Bringing Your Dog to a Restaurant: How to Make it Relaxing

Dogs in restaurants — mostly allowed in Switzerland, but only relaxed if the dog has a job: lying quietly under the table.

Prepare at home first

Blanket training is half the battle: the brought blanket means "relax here" everywhere. First solidify at home, then test in a café during quiet off-peak hours, then a restaurant.

At the table

• Beforehand, relieve and exhaust — a tired dog lies down on its own.
• Choose a seat at the edge, blanket under the table, chew toy for the first few minutes.
• No feeding from the table — otherwise, he'll start begging professionally.
• Short first visits: rather leave after the main course than after a drama.

The warning sign

Panting, whining, constant getting up means: overwhelmed. Then calmly pay and leave — next time start shorter and quieter.

Blanket training and restaurant checklist: in the Everyday Toolkit.