Alexandra's dance and piano lessons, the fabric store, my hair salon (one woman full service shop), yoga class, and many others. He stays in his basket until I give him permission to get out (even if someone else tries to get him to come out.)

I have taken him into the Mall of America (in his Kwiggy Bo bag) for a short time but it made me really nervous. I usually don't break rules. I didn't know about how the fines worked for the restaurants. It doesn't seem fair that the restaurant should pay the fine if a customer broke the law while being deliberatly sneaky. 

Also, kids will rat you out in a heartbeat and they will see your little fluff even in a discreet bag.

One exception I have is our city parks. Our town has an ordinance that says dogs have to be 100 yards away from the pool or any pavillions. We practically live outside in the summer (I have a 7-year-old) and I do take him to the pool (we stay outside the gate) so I can watch Alex at her swim lesson. I bought the stroller for him so we could more easily do things at the park. He will be in full view, but completely enclosed. If someone calls the law on me, that is fine. I'm willing to buck the system for a fully contained canine to be allowed in an outdoor public area.

And yes, there are many times when Bogie is cleaner than my 7-year-old and MUCH better behaved than my 26-year-old.


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## Chalex (Feb 19, 2010)

I took Preston with me to the doctor the other day. He stayed in his bag without making a peep and the nurses all thought he was adorable. When the doctor came in she never noticed him. I'm sure she wouldn't have cared but it was kind of funny that he went unnoticed for so long.

We later had a lovely lunch with a friend at a restaurant with an outdoor patio. If you're coming to California, there are plenty of placees with patios.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I take Nikki everywhere with me, *except* for places that serve food, as it is against health regulations. 

When we travel it is usually in my husband's large van. If we can't find a place to eat with outside seating, Nikki stays in her bed on the floor of the van in the back, out of sight, with plenty of water and cool airflow. We don't rush through our dinner, but we don't linger too long either. We've never had a problem doing it this way. I'd love to take her in restaurants, as she is a quiet girl and wouldn't make a fuss in an enclosed bag, but I don't want to jeopardize the owner's business. If a health inspector walked in while we had Nikki there, the owner would get in a lot of trouble. It's just not worth it.


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## PreciousPrince (Feb 27, 2006)

uniquelovdolce said:


> how bout the movies , i wanted to take dolce to the movies the other day , im pretty sure he would be quiet but i always wonder .. what if he needs to pee or something?


Perri often goes to the movies with me. I take him in his bag and stuff a nice fluffy blanket in there with him, and then when the lights go down I take him out of his bag and put him on my lap with the blanket so he's comfy. He just curls up on me and sleeps. I don't take him to action movies bc they're so loud and not to the really long ones either. 
A regular length movie plus previews is like an hour 45 min. so I'm sure he'd be fine potty wise for that amount of time.


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

puppymom said:


> It is so nice to see such a change in tone here, I can remember years ago when discussions about sneaking our pups into places practically turned into "knock down drag out's". I've always figured that breaking the rules when it came to where the pups were or were not allowed only hurts the future prospects of more pet friendly places.


:goodpost:


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

uniquelovdolce said:


> im glad this was asked as i wasnt aware of this either. i guess it would be unfair to the owners to have to pay a fine because a fluffmom decided to sneak one in.
> 
> i like the idea of the outdoor patios.. how bout the movies , i wanted to take dolce to the movies the other day , im pretty sure he would be quiet but i always wonder .. what if he needs to pee or something?


I would never think of taking Snowball into a restaurant. I know that would not be the right thing to do because of the laws prohibiting pets in restaurants and grocery stores, etc. 

I also could not imagine Snowball being kept under a table ... hidden away in a tote, while we were up above him enjoying a nice meal. At home, Snowball always enjoys eating his meals with us. However, he always waits until we are seated and start eating our meals, before he starts eating his own food. Bless his heart, he doesn't want to eat without us. 

As for movies ... I don't think dogs would be allowed in a theater either. Food is sold in movie theaters. And, imagine if everyone started bringing in their dogs ... dogs of all sizes! 

Even if dogs were allowed in a movie theater ... I'd never subject Snowball to the louder volume of sounds that occur in so many movies. Snowball relaxes more in a quieter environment.

Snowball is welcome in several places ... my physical therapy appointments (Snowball sits there with my hubby) ... and, my internist's office. We hold Snowball though ... I wouldn't allow him to go running around in a medical office. 

Snowball is also wecome to a lot of outdoor cafes in our area. But, we make sure that it is okay with the restaurants first. I do want to be considerate of other diners, too. 

