We love bringing our dogs along to breweries. It’s a good chance to spend time with our best friends and enjoy a beer, and it’s really great in the winter when it can be too cold for walks. Toby loves meeting all the new people and demanding pets from everyone who walks by him.

And while I am happy to see more places allowing dogs on the patio and inside, I am disheartened at the irresponsible, stupid things I see dog owners doing at the breweries that ruin it for everyone. So I want elaborate on the do’s and the don’ts when you bring your dog to a brewery.

Basic Rules 101

Sidewalk Dog has this great starters guide to being a good brewery-dog owner. I see this handy chart hanging in many breweries. I really hope you don’t need a sign to remind you to clean up the turds!

Sam’s Rules Beyond the Basics

Believe me, we are not perfect and have been guilty of most of the things I’m about to rant about. Our dogs have been the barking assholes and the mooching jerks, and I’m very sorry about that. Know better, do better.

A brewery is NOT a dog park. Your dog does not need to meet every dog in the place. Many dogs have leash reactivity and a noisy, crowded brewery may be extra stressful for them. Never bring your dog over uninvited so they can meet a new dog. Always always always ask the owner first. Toby once barked at a neighboring dog when he realized the dog was over there. Instead of just ignoring him, the other dog’s owner brought her dog over, and before I could say anything, loosened the leash and allowed her dog to get right into Toby’s face. Toby barked more and the lady gasped “he’s showing his teeth!” No crap lady, how would you like to have a stranger in your face? You’d be pretty annoyed too. Dogs are not children – they do not need to meet and play with all the other kids. Toby is great at being left alone, he just wants people to pet him, he does not want to interact with your dog. A brewery is not the place for your dog to meet new friends and wrestle. A dog park, or if you’re lucky, somewhere like Unleashed Hounds & Hops are the places for that.

Do not sit next to the door with your dog. For the love of dog, this should be obvious! Every dog who comes in and out that door is required to pass your dog. Even the goodest bois can be startled and react. I watched this happen – every time a dog came in or out, the dog near the door barked, the entering/exiting dog barked back, other dogs in the brewery responded with more barks. And still, the dog owner was playing on his phone, totally unaware the chaos his dog was causing by being posted at the door. Please take your dog to a table or chair further away from the door and allow everyone to enter and exit in peace.

Pay Attention

Put your phone away. You can either bring your dog along with you to the brewery, or you can lose yourself in whatever you’re endlessly scrolling on your phone, but it can’t be both. It is so important to keep an eye on your dog and correct behaviors as needed. Don’t let your dog wander over to the unsuspecting dog napping two chairs over. Stop your dog from begging for food from the people eating lunch at the next table. And never wrap the leash around a chair or table and leave your dog unattended.

Not the Place for a Chew Toy or Bone

Leave the toys and bones at home. You probably think giving Fido that high value thing to chew on will be a great way to keep him busy while you’re chatting with friends. But that creates potential for a dog fight. Seen it! Sweetie minding his own business, chomping on some fancy bone – another dog walks past, grabs the fancy bone from Sweetie, resulting in both dogs snarling, growling and snapping. Dogs aren’t kids, they don’t know how to share, or respect other kid’s things. Treats are great, bring treats. Use them as a distraction and rewards. But not a chew or their favorite toys. Resource guarding is common and can be dangerous.

Be a responsible pet owner

The theme here isn’t that dogs are bad, it’s that people are. I know you love your dog and want to spend time with them. I know they’re your furbaby, your family, but dogs aren’t kids (see a theme here?). They behave differently, they need commands and a leader, not a kindergarten teacher.

When you bring your dog to the brewery, place them in a sit or lie down and reward them for staying in that position.

More people are babying their dogs rather than treating them like dogs and that is bad for dogs and people. Be responsible. Be kind. And be ready to leave if your dog just can’t do it today, we all have our off days.

I admit I’m hesitant to bring my dogs along lately and instead prefer to bring them to smaller, suburban breweries, where we have a good chance of being the only dogs in the place. We’re all in this together. I fear the irresponsible people are going to ruin it for all of us and dog-friendly businesses will be a thing of the past.

No one is perfect, but if we all know better, we can all do better.

If you see us at a brewery and you’re with your dog, wave hello, stay where you are, and before you ask, no my dog does not want to meet your dog! Now, if you are not with a dog, you better come pet Toby, he lives for attention.