German Dogs in Businesses

I looked up from my laptop in the coffee shop to see two dogs sniffing each other as the owners of each pet talked about their pets. One was a big brown Lab and the other some small mix dog, clearly this was not the ideal physical ratio for a hookup. But the dogs still sniffed and inspected with interest.

I find it interesting to see pets inside so many commercial places in Germany and other European countries–businesses I would rarely see them at in the States. I really don’t see it as much of a health risk or problem with pets in businesses. All the dogs seem to be disciplined, more so than the typical child. In the States, I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a restaurant or store where a kid was screaming away while a parent either ignored them or was in a screaming match with them (come to think of it, I’ve not seen a screaming child in a business while in Europe; maybe dogs and children have the same training here). Dogs, by and large, seem to be well trained in Germany.

Many businesses are just fine with dogs in their establishments. It seems the places they aren’t welcome in grocery stores (which Europeans call ‘super markets’) and larger commercial stores like those in malls. But, it seems in the smaller private businesses like restaurants, coffee shops, small clothing stores, etc. the pets are a norm. From what I can tell, the rules seems to be that it is ok to bring a dog inside if you are standing while making a purchase. If you intend to sit and stay a while, the owners and dogs seem to move outside (99% of places that serve food have tables outside).