The restaurant dog ban is over. Ziggy’s Bar + Grill at 302 Fairview in Montrose, one of the first establishments to get involved in the Paws on Patios campaign begun last year, was the recipient last week of the first-ever city of Houston dogs-on-patios permit. Establishments that want to follow suit will need to maintain a separate self-closing doggie entrance gate to the patio, labeled with a sign identifying it as a “dog friendly patio”; keep hand sanitizer and disposable water bowls available; keep the patio free of visible “dog hair, dog dander, and other dog-related waste or debris”; and make sure restaurant personnel don’t pet or serve any four-legged customers. Owners are supposed to keep their pets on leashes and away from the tableware.
- Paws on Patios success: Ziggy’s is first to get restaurant variance [A Pets Chronicle]
- Montrose restaurant gets first dogs-on-patio city permit [Houston Chronicle]
- Dogs to be allowed on restaurant patios [abc13]
Photo: Paws on Patios
Finally – and fabulous !
Great. More nauseating pet coddling from the “we think it’s peole” crowd.
I am glad to see this too, but I hope some bad owners don’t ruin it for the owners who took the time to train their pets.
Seems that more and more in Houston one must first determine if the desired activity is banned, and then if our glorious leaders do permit it, a permit must be acquired….
That’s just nasty.
Who cares dogs are stupid, annoying and slobbery.. My cats stay home, and so should your stupid ankle biters. Stop using animals as fashion accessories.
What about parrots?
this is great!!! and Joe you have the choice NOT to go to these places to dine…. :)
Either they are idiots, or people have serious mental issues if they need to take their dog to a restaurant…
Either they are idiots, or people have serious mental issues if they need to take their dog to a restaurant…
You sound like a winner too. Are you really that horrified by the prospect?
Lassie I need some pepper and parmesean go get it girl….
The no dog rule seems to be rarely enforced many of the places I go.
People who put off or substitute parenthood with dog ownership is increasingly common these days. It remains to be seen how many restaurants will jump on this(and still be there 2 years from now), much like how some restaurants went smoking-section free well before it was mandated by law. Now matter how clean an eatery, if someone brings in a walking flea colony it’s going to suck and you may just end up with something to take home not in a doggy-bag. Would you like a quick, free flea dip while we prepare your table?
I just hate pet owners who have to shove their little darlings down everyone’s throats. As much as I love my dog (and three cats), there is no way I’d want to dine with them in public. You can bet the unruly dogs will ruin it not only for the well behaved dogs but for the other diners as well. And @ Kat, I’ll be damned if a DOG runs me off from a fave restaurant…unless I can send mine to pee and poop in your kitchen. Remember, you have the CHOICE not to cook or eat there. Mine, although much loved, are still considered animals.
I hate dogs and I hope that they leave it up to the owners of the restaurants, I doubt many restaurant owners want filthy animals in or around there shops. We as patrons can decide where to go… I personally will not dine at places that allow animals… Animals belong outside and far away from the food.
@LIT, yes I am a winner and no I’m not horrified about the prospect. I don’t have a problem avoiding my fave dining spots if Alpo is on the porch… and you can bet I’ll let management know too.
The Starbucks (one of three) on the south side of W. Gray is an example of dog and man living in harmony. Every weekend that I have stopped there in the morning, there is at least a lab or two sunning themselves with their owners outside at the tables on the sidewalk. No fleas (you are more likely to get fleas from sitting on the grass in your yard than from sitting next to a dog on a resto patio), no unruly dogs, no sniffing for scraps (and I do make quite a mess of myself with a blueberry muffin). People generally do not take their dogs along to go out to dinner. But when you are out walking with fido and get hungry or want a latte, it is really nice to be able to sit down on the porch instead of having to go home and deposit the dog. If you don’t like dogs or are offended by people who do, you can sit inside with the rest of the Mr. Meaniepantses.
Well, my pup isn’t going into any restaurant, not that I don’t adore the pug. I just need some alone time with my husband and other humans in my life.
I’ll leave my dog home if you keep your smelly bratty kid on a leash. Deal? Better yet, spay or neuter yourself so I don’t have to deal with your spawn….
@cm=corey. “Ankle biters” are children. I agree, keep them at home, along with your yard apes and linoleum lizards. Dogs are usually much better behaved.
Hdtexan thank you!!!! My dogs behave so much better than 90% of children today! very well said.
While I have never seen a poorly behaved dog in any establishment that allowed them, I also never saw more than one or two, since it was still technically illegal. My concern is that now so many people will have to show off their good taste in dogs that there will be too many. Certainly my two wonderful mutts will not be among them. They are happy at home.
To read these comments you’d think this had never been done anywhere (like, say, pretty much all of Europe as well as lots of other American cities). And you’d think readers were incapable of clicking a link and finding out that this is totally up to owners of each establishment, who must get s variance to allow dogs in patios. Yay willful ignorance!
FYI dog fleas don’t infest humans.
This means options for people who do and do not like dogs. How is that bad?
I don’t imagine often taking my dog to a restaurant, but it is nice to know if you’re out and about with your dog the option of stopping for a bite to eat is there.
But not at Ziggy’s unless it’s improved considerably.
It all boils down to the owner. I was at Porch Swing and some guy had a bullmastif puppy which was HUGE. And dumb@&! was giving his monster puppy beer to drink! Told him you cant train a drunk dog. Thought I was going to have to get him kicked out by managment but he ended up leaving shortly after my comment.
