When Frida was younger - and still today - we have traveled a lot with her around Europe. And now also with Vilde. Especially in countries like Germany, Austria, Italy and England we have met with a lot of goodwill regarding taking your dog to, for example, cafés and restaurants. That's why I started to investigate the possibilities for the same here at home. It has been interesting to see how big the differences are, and how this topic can really "divide the waters": Some dog owners want to have their dog with them everywhere, and the dog almost sits at the table, while others always let the dog stay at home. And people both with and without dogs can have very strong opinions that it is both unhygienic, illegal and a big nuisance for other guests.
Let me first state that the legislation leaves it up to the individual restaurant to decide whether to allow dogs - as long as no food is prepared or a buffet is served in the same room. That said, I can certainly understand why many cafes/restaurants choose to say no, because everything else is easier when you don't know whether you're meeting a calm and well-behaved dog or one that will be a nuisance.
Personally, I really enjoy being able to bring my dogs with me, as it gives me more flexibility in terms of the things we can do together. And that I don't have to leave them alone at home for many hours, other than the ones they are alone during the day. I have always trained a lot of "calm" and environmental training, so they feel safe being with me and stay quiet on the floor when they are with me. Without being able to ask, I think they enjoy coming along. And we often get a lot of smiles along the way from both the serving staff and other guests.
If we, who are happy to have our dogs with us, are to change the general attitude of both restaurateurs and other visitors, then I believe that our most important task is to make sure that it is a good experience for everyone. Dogs that do not feel safe in new places, other people and dogs, will certainly be much better off staying at home in quiet surroundings. And let's remember that not everyone finds it charming with dog paws on chairs or a dog's head in their lap. So here we must be self-critical both for the sake of the dog and for the sake of the surroundings. It doesn't take many complaints before it is easier for a restaurateur to say "no thanks" to dog visits.
I think my own horror story was a "dog hotel" in Italy, where 90% of the visitors had dogs. Unfortunately, only about half of the dogs were there as they should have been: dogs growling at other dogs walking by, dogs barking or being noisy or pooping on the furniture. It's just not right for the poor dogs or anyone else. On the other hand, I've been to pubs in England where several dogs were just lying around relaxing at their owners' feet. Nice and quiet, no problems.
I hope that dog-friendliness will slowly increase in Danish restaurants and cafés. Because it is usually really nice when you have a well-behaved dog with you, and it often opens up good conversations with both the side table and people with children. But this can only be successful if we dog owners take responsibility and always have the dog's best interests in mind, while also taking a lot of consideration for those around us who are not quite as dog-loving as we are.
About the blogger:
Karoline lives in Birkerød with her boyfriend and their two golden retrievers, Frida and Vilde. Karoline is a trained veterinarian and dog trainer and is co-founder of the dog running club Dirty Paws, where she is also a trainer/rope keeper at the local club in North Zealand. Frida and Line love running canicross together and have participated in many competitions at home and abroad, including the European Championships and World Championships. Their most important motto, however, is "Better together" - that the trips are about teamwork and understanding for each other. And that everyone can join in. In addition to canicross, they also participate in K9 biathlons (obstacle races with dogs) and do dog fitness. And hiking both in Denmark and around Europe is also a hit.
Frida is a super fast runner when it comes to it. And can hike for hours in the Alps. But she also just loves to be petted on the stomach and sleep for a long time. She can be stubborn as a donkey if there is something she doesn't like. On evening walks, for example, she is the one who decides the route. And she "talks" a lot by purring, including when she thinks she has earned an extra treat.
Vilde is from the spring of 2023 - and in many ways Frida's opposite. She is full of mischief and always happy and cheeky. She can howl like a wolf or jump like a kangaroo when she gets impatient - and otherwise she is a smart and brave girl who loves wild play and training. She will do pretty much anything for a treat.
Frida, Vilde and Karoline can be found on Instagram with the profile @teamgoldenpower
Should you take your dog "into town"?
