Public Access for Dogs

Before travelling to Europe I thought the idea of dogs being permitted in public places was a crazy idea. Fancy sitting down for a lovely meal in a restaurant and next to you is a dog! I thought the idea was horrible. However, these dogs I found overseas were well controlled because what I have learnt since having Indie is that dogs need to be socialised in order to behave appropriately in public. And I have found this to be the case overseas! I get frustrated when we walk Indie along the Barwon River and we have to tie her up below the deck at 'TheEdge' restaurant because dogs are not permitted on the deck. It would be so much more helpful to have Indie on the deck sitting next to Brandon on the floor. Brandon takes a lot of his cues from Indie and if she is sitting calmly and quietly, Brandon tends to copy her behaviour. In 2009 I remember having a good laugh when I was travelling in a taxi in London and the hot topic of the day was whether dogs should be allowed on local flights like they are in Europe. However, if we ever had to take Brandon on a plane, having Indie next to him would be a godsend. I would love to know why Europe and England have different public standards when it comes to dogs- the history would be fascinating. I was frustrated the other day when we went to Rippleside Park and there was a sign not permitting dogs in the children's playpark however once again having Indie on a lead following Brandon would encourage him to explore the park with more confidence and having his own friend may help him 'play' more. These rules are too inflexible and I am hoping passing the public access test will allow Indie the access she needs to support Brandon in public. Mind you I am assuming she will pass it - well she passed the level 2 test last week at Werribee Obedience Dog Club. I am working a lot with her and she loves it. I am working on 'leave it' command for food at the moment. She left a piece of food unattended on the floor, gave me eye contact to receive a better treat from my other hand. Very early stages but heh- it's food and a labrador! I must admit seeing Indie curled up next to Brandon in bed is a gorgeous sight.