Dogs in America??

[ShAnd]

I have been to the US and Canada a couple of times - but that was before Shadow moved in so I didn`t really pay attention back then ..

And since we are planning a long (maybe 1 month) vacation in New England in about a year or two I was wondering if it`s true that dogs aren`t allowed in most of the public places .. like here you can take them almost everywhere (restaurants, post-office, stores - except for the supermarket - hairdresser, McDonalds, Starbucks).

What "rules" concerning dogs have to be followed? Leash everywhere?

And then another question (which doesn`t concern our vacation): Here crates/kennels are hardly used and if, then during the first months only - and even that is a contentiously discussed topic .. I did keep Shadow in (a locked) kennel in the beginning - during the night and when he was alone - until he was about 4 months old .. now (at 8 months) he spends the nights in his bed and when he`s alone he`s free to choose his sleeping-place - I`ve kept the kennel (now open all the time), but just to feed him bones ..

Is it common in the US/Canada - but maybe not for you - to keep even adult dogs in kennels or is that just another of so many untrue rumors around here?

Just curious ..

 

[silverpawz]

I was wondering if it`s true that dogs aren`t allowed in most of the public places ..

True. However, many stores will have their own policies. Dogs are not allowed in areas that serve food for health reasons. Some places will allow your dog in if you ask before hand. I've taken my dogs into many stores in my area but I asked first, it's not generally accepted that they would be allowed if you just walk in without asking. And yes, leashes are required in public.

Is it common in the US/Canada - but maybe not for you - to keep even adult dogs in kennels or is that just another of so many untrue rumors around here?

Yes, using a crate is common when the dog is left alone. It's preferable for a lot of people to crate their dogs than to come home to housetraining accidents or chewed items. Many adult dogs, not just puppies have destructive problems and the crate makes life easier for the owners.

 

[ShAnd]

Thanks a lot .. how about the countryside - little villages? As strict as the cities?

So we can`t take our dog when we go out for dinner ..

Do hotels accept dogs?

 

[silverpawz]

Lots of hotels accept dogs. Just be sure to call ahead beforehand as some have differnet policies regarding weight limit and number of pets.

how about the countryside - little villages? As strict as the cities?

The universial rule no matter where you are is to ask first. Don't assume your dog will be allowed inside or you may get booted out. Policies vary from shop to shop, regardless of location. Some are dog friendly, some are not.

Nope. No dogs inside resturants. The exception would be places that have outside dining tables, but it's still polite to ask first.

 

[Delisay]

Yes, using a crate is common when the dog is left alone. It's preferable for a lot of people to crate their dogs than to come home to housetraining accidents or chewed items. ... the crate makes life easier for the owners.

You (in the US) lock your dogs in a crate? Are you serious? Like...a small cage? :yikes: How long for?!!

Thanks,

Del.

 

[silverpawz]

You (in the US) lock your dogs in a crate? Are you serious? Like...a small cage? How long for?!!

Are you being sarcastic??
Sorry, it's early in the morning and I'm not fully functional yet without my third cup of coffee. lol

 

[Delisay]

Are you being sarcastic??
Sorry, it's early in the morning and I'm not fully functional yet without my third cup of coffee. lol

No...wasn't meaning to be. (Tee hee ... late at night for me so I'm not fully functional either!) Just hoping there's something that I don't understand about "crates" which will improve the image I just got... It sounds crazy-cruel to shut a dog in a crate, so I'm presuming there's no way anyone is doing that and I just misunderstood. ... I'm hoping for clarification about what I've misunderstood.

I've heard "crate training" mentioned online and have been wondering what it is, because no-one uses that term in my circles...

(Going to bed now, so good night...and have a nice morning! Very confusing... )

Del.

 

[Melissa_W]

Dogs are allowed in some hotels, and they are allowed to sit on the patio at some retaurants. That's about it. It sucks, but it's the way it is!

 

[ShAnd]

In Austria/Germany/Switzerland crates are not commonly used - or at least not yet .. most of the people start off without and then, when it turns out that their puppy likes to chew their furniture at night or messes up the house while the owners are gone, they buy a kennel - I used one in the very beginning but fortunately Shadow has turned out to be a good-behaving dog who spends his time alone sleeping .. so he`s free to choose his sleeping place

 

[ShAnd]

Dogs are allowed in some hotels, and they are allowed to sit on the patio at some retaurants. That's about it. It sucks, but it's the way it is!