Snowball is lovingly spoiled as all of our fluff babies on Spoiled Maltese. However, I would never do anything that could possibly spoil someone else's movie or dinner ... and, especially when it is against the rules.


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## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

Here are the things I do on the road:

I look for places with outdoor seating.

I sit on the front porch at places like Cracker Barrel.

I do drive thrus (even though I avoid them otherwise). 

I look for restaurants with car-side to-go. (Applebees, Outback, Chilis often have this). 

I order from delivery services (Pizza, Chinese or if I am really lucky Thai) at hotels.

If I am desperate I will order room service at hotels.


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## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

Personally, I would never take Bisou to the movie theater. I think she'd be happier at home and really she doesn't need to be with me 24/7.

I do take her to restaurants with outdoor seating though and there is one coffee place that allows dogs inside that we go to near my house. I'm sure there are laws here against having dogs inside a restaurant, so I want to respect that..also I don't want to inconvenience/annoy others because I choose to have a pet. Not everyone is fine with dogs or taking them everywhere with you.


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## Snowball Pie's Mommi (Oct 16, 2008)

iheartbisou said:


> Personally, I would never take Bisou to the movie theater. I think she'd be happier at home and really she doesn't need to be with me 24/7.
> 
> I do take her to restaurants with outdoor seating though and there is one coffee place that allows dogs inside that we go to near my house. I'm sure there are laws here against having dogs inside a restaurant, so I want to respect that..also I don't want to inconvenience/annoy others because I choose to have a pet. Not everyone is fine with dogs or taking them everywhere with you.


Yes, I like what you said, Andrea, and I agree.

Unfortunately, Snowball cannot be left alone because of his severe separation anxiety. This has been confirmed by two behavioral specialists. So, either my husband or me, or a trusted friend are here with Snowball. And, with that, our lives have changed at lot. We used to cruise almost every year. And, have dinner out frequently. I'm not complaining though ... we love Snowball so much that he is stuck with us. He is family. :wub::wub: I just worry if there is a life and death emergency with me or Felix. Anyway ...

I forgot to mention that one of our banks has always welcomed dogs. In fact, our bank recently had an ad with a picture of our vet and his dog!! And, treats are offered to all doggies. Coffee, water, and treats for people, too!


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## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

Aww poor Snowball! I didn't realize that he had separation anxiety.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

We don't go to the movies, so no worries there. Yesterday, we took Nikki into an ice cream shop and ordered our ice cream, then we took the ice cream outside to the patio and hung out there. Nikki was in her bag, and I asked first if I could order and then go outside. (Yes, I ate ice cream yesterday in case you are wondering...)


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

Nikki's Mom said:


> We don't go to the movies, so no worries there. Yesterday, we took Nikki into an ice cream shop and ordered our ice cream, then we took the ice cream outside to the patio and hung out there. Nikki was in her bag, and I asked first if I could order and then go outside. (Yes, I ate ice cream yesterday in case you are wondering...)


:w00t: :HistericalSmiley: :HistericalSmiley: 
Well, good for you! I hope you enjoyed it


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I found nemo said:


> :w00t: :HistericalSmiley: :HistericalSmiley:
> Well, good for you! I hope you enjoyed it



Anyone else remember REAL frozen custard?

Years ago, they sold REAL frozen custard, made with cream and eggs, not the artificial and lowfat "soft serve" stuff that they sell now. 

So while we were in Beaufort SC, we happened upon an ice cream shop that sold REAL frozen custard. I don't eat ice cream anymore due to a dairy allergy, but no way could I pass that up!!!

If you are ever in Beaufort SC, check out Rita's (Real Frozen Custard and Italian Ices.)

Anyway, back to topic. :biggrin:


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## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Here Lowe's and Staples let you walk your dog through the stores. Home Depot does not.



SugarBob62 said:


> Yeah no restaurant will allow it. Only service dogs. No food stores would either. I've seen people taking dog in places like Marshalls (discount clothing/housewares etc. store) and other stores like department stores and stuff. I've taken Andy in Lowe's numerous times. (carried or in the cart) Out in the open and no one ever says anything. But if it were a food establishment they would. Unfortunately that is the law.
> 
> You can always do it, but if she were to bark or something or someone would see you, there is a good chance you'd be asked to leave, whether you were done eating or not. They could get in trouble with the health department.


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## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

They have Rita's in NJ....I tried it on one of my trips back home. They were yummy!


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## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Oh cute little Snowball....what does he do when he's left alone? We take Rocky with us to outdoor seating restaurants and some stores that allow. But we don't take him all the time. He loves going out with us.


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