It’s the weekend, maybe Friday night. You’ve worked hard all week and you deserve a
reward. You decide to treat yourself to
dinner with friends at a nice restaurant, the kind you typically don’t go to on
a weeknight. Once seated and handed a
menu, there’s nothing left to do but enjoy the company of your companions, order
a nice meal you don’t have to cook yourself, and let the stress melt away. Even the atmosphere helps to set the
mood. Or it would, except…what is that,
a dog? Some obnoxious woman, mere seats
away, has snuck a buggy-eyed Chihuahua-looking thing into the restaurant, using
a large purse as concealment. You watch
as she portions some of her own food into small bites, depositing them into the
snapping mouth that protrudes from the handbag.
But all that mouth does is eat.
It doesn’t bark, whine, or chew on your shoes. In fact, you might not have even known it was
there were it not for your careful scanning to see if any noisy children were
present. And, since the dog doesn’t seem
to bother you, you can enjoy your evening like you’d planned all along. So, what would be the harm in allowing dogs
in restaurants?
There
are some who are certain dogs are naturally incapable of this (Anderson). A large establishment with no dog
restrictions might have, say, ten dogs inside, seated with their owners. Those against allowing them believe these
dogs would inevitably begin to bark at each other, even engage in vicious
brawls mid-salad course. Not to mention,
there’s the possibility of dogs choosing to relieve themselves inside the
restaurant, or getting their hair in customers’ food. And what about people who are afraid of dogs,
or miserably allergic to their fur?
Don’t they have a right to enjoy their meal just like anyone else?
To
answer all these questions, it is important to consider what paying restaurant
customers want. Most notably, they would
prefer to eat somewhere that is clean.
This includes wiped down tables, tidily swept floors, and a pleasant food
smell untainted by garbage odors or overpowering scents. In addition, they enjoy environments with a
reasonable murmur of chatter, not too loud as to deafen other patrons, but not
too soft as to require everyone whisper self-consciously. Of course, the food is of utmost importance,
so it must be sanitary and appealing.
All these components are part of what makes a good restaurant good, and
a lack of one or more will cause some paying customers to turn away, choosing
to take their business elsewhere.
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Even English Bulldogs can have excellent table manners.
(Roberts)
|
It
is certainly true some people are allergic to dogs. It is also true some people are allergic to
perfumes, pollen, and some commonly encountered foods. Allowing dogs in restaurants would not significantly
impact these unfortunate few because some dogs are already allowed to go
anywhere their owner can go. These dogs
serve those with disabilities, such as guiding the blind and alerting the
deaf. They occur where fearful and
sniffly people go, and so far have coexisted without any big scenes. Thus, the presence of other, similarly
well-behaved dogs would not increase their discomfort, as they have already
made any necessary personal adjustments for the inevitable service dog.
Regardless
of these efforts, some irresponsible dog owners have chosen the selfish route,
purchasing a vest and identification card for their pet and claiming it is a
service dog (Shah). Without the years of
work and training that go into the real deal, these imposters have created a
negative reputation for actual service dogs and well-trained pets alike. It has gotten to the point where either the
out-of-control “service” dog is allowed because the restaurant owner cannot
tell it is disguised, or the real service dog is denied because they cannot
tell it is legitimate. To top it off, there
are other careless owners who will act like celebrities, smuggling poorly
trained dogs in their purses and ignoring its aggressive displays. These obnoxious diners ruin the meal for
everyone else, and hinder the possibility for respectful dogs to accompany
their owners out to eat.
But
what if they were all good? Over in
Europe, there are already many restaurants and stores that welcome the
well-trained dog, often offering water and treats to these canine companions
(Khuly). So far, there seem to have been
no complaints, and since it is still an existing practice, businesses must
remain successful as well. It would not
be difficult to follow their lead and include the polite dog at the table,
allowing dog owners the opportunity to bring their
furred friends with them on errands and to social outings.
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This guide dog calmly waits beneath
the table
at a nice restaurant. (Rothman)
|
By
allowing only the obedient dogs, restaurants can help foster dog
obedience. The Americans with
Disabilities Act states that proprietors cannot discriminate against a disabled
person and their service dog, but proprietors may have the dog removed if it is
deemed to be dangerous or a nuisance.
What if the law included all dogs, not just those in vests and
harnesses? Business owners could police
their own establishment, judging which dogs are violent or an irritant and
which are suitable dinner guests. Dog
owners would have a greater incentive to teach their dog good behavior, while
disruptive dogs would be shunned from public eateries until they have learned
to be good.
I
understand some may object to allowing dogs in restaurants. They may worry about the reliability of dogs
to do what they’re told, or that the scent of all that food would return them
to some sort of primal, wolfish state, and they would start jumping onto
diners’ tables to steal their meals.
While there are always going to be dogs that will disobey, it is because
they have not yet been taught self-control.
It is entirely possible to teach a dog to remain calm while food is
being passed around on the table above their head. They can absolutely learn perfect obedience,
staying put even when you have to leave the table. They can even learn to ignore the
accidentally dropped bits of food that land near their face. The proof of this is in the already existing
and restaurant-frequenting service dogs, who, when properly and completely
trained, can even behave better than most children.
I
have spent many hours reading article after article on this subject, navigating
the back-and-forth of online comments and opinions. While there were some, regardless of their
side, who were respectful and insightful, there were disappointingly many that
were typical internet arguers, strengthened by anonymity to state opinions as
fact and base their arguments on insult.
They are the kind of people I would not like to have to sit near in a
restaurant. A well-behaved dog, on the
other hand, wouldn’t bother me at all.
Unfortunately, he is not allowed, and until we open our minds to the
possibility of good dogs, we’ll be stuck with “Yappy” the fake service dog and
“Smuggles” the contraband purse hermit.
(Sources)
Anderson,
Lessley and Jason Krause. Why Aren’t Dogs
Allowed in U.S. Restaurants? CBS, 2007. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Khuly,
Patty. Should we be more like the French
and invite dogs to dinner? Gannett Co., 2010. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Roberts, Donna Twichell. Cover from Good Food Cookbook for Dogs. London:
Quarry Books, 2004; print.
Rothman, Carly. Commercial
by Morris Twp. group highlights rights of visually impaired. NJOL LLC,
2008. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Shah,
Khushbu. Diners With Fake Service Dogs
Could Face Jail Time. Vox Media, 2014. Web.
12 Mar. 2015.
United
States. Department of Justice. ADA Title II, Pt. 35, Subpart B, § 35.136 (a). Ada.gov. 2010. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