Personally, I leave my dogs at home (where they have me trained very well) so I can have fun.
All the anti-dog and anti-kid people really need to get a life. If you cant find a restaurant in Houston with literally tens of thousands of places to eat where you are not bothered by something be it dogs, kids, whatever – perhaps the problem is not with the places or the other people, rather the problem is with you.
……………………………..
Everyone who thinks the world is out to serve to their every whim and its a everyone elses responsibility to ensure that their _________meets YOUR expectations of how a ________ should behave in a restaurant really needs to get a life. You are not more important than ___________. Get over yourself! If you dont like it – EAT SOMEWHERE ELSE where ________is not allowed!
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People now days just walk around looking for ways to be offended – its ridiculous!
I have never seen a dog guardian consider misbehavior such as being loud, running around unchecked or pestering other patio patrons as “cute” or “just being friendly”. I have never had bread or lemon wedges thrown at my table by a dog. I have never seen a puppy’s necessary business taken care of on a tabletop – their butts stay well below tableline where they belong. And I have never had a drunk dog put on my hat, take food from my plate, want to “try my beer” or carry on a sexually-explicit cell phone conversation 5 feet from my elderly aunt.
Dogs are much more receptive to learning appropriate public behavior than humans.
Nice to see these dogs have their people trained well.. It’s still a hound, still smells like wet dog, still has fleas, and still has NO business anywhere near my or your food. Can’t train drunk humans either, they’re almost as useless as your dogs.
Same old story, dog owners talk about how much better behaved their dogs are than my children to justify their presence at restaurants. Sorry, but that’s a false equivalency. My children are people, they have rights. Dogs are not people and they do not belong everywhere. But…
I expect my children to behave and have removed them from restaurants when they misbehave. I also warn my children to always ask before petting a dog, but at some point some child will get bit by an unruly dog.
For all of the dog owners who plan on taking advantage of this new rule, please remember that your pet can be very dangerous, regardless of how well you think it is trained. Also, I really like to sit on the patio, I don’t think it’s fair for the patio to be taken over by smokers and dog owners, leave some room for those of us who just like the fresh air.
Jeromy, congratulations on doing what a parent should. No one is excluding children from any restaurant – a divorced co-worker recently held his son’s 5th birthday at Hooter’s (odd how many of HIS friends were there as well….). Children don’t seen to be excluded from bars either – I saw, with my own eyes, a toddler in Marfreless one evening. If a restaurant owner complies with the conditions of the variance, which is rather detailed on what will/will not be allowed, the dogs will have a right to be on that particular patio, which will not exclude any humans from sitting there as well or on the numerous patios attached to restaurants not wanting the variance. All dogs will have to be leashed at all times, have a current rabies vaccination tag AND a COH dog license tag. The waitstaff cannot have contact with the dog or give it food. Any water will be served in a disposable container.
Service dogs have long been allowed INSIDE restaurants. They have the same physical attributes as any other dog and I can’t recall hearing of any food industry flea epidemics.
Can anyone offer some actual documented examples of humans getting sick because they ate in the presence of dogs?
Service dogs are NOTHING like typical pets. I don’t think that is a fair comparison. First off, they are doing a job, not entertaining. Secondly, they are incredibly well trained. Thirdly, the population of service dogs is minuscule and does not have nearly the impact that this will have.
I’m certainly open minded to this new rule and I hope that it works out, but who is going to police the leashes and licenses?
And besides if *you* don’t like a restaurant allowing dogs, why don’t YOU buy the place?? As is shouted every time a beautiful old home is razed for luxury lick ‘n’ stick townhouses, property/business owners have a RIGHT to do as they wish within legal limits.
Ahh, I love the sound of petards hoisting in the evening….;)
Jeromy, I was strictly referring to the physical nature of the animal as related to cleanliness. As well-trained as these phenominal creatures are, they cannot repel a flea by willpower. Fortunately, there are many preventative products on the market to deal with such – would that someone could come up with a way to prevent Houston’s year-round patio companions, mosquitos & flies!
I have been working in England since April and there are dogs everywhere here. We visit a local pub on the weekends for great food, live music, and few pints of beer. There are always dogs in the local pub. The pubs here are family events, kids and dogs included.
If you can take your pooch to Le Jules Verne, I don’t see why you can’t bring him to the patio at Ziggys.
Jeromy Murphy said:
“Also, I really like to sit on the patio, I don’t think it’s fair for the patio to be taken over by smokers and dog owners, leave some room for those of us who just like the fresh air.”
Well, Jeromy, if you hadn’t made such a stink that you were entitled to fresh air INSIDE the bars and restaurants, then there would not be such a conglomeration of us filthy smokers on the patio now, would there? Put me squarely in the group amused that you were bitten (pun intended) by the law of unintended consequences.
Please dont even bother with saying “oh, service dogs are allowed”. I cannot begin to tell you how many times i have heard ignorant patrons of places my husband and I frequent kick up a HUGE stink because I have a service dog with me. These …humans… scream and demand that my dog be throw bodily from the place, nevermind that she’s well behaved and that i have her leashed and under control at all times.
For the record: leader dogs for the blind are NOT the only type of service dogs out there. There are also service dogs who help people with seizures, with deafness issues, with anxiety disorders, with diabetes. There is no limitation as to what breed may be used as a service animal, either.