If I were to see a dog in a restaurant or cafe or even sitting by a table outside I would not ever use that restaurant or cafe.

Seems to be (from a non dog lover perspective) that people love their dogs here but they know where they should be and how they should live. Dogs are generally working animals and whilst loved are treated as such.

Are they not even allowed to sit outside a cafe/restaurant then? really on the whole from what i have read, it doesnt seem very dog friendly at all, especially dog friendly motels where they are expected to stay in the car!

i assume there are plenty of boarding kennels then ?

Just another question.... what happens if you do have it off the lead??!

NSW recently passed a law to allow dogs to join their owners outside restaurants & cafe's (after it was discovered it was illegal the law was rushed through with no objections).

I don't know of any cafe/restaurant in my area that wouldn't allow dogs to join their owners outside, most food places and many shops have dog bowls outside.

We have plenty of on and off leash parks in our area and all have poo bags and bins available. It isn't unusual for the well trained dogs to be just walking along side their owners on the street (although in theory the council could fine the owner).

I'm heading down to Jervis Bay this weekend and didn't have any problems finding a house that was happy to allow dogs inside and the holiday websites often have specific pet friendly searches.

Didn't say they weren't allowed, just said I wouldn't eat there Lots of kennels and around me a fair amount of beach space for them off the lead.

Yeah i realise that, which is why i just wanted to clarify whether it was a general rule or just personal choice, thanks.

Everyone has been most helpful

Fine!

I would recommend you stick to off the leash areas, far too many people are happy to pay the fines so their dog can go off the leash but the rules are in place for a reason.

We have a few cafes near us where dogs can sit with their owners outside, we go to one beach cafe for breakfast and take our dog and very nice is is too. But if there is an area that states you must keep your dog on a leash then you would be foolish not to.

Theory: It is against the law to have a dog in my neighbourhood unless it is on a lead and properly supervised.

Practice: Probably half the dogs being "walked" (ie, out for a crap) are roaming around off-leash.

Result: I have to remove the crap from my front grass before I mow it.

Why is it that dog owners can't have a sandbox in their own gardens for the mess. It's just too easy to let the animals foul someone else's.

I wasnt intending to let the dog of the leash, the law is there for a reason, just curious as to what the repercussions were.

I agree that all dog owners have a responsibility to clear up their mess and be considerate to others. There is nothing worse than a dog bounding over and barking and the owner saying "his ok he wont hurt you" !

Hi,
I was going to keep quiet but decided not to because this subject was one of my pet hates about Australia. Before anyone gets stuck into me I lived in Oz for about 11 years on both coasts so I do have a bit of insight. The vast majority of Australians that I encountered, never entertained a dog in the house. The vast amount of Australians that I encountered over the years on both coasts, were shocked and horrified when I mentioned that my dogs lived and slept inside. Many Australians really believe that they are animal lovers because they feed it provide a back yard for a dog to be held prisoner in for all it's natural life come rain or +40 degree heat.

This attitude is absolutely pervasive throughout Australia and it is a crying shame. I have noticed people complaining about barking dogs, well that's why they bark because they are lonely and bored. I am sorry if anyone gets offended but if you take on an animal, you take on another kid and you owe it to the animal to love and protect it. People try to justify their action by saying that the dog prefers to be out, RUBBISH, they would love to be around people. I have personally came across many instances where dogs have been routinely left for ages on their own in the back yard whilst the Australian owners go on holiday, FACT. I have also known people who have come home to a hung dead dog that has been left chained whilst the owners are out 12 hours a day and it got tangled, FACT.

Many on the east coasts think it's fine to keep their pig hunting dogs caged in the yard all their lives except when out killing wild animals. I am sure some on this forum will think it perfectly acceptable to leave their animals outside for it's entire life, but that's not how I was taught to treat animals and I always felt very sad for these poor things. If anyone wants to attack me then feel free but do not try to tell me that Australians are good dog people because they are definitely not. Australians have got a very long way to go regarding animal welfare. Rant over and last my word spoken on the matter

I certainly agree with that, its one reason why I would never take on a dog. I'm not home enough to make a home for it and I would hate to think of it outside barking in all weathers, not only upsetting the neighbours but upsetting itself.

Actually there are lots of cafes and Restuarants in Melbourne that won't let you have you dog outside even on the terrace, but also planty that will let you have them on the pavement outside. I was in one in Berwick last summer, a lady came in to order a meal and ordered one for her husband who she said was outside on the pavement terrace with the dog (it was only a small Maltese x) she was told that they couldn't sit there with the dog and would have to put it back in the car. IT WAS 40C Outside, hate to think what it was in the car!!!! The dog would have lasted 5 minutes at most!!! I was as horrified as the owner, but they wouldn't relent. We also have several cafes locally with signs outside saying dogs not allowed on the terrace.

I can only speak for my small corner of Brissie, but I've found Australia pretty well set-up for dog owners. We've got a great local dog park within walking distance - safety gates, poo bags, covered seating and water fountains - and within a half-hour drive, we've got a couple of good off-leash beaches and some huge off-leash areas with access to bush and creeks.

We've found a great local vet, a wonderful dog sitter / walker - the dogs get to tear around with a dozen other dogs, once a week - and really good boarders (check out don'tfretpet.com.au, we've found them excellent). By law - so I've been told - you can't take a dog closer than 4 metres of a cafe / restaurant, but most places we've been are more than happy to let you eat beyond that... and some places are fine so long as the other clients don't care and your dogs are well behaved.

We've definitely noticed the size / suburb ratio - the closer in you get to the city, the smaller they get (which I guess makes sense, for apartments and smaller plots) and yes, there's the usual barkers, but we've been lucky (touch wood) with that one.

I guess it depends what you're comparing it with, but the whole dog bit's on my 'things to love' about Aus!