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| Muffy Aldrich in Turnbull & Asser, New York |
When visiting a community, you know in a minute if dogs are welcome. Stores have canine greeters. Water bowls are left outside. People carry biscuits in their pocket. Signs may make it more clear. L.L. Bean even has an outside spigot and bowl in Freeport.
In some summer communities, dogs are better known than their owners. They are the perfect ambassadors. When walking our young Golden Retriever on the Vineyard, we encountered more than one person who recognized the breeder, asking some variation of "that's not a Cloverdale dog, is it?"
When asking what gives a community "the feel," a welcoming of dogs is a sine qua non.
Photo Credits: Salt Water New England
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| In Treat's, Wiscasset |
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| Orvis in Kittery |
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| King Ro on the Maine Coast |
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| Along the Water Walking Route |
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| Our Local Framing Shop |
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| Our Other Local Framing Shop |
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| Royal Male, Newport |
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| New England Boatworks |
Such culture ought to be ubiquitous.
ReplyDeleteLove this post!
ReplyDeleteI took some depositions in a dog friendly law office; the conference rooms all had glass doors. At one point, I noticed a small dog studying me through the glass while I grilled an expert witness.
ReplyDeleteworks for me.
Any business that welcomes dogs, and/or has one or more on the premises, gets my immediate and long-lasting allegiance.
ReplyDeleteThe same could be said for cats.
ReplyDeleteTruly nice - for those who like dogs. Others feel imposed upon when just trying to live their lives in public. Had my fill of dogs in my church, dogs in the open food aisle in the grocery store, etc. Small children who have been through trauma early in life can really do without a sudden barking or snarl b/c they happen to unknowingly get too close to an animal in a store.
ReplyDeleteTend to agree. While I like dogs, there are certain places that just invite problems, such as at restaurants. A restaurant isn't your house, and not everyone is a dog lover, or wants to be around animals when trying to have a nice, quiet night out.
DeleteDog is my co-Pilot.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a dog, but my wife's father always had one. I see many people walking dogs around the neighborhood and usually pass a few on my daily walks through the woods. It generally makes for a good excuse to stop and talk for a few minutes, usually about dogs. One person has a Belgian Shepherd, the variety that looks like a small German Shepherd. He's a deer hunter, so we talk about that. Bow and arrow season opens in about six weeks here.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting thing about the dogs I see is the way they display different personalities, as do their owners. Few act really aggressive and some wag their tails like they hadn't seen anyone for a week. And some dogs totally ignore everyone.
The barbour says it all!
ReplyDeletemy favorite post! they (the dogs) represent all that's Best in us. thank you Muffy! XO
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteYes. Thankfully this is true. Most dogs are pleasant companions. Stay away, however, from breeds that by owning make it difficult to obtain homeowners insurance. These are the same breeds that cause, by far, the largest number of hospital emergency room visits. We all know which ones are guilty. And there is one in particular.
DeleteYou likely refer to pit bulls. It may not be entirely fair. But pit bulls are banned in many European countries including the UK and Germany. There must be a reason.
DeleteDogs are such lovely creatures!
DeleteWe've got two ridiculously well-mannered dogs whom love to go everywhere dogs are welcome: a Great Pyrenees mix, and a Shih-Tzu. Dogs automatically brighten any place and make the atmosphere friendlier. If a store is not dog-friendly, we are less likely to purchase anything from it. Good dog owners are ambassadors for our canine friends. --Holly in PA
ReplyDeleteDogs always improve the atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteLiving a a beautiful part of rural North Yorkshire, our little dog is not only welcome pretty much anywhere we go, he is well known and generally spoilt rotten in every shop, pub and cafe we enter!
ReplyDeleteThere's a granite fountain at an intersection in Seal Harbor, Maine with a dog bubbler built into the curb. Got photos if you want.
ReplyDeleteInteresting at the tone in many of these posts. Few mentions about not disturbing diners, scaring little children, etc. Our country has always been about ‘my rights stop where someone else’s begin,’ but many of these comments are all about my right to take my dog wherever I want. Although, that is not how I believe Muffy intended it.
ReplyDeleteThis post is not about dog owners or their rights, it's about business owners and their right to decide if dogs are welcome on their premises. As for what "Muffy intended" I rather think that's for Muffy to explain
DeletePerhaps you could reread the post ? You have a very interesting slant on it’s Intent.
ReplyDeleteIf you are the "anonymous" who posted yesterday at 6.48 and this is a response to my reply to your comment, may I make the following observations. I have read the post and all the comments several times (I've even looked at the pictures!). Nowhere can I find any suggestion that dog owners be allowed to take their dogs anywhere they want to (nor should they). My understanding of the post is that Muffy, being a dog lover, (please correct me if I'm wrong Muffy) believes that areas where businesses and communities welcome dogs are good places to live and visit and I wholeheartedly agree. With reference to your rights being taken away, if you are in a premises that allows dogs, but that makes you uncomfortable, then you have the right to leave. Interestingly you only have the right to enter a business premises (as does a dog) at the owners discretion.
DeleteTjmataa, please look at the top comment re ubiquitous, pls look at anonymous 10:24 am, and anonymous at 9:57 am. But no one of course wants to argue on this lovely page. Agree to disagree, please. Did not mean to upset, only that there are places for animals, and places for people, and places for both. And I continue to believe that Muffy was only saluting dog friendly towns, not advocating for dogs everywhere.
ReplyDeleteMy dear anonymous, please rest assured that I am not upset by your comments in fact I believe I've sussed (that's an English word) what the problem is. At first I thought we must be reading different blogs with different comments, but now I realise that being English I am reading it in The Queens English (i.e. literally) whereas you are translating into a different form of English. E.g. when I read "we have two dogs who love to go everywhere dogs are allowed" you are reading "we have the right to take our dogs anywhere we want". When I read the last line of Muffys post with the Latin translated, I read "When asking what gives a community "the feel" a welcoming of dogs is a thing that is absolutely necessary". I can't quite work out what your translation is?
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