When Frida was younger - and still today - we have traveled a lot with her around Europe. And now also with Vilde. Especially in countries like Germany, Austria, Italy and England we have met with a lot of goodwill regarding taking your dog to, for example, cafés and restaurants. That's why I started to investigate the possibilities for the same here at home. It has been interesting to see how big the differences are, and how this topic can really "divide the waters": Some dog owners want to have their dog with them everywhere, and the dog almost sits at the table, while others always let the dog stay at home. And people both with and without dogs can have very strong opinions that it is both unhygienic, illegal and a big nuisance for other guests.
Let me first state that the legislation leaves it up to the individual restaurant to decide whether to allow dogs - as long as no food is prepared or a buffet is served in the same room. That said, I can certainly understand why many cafes/restaurants choose to say no, because everything else is easier when you don't know whether you're meeting a calm and well-behaved dog or one that will be a nuisance.
Personally, I really enjoy being able to bring my dogs with me, as it gives me more flexibility in terms of the things we can do together. And that I don't have to leave them alone at home for many hours, other than the ones they are alone during the day. I have always trained a lot of "calm" and environmental training, so they feel safe being with me and stay quiet on the floor when they are with me. Without being able to ask, I think they enjoy coming along. And we often get a lot of smiles along the way from both the serving staff and other guests.
If we, who are happy to have our dogs with us, are to change the general attitude of both restaurateurs and other visitors, then I believe that our most important task is to make sure that it is a good experience for everyone. Dogs that do not feel safe in new places, other people and dogs, will certainly be much better off staying at home in quiet surroundings. And let's remember that not everyone finds it charming with dog paws on chairs or a dog's head in their lap. So here we must be self-critical both for the sake of the dog and for the sake of the surroundings. It doesn't take many complaints before it is easier for a restaurateur to say "no thanks" to dog visits.
I think my own horror story was a "dog hotel" in Italy, where 90% of the visitors had dogs. Unfortunately, only about half of the dogs were there as they should have been: dogs growling at other dogs walking by, dogs barking or being noisy or pooping on the furniture. It's just not right for the poor dogs or anyone else. On the other hand, I've been to pubs in England where several dogs were just lying around relaxing at their owners' feet. Nice and quiet, no problems.
I hope that dog-friendliness will slowly increase in Danish restaurants and cafés. Because it is usually really nice when you have a well-behaved dog with you, and it often opens up good conversations with both the side table and people with children. But this can only be successful if we dog owners take responsibility and always have the dog's best interests in mind, while also taking a lot of consideration for those around us who are not quite as dog-loving as we are.
About the blogger:
Karoline lives in Birkerød with her boyfriend and their two golden retrievers, Frida and Vilde. Karoline is a trained veterinarian and dog trainer and is co-founder of the dog running club Dirty Paws, where she is also a trainer/rope keeper at the local club in North Zealand. Frida and Line love running canicross together and have participated in many competitions at home and abroad, including the European Championships and World Championships. Their most important motto, however, is "Better together" - that the trips are about teamwork and understanding for each other. And that everyone can join in. In addition to canicross, they also participate in K9 biathlons (obstacle races with dogs) and do dog fitness. And hiking both in Denmark and around Europe is also a hit.
Frida is a super fast runner when it comes to it. And can hike for hours in the Alps. But she also just loves to be petted on the stomach and sleep for a long time. She can be stubborn as a donkey if there is something she doesn't like. On evening walks, for example, she is the one who decides the route. And she "talks" a lot by purring, including when she thinks she has earned an extra treat.
Vilde is from the spring of 2023 - and in many ways Frida's opposite. She is full of mischief and always happy and cheeky. She can howl like a wolf or jump like a kangaroo when she gets impatient - and otherwise she is a smart and brave girl who loves wild play and training. She will do pretty much anything for a treat.
Frida, Vilde and Karoline can be found on Instagram with the profile @teamgoldenpower