Well, that`s okay .. as long as we know the rules.
Fortunately here they`re allowed in most of the restaurants (unless they don`t have an open kitchen) - even the fancy ones.

 

[Meggie]

You might really want to call ahead to the hotels you plan on staying at. Some allow pets, some don't and many allow them but have pretty strict rules. One we stayed at allowed dogs, but if we weren't in the room they had to be crated. There are sites online that list US/Canada pet-friendly accomodations. Darn, used to have a couple bookmarked but I can't seem to find them, sorry!

 

[silverpawz]

Just hoping there's something that I don't understand about "crates" which will improve the image I just got... It sounds crazy-cruel to shut a dog in a crate, so I'm presuming there's no way anyone is doing that and I just misunderstood. ... I'm hoping for clarification about what I've misunderstood.

A crate is a wire kennel, big enough for the dog to stand up, turn around and lie down in. It's like a den for the dog. It's not for punishment.

It's only reccommend to crate a dog when you cannot be home, at night or if he needs supervision and you cannot watch him. It's an easy way to prevent housetraining mistakes since most dogs will not soil their den.

Not all dogs are crated. Only ones that either chew, are not housetrained, or cannot be trusted in the house loose unsupervised for whatever reason. Some people prefer to use a laundry room instead of a crate, it's just personal preference.

My BC is sleeping in his crate right now. He ran in all by himself. He loves it. There's nothing cruel about it at all. Dogs are trained to accept the crate and it's made a positive place.

Delisay, may I ask what country you live in?

 

[ShAnd]

Delisay, may I ask what country you live in?

Since she went to bed already - my guess would be ASIA

 

[ShAnd]

You might really want to call ahead to the hotels you plan on staying at. Some allow pets, some don't and many allow them but have pretty strict rules. One we stayed at allowed dogs, but if we weren't in the room they had to be crated. There are sites online that list US/Canada pet-friendly accomodations. Darn, used to have a couple bookmarked but I can't seem to find them, sorry!

Thanks a lot .. we are also thinking about renting a house - might be easier ..

 

[Ashlea]

We don't crate at all in SA. I would never do that to any dog of mine. Would probably use it for a puppy if I could not be home for it to train etc, but not for more then an hour. Just my personal preferance though.

 

[casablanca1]

And since we are planning a long (maybe 1 month) vacation in New England in about a year or two I was wondering if it`s true that dogs aren`t allowed in most of the public places .. like here you can take them almost everywhere (restaurants, post-office, stores - except for the supermarket - hairdresser, McDonalds, Starbucks). What "rules" concerning dogs have to be followed? Leash everywhere?

I think the advice to always ask first is sound. Dogs (apart from service dogs) in public indoor spaces is not the norm in the US, and everything depends on the person in charge. Sometimes the manager of a national chain (like Starbucks) will let dogs inside, especially if it's a wealthy little town and the clientele is a lot of surgeons, judges, etc, ie, people who don't like to hear 'No.' Often the most unfriendly store manager is someone who owns the business and is concerned about health regulations and liability issues.

In my experience, the best places to find dog-friendly businesses are wealthy small towns with lots of cute stores and boutiques, and established neighborhoods in major cities. The hospitality usually ends at the restaurant door for the towns, but dogs are sometimes allowed in neighborhood bars/pubs in cities. It's worth a look on local websites and blogs.

Because of the generally exclusionary attitude toward dogs in the US, there are a lot of books and websites designed to let you know where you can go with Fido.

Books
1) On the Road Again With Man's Best Friend : A Selective Guide to New England's Bed and Breakfasts, Inns, Hotels and Resorts That Welcome You and Your Dog
2) The Dog Lover's Companion to New England: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog
3) Dog-Friendly New England: A Traveler's Companion (author, Trisha Blanchet)

Websites
http://www.dogfriendly.com/
http://www.newenglandusa.com/Pet_Friendly/index.html
http://www.explorenewengland.com/travel?special=/specials/pets/

I think the best way to get some up-to-date idea of the friendliest places would be local websites, blogs, etc., for the areas you plan to visit.

Hope you have a nice trip!

Is it common in the US/Canada - but maybe not for you - to keep even adult dogs in kennels or is that just another of so many untrue rumors around here?

