We have reached peak pooch
Dogs in hotels, hairdressers and the cinema? DEBORA ROBERTSON says you must be barking ...
As I nestled into the plush cinema seat with my bucket of popcorn, my biggest concern was just how noisy might it get?
For once, I wasn’t worried about somebody’s precious darlings kicking the back of my seat, teenagers Facetiming each other throughout the film or the monsters who text with keystroke sounds on (hello, Mum).
no, this time I was concerned about barking. Barking, weeing, biting and possibly worse.
Before you wonder whether I had taken a glory-years Johnny Rotten as my date, no. I had taken my dogs, Barney and Gracie, to a special screening of Wes Anderson’s Isle of dogs at the Ritzy Cinema in south london.
Picturehouse cinemas have hosted dog-friendly screenings for more than a year. they hold them every six weeks or so in 16 of their 23 cinemas across the country.
As we walked there, I remembered the summer when I was eight, when one of my best friends announced she and her family were moving to the Isle of dogs. I imagined an earthly paradise of well-behaved dogs rambling free with their child companions; no school, no dinner times, no homework.
even in my childhood reverie, though, I couldn’t have imagined taking my dogs to the cinema. Yet, here I am, with about 40 other normal-looking adults and children, and 20 or so dogs, from tiny Pomeranians and lugubrious Basset Hounds to fluffy cockapoos, button- eyed schnauzers and mutts of certain charm and mysterious lineage.
And all across the country, other people are doing exactly the same, as the trend for dog-and-human cinema screenings grows.
the Ritzy’s staff seem as excited as we are, fussing over the dogs as they hand out blankets, water and dog treats. Before the film started, we chatted (people) and patted (dogs), so by the time we settled into our seats it felt an entirely companionable experience, with none of the tension you feel in the cinema — am I next to a chatterbox? Will the tallest man in the world sit in front of me?
As the lights dim, I am not worried about my dogs barking or whining. I am among my tribe and they will understand. the experience reminds me why I love dogs. they make us better people.
they break down barriers of British reserve. they make us more relaxed, more tolerant. In a society where loneliness and isolation are growing problems, owning a dog can open up the world in a wonderful way.
As a nation, we now share our homes with 8.5 million dogs, so it’s hardly surprising that harnessing pooch power is big business.
there are 32,000 companies listed on dogfriendly.co.uk, from shops and cafes to hotels and camp sites. According to the Chinese calendar, this is the Year Of the dog, but it seems every year is now the Year Of the dog, and BYOd (Bring your own dog) experiences are springing up everywhere.
In devon, they even have an annual dog- friendly festival, Woofstock (August 4 this year).
the winner of last year’s dog Friendly Award for places to stay was Brecon Retreat, a holiday company in mid-Wales that treats four-legged guests with as much care as they do two-legged ones. they supply warm water for paws, memory foam mattresses, blankets, towels, treats, toys and a freezer full of food for dogs on a raw food diet (move over Gwyneth Paltrow).
One of the reasons I love taking my dogs to France on holiday is the ease with which they thread into life there. they accompany me to shops and restaurants and no one bats an eye.
that’s getting easier here, as establishments which might once have baulked at a mutt now embrace their canine customers.
In my corner of london, restaurant Bellanger not only welcomes dogs, but treats them to homemade biscuits and features them on its Instagram page. smart Mayfair restaurant sketch is even hosting a doggy life drawing class on April 17.
When the high life becomes a bit much, many country house hotels offer dog holidays, such as the doggy divine break at stapleford Park near Melton Mowbray, where your pooch can recline in a handmade bed after ‘afternoon tea’ of gourmet biscuits and pawsecco. And there’s no reason why your dog shouldn’t hop on the wellness trend, too — therealdogyoga.co.uk lists dog yoga teachers nationwide (‘doga’ as they call it).
While everyone is encouraged to have a tail-waggingly good time, most establishments chasing the puppy pound require a degree of decorum.
Many limit their hospitality to dogs below a certain size, not because a Great dane is likely to be more badly behaved than a chihuahua, but because they’re more likely to get in the way.
SEAFOOD
restaurant J. sheekey welcomes dogs on its terrace, but expects good petiquette: ‘If a dog gets cross, noisy or over excitable, he or she will be politely asked to go and get cross, noisy or over excitable elsewhere.’
Which is understandable, as Fido fever does not sit well with everyone. For those with allergies, unexpectedly sharing your downmuddy time with a dog is no fun at all. Many worry about hygiene, citing ‘health and safety’. some think dogs aren’t allowed in food establishments at all, but unless Rex is whipping up a soufflé or Fifi is dressing the salad, there is no legal restriction on having dogs in restaurants, so long as normal contamination rules are observed.
But — whisper it — even for a pooch lover like me, I wonder if we might be reaching Peak dog?
It’s wonderful to be able to take Gracie and Barney with me to an increasing number of places — my hairdresser is as happy to see my dogs as he is to see me, and they enjoy hanging out at my local bookshop — but it’s not always appropriate. Many dogs aren’t cut out for the giddy social whirl and would prefer to be at home.
they are not toys or accessories to be dragged about to suit our own whims. It’s also terrible manners to foist your dog on those who would rather not. What to you might be ‘just playing’ could strike holy terror into someone else.
While those of us who love dogs believe they make us better people, sometimes it is important actually to be the better person and understand that not everyone shares our passion. there’s a good boy.
Dogs’ Dinners: The Healthy, Happy Way To Feed Your Dog by Debora Robertson is published by Pavilion on June 7 at £9.99. Available for pre-order now.