With all the adoration and adorableness, a puppy also comes with a side order of guilt. It’s nigh-on impossible to never leave them alone, but when we do it feels as unnatural as leaving a limb behind. You’re out of the house, but all you can think of is them pacing, whimpering and quite possibly wrecking the place.
Thankfully, pub owners across the country are making space for our four-legged plus-ones – serving up a side of dog-friendly treats, accessories and activities and areas.
If you and little Fido are planning your first pub outing, you might want to come prepared to make sure you’re welcome back a second time. Dog behaviourist and trainer Leonie St Clair advises taking something for them to nibble – other than the chair leg. “Chewing is meditative for your puppy – it activates their serotonin – so it’s a great idea to take something chewable to the pub,” she says.
And here’s where to take them:
The Cholmondeley Arms, Cheshire
Cosy, candlelit gastropub in a former Victorian schoolhouse. It has designated bedrooms where well-behaved dogs can stay overnight with their owners, along with dog biscuits at the bar and an open fire for dogs to flop beside.
The Bryntirion Inn, Bala, Wales
Voted the “most dog-friendly” pub by the Welsh public last year, this former hunting lodge is always packed with pooches.
The Narrowboat, Islington, London
Directly on the Regent’s canal – perfectly placed for a pre-pub walk – this bright pub has a hotch-potch of reclaimed furniture, balconies with water views, and blankets and treats especially for dogs.
The Espy, Edinburgh
Sandy paws are no problem at this kitsch Portobello beach pub; dogs (and their owners) have their own door and the run of an entire lounge. A sign encourages customers who are uncomfortable with dogs to let staff know, so that they can be relocated. Meanwhile, the dogs stay put.
The Greyhound Inn, Oxfordshire
This cottage-feel pub in the pretty Oxfordshire village of Letcombe Regis offers dog beds for pooch patrons, and their pick from a selection box of treats.
The Boot Inn, Wiltshire
Traditional stone inn with a yesteryear feel and an inglenook fire in Berwick St James. It offers a fenced garden where well-behaved dogs can play off-lead, plus beds, blankets and biscuits.
The Horse & Stables, Lambeth, London
No-frills Waterloo boozer with cushions emblazoned with “dogs welcome, people tolerated” and other pup-loving phrases. On Sundays, they’ll give your dog a free treat when you order a roast.
The Acorn Inn, Dorset
Sixteenth-century coaching inn in Evershot that furnishes dog owners with printed guides on where the best local walks are. It also hands out doggy towels and water bowls for post-perambulation pampering.
The signage features a man walking a dog, and this polished pub near Richmond lives up to its name. Four-legged guests are offered pig’s ears on arrival.
The Dirty Onion and Yardbird, Belfast
This tumbledown, cosy haunt features one of Belfast’s biggest beer gardens, plus a “doggy dock” with lead-hooks, water and homemade treats.
… but if Fido has to stay in
Of course, not every social event or venue is dog-appropriate (puppy plus ones are rarely welcome at weddings, for example, or work), so the time will come when you need to leave puppy at home.
“Remember that being alone will be a shock to the system for your puppy. The bonding process between a dog and a human is very similar to that between parent and baby,” says St Clair.
“It’s impossible to put specific figures on how much alone time they can take at specific ages, since it will depend on your dog’s temperament. Even within breeds, there are big variations, but puppies do the most learning from eight to 12 weeks, so this is a crucial period to get them used to alone time,” she says.
“The biggest mistake people make is allowing their puppy to shadow them. You need to teach a puppy from the get-go that they can’t be with you the whole time. I’m a big fan of puppy pens and puppy sleeping crates for this reason. Even if you’re in the same room, teach them they can’t be on your lap the whole time by staggering ‘puppy pen’ time. Build up their alone time incrementally; if you come back to a full-on howling and barking panic, you’ve gone too far.
“Many owners also make the mistake of doing exercise work with their dog before leaving them alone,” adds St Claire, “but this leaves them in a high state of arousal. They need brainwork too. Obedience training such as ‘sit’ and ‘wait’ works, or playing ‘find’ with a treat or high-value toy.”
Additional treats or biscuits may mean Fido putting away more calories than needed, so avoid weight gain by adjusting their at-home feeding accordingly and making sure that what you’re serving the rest of the time is healthy, wholesome and tailored to your dog. Royal Canin dog food provides nutritionally complete, age- and breed-specific diets for optimum canine health