I'm not sure how common it is. I've come to realize that it's more common than I'd have thought for people to crate adult dogs 8 hours a day, while they're at work. I have to say, while I love crates for the peace of mind when my dog's in the car, I don't like the idea of crating for hours on a regular basis.

 

[FoxyWench]

I have been to the US and Canada a couple of times - but that was before Shadow moved in so I didn`t really pay attention back then ..

And since we are planning a long (maybe 1 month) vacation in New England in about a year or two I was wondering if it`s true that dogs aren`t allowed in most of the public places .. like here you can take them almost everywhere (restaurants, post-office, stores - except for the supermarket - hairdresser, McDonalds, Starbucks).

What "rules" concerning dogs have to be followed? Leash everywhere?

And then another question (which doesn`t concern our vacation): Here crates/kennels are hardly used and if, then during the first months only - and even that is a contentiously discussed topic .. I did keep Shadow in (a locked) kennel in the beginning - during the night and when he was alone - until he was about 4 months old .. now (at 8 months) he spends the nights in his bed and when he`s alone he`s free to choose his sleeping-place - I`ve kept the kennel (now open all the time), but just to feed him bones ..

Is it common in the US/Canada - but maybe not for you - to keep even adult dogs in kennels or is that just another of so many untrue rumors around here?


Just curious ..

Since your planning your trip to new england...if you come to connecticut you will find YES it is VERY VERY dog UNFRIENDLY! (even my chihuahuas are not welcomed, and even service dogs get a hard time (against the law wyes but this is ct where money buys EVERYTHING *growls*)
here there not welcomed anywhere but pet supply stores and even then some pet supplies have their own ruls and some dont allow pets. but anyother store, forget it. (whether they sell food or not)
Crating was a new thing to me too, i moved her from the UK, and yes i am very suprised to see the popularity of crate training (id not even heard of it before i moved to the US 6 yrs ago) and yes its one of those lifelong things for most dogs, at least to my knowledge. i personally havent used them with any of the chis, but plan on getting one when i get my dane just because ill be living in a small place that a teething dane could very easily destroy in 3 mins, but i doubt itll be a forever thing...
and yes, leash law for everywhere but your own yard and the dog park, but theres not all that many dog parks here in ct either...

if your planning to bring your dog over be sure to check into the laws reguarding traveling with your dog.

Connecticut in the least isnst exactly Dog friendly. and even if theres no sighn on the door saying no dogs, they still can tell you to leave
as i said, even service dogs, allowed by law to go ANYWEHER the public goes, even they get a hard time in most places because the stores in ct are not aware of the service dog rules and most 100% belive rather KNOW that service dogs are only labs and only blind and deaf people have service dogs!

theres a site online called dogfriendly.com or something along those lines that gives you a list of dog frinedly places in the states you can search via state.
But for the most part, dont expect any stores to welcome your dog and food places are a BIG nono...

 

[Dreeza]

It is all about asking. We have a coffee shop around the corner that is not allowed to have dogs in there according to their health code...yet oakley comes in there all the time with us! As long as they arent expecting inspectors, they dont care We also have "leash" rules where i live, but Oakley is almost never, ever on one...police pass us all the time. One even commented on how well behaved he was! We have never gotten a ticket.

Crates are not punsihment if used correctly. We had to crate oakley, cause he would have random accidents, and would knock things over, etc. His crate became his 'safe haven', and was his bed at night, where yes, he was locked in. However, even though he sleeps free in the kitchen now, on days where he just wants to sleep, and we keep pestering him or something, he often disappears, completely by choice to his crate that always remains open for him.

Have fun on your trip!! That would be pretty cool if you could rent out a house!

 

[Dreeza]

even service dogs, allowed by law to go ANYWEHER the public goes, even they get a hard time in most places because the stores in ct are not aware of the service dog rules and most 100% belive rather KNOW that service dogs are only labs and only blind and deaf people have service dogs!

omg, that is terrible!!! so i guess the pit bull service dog i saw the other day leading a blind man wouldn't be too welcome...

that is just appalling!

 

[mrose_s]

You (in the US) lock your dogs in a crate? Are you serious? Like...a small cage? :yikes: How long for?!!

Thanks,

Del.

mmm. it happens. there are proper traingin methods to make your dog feel safe and they should not be crated for long periods of time. but, personally, i disagree with it. and it is not common practice in australia