Cooper's First Time at an Outdoor Restaurant!
 

I thought it would be a nice idea to take Cooper to an outdoor restaurant today. I was a little bit hesitant, as Cooper is a fairly hyper-active dog and I've yet to master training him, but figured I'd give it a shot.

I was so grateful to see that nobody was sitting outside! I picked a seat and I was armed with Cooper's water bowl and treats. He sat down beside me and I gave him a treat. I was already impressed. I secured the leash around the bottom of the chair. When the waitress came over I was forced to step on the leash so that Cooper did not jump all over her as she was taking my order. That worked out fine.

He sat beside me the entire time! The only issue we had is when the waitress came back to hand me my bill. I was fumbling with my purse not realizing that Cooper was jumping all over her and "attacking" her with kisses. He's tends to wiggle with excitement when people approach him. (that's another thread :blush:) I apologized, but she had no issue with it.

All in all it was a fantastic experience! I feel like Cooper and I really accomplished something new today.

Good job Cooper.
Way to please your Mom on her week-end...;)

That's awesome. Mine's a little ankle biter, outdoor restraunts will have to wait :)

Glad you and Cooper had a great experience.

Mine can only go to outside restaurants in a stroller... they wouldnt understand why the people at the neighboring table wouldnt enjoy having them sit on their lap and share their meal :confused:

AwWw! Looks like he's totally enjoying your lunch date together. :)

He did great in my eyes, look how well he just sits there :aimeeyork good job :thumbup:

I really am so proud of him. It's so risky taking him places especially with a lot of people around as he's so hyper and jumps all over anyone who approaches him. I'm just so thankful no kids were there! That's his ultimate weakness.

I'm really going to try to start working on training him a bit better, but he was such a good boy today!

What an adorable dog!:)

we do the doggie stroller thing also. My maltese ( age 6) would just laydown in my lap or on a chair next to me. But Madison is much to hyper for that.
So I do the doggie stroller where both of them can sit down next to my chair. when I'm seated they are about the same height as the chair. It works out really well.

Glad you and Cooper had such a wonderful time.

The only way to give Cooper training is to do good events like this on a frequent basis. You had a good day, hopefully as you work with him and he gets older he will be less hyper. Today was a good step for both of you. Good Job!!

Thank you! Less hyper as he gets older? He's going to be 2 the end of this month. I don't know if he'll grow out of that.

Whenever I come home from being out I try to tell him not to jump on me. I say "Cooper wait" and he wiggles and shakes uncontrollably but always stays seated. I think it's just his personality.

That is exciting and Cooper is absolutely adorable!

Thanks so much! It really is exciting. I'm so glad I'm able to discuss this in this forum. I don't think anyone else would think it to be very exciting. :rolleyes:

Aww yay Cooper! So funny you posted this thread-- I took Jackson to his first outdoor restaurant last night too and he did really well; I was so happy!

Here was Jackson last night, hehe. :)

so cute! it looks beautiful there. glad it went well for you too.

What a good boy!!!

Congratulations on you ourdoor venture! I'm not sure how Lucy would do. She makes a beeline for every stranger on our walks; just sure that they all want to pet her and say hello.

I'd love to try something like that!

A while back I hired a trainer for Cooper. I've trained Cooper with a prong collar for quite some time. I put that on him to walk to the restaurant from the parking lot and to be sure I could manage him while there. When we got there he was so well behaved that I just attached the leash to his regular collar. (The prong collar topic is probably another thread I need to start!)

They do all want to pet her don't they??:)

Great job, Cooper! I know your Mommy's really proud of you! Keep up the good behavior :)

Good job, Cooper! Aren't you proud of him? If you keep taking him, he will know the drill and get better each time.

The first time I took Daisy (about a year old) I thought she was doing great. I looked down and she had been investigating a flower pot next to us and there were flowers all over the ground! eeks! (A danger to look out for) Another time I took her to Red Robin. We asked permission and were escorted to an outdoor table. She sat in a chair the entire time looking like a little princess. For her, wearing a dress and a cute bow works somewhat like a PRONG COLLAR. As soon as I got home and took it off, she was her crazy self again!

Cooper still has time to get mellow. Age 2 is still a pup. He is just so adorable! I love his smile picture!:D

What a cute story! Maybe I'll put Cooper in a dress :rolleyes:
I'm so proud of him and excited to try this again with him.

That's not so bad... My 4 y.o. female is SO SPAZZY that we have never been able to get her to not jump up like a Jack Russell any time we return. We absolutely cannot control this behavior; she jumps up and nibbles at your fingers as her greeting.

She does do pretty well at restaurants though. I find waitresses to be like flight attendants... they can be very thoughtful and let you do what you need to do in order to control your pet, such as letting it sit on your lap, or they can be rules tyrants. The latter may just be doing what they are ordered to do from management, but all the same it puts us in a bad spot and we cannot return to a place like that. For instance, some outdoor places have stupid rules where the pets have to sit outside of some rail boundary. My guys don't understand that and will bark to such that there is no option but to have them sit them next to us on our chair, if the waitress understands this and looks the other way after parroting this (pretty universal) rule, that's great. But if they try to enforce this stupid rule, it just does not work. I understand that strollers would be a potential way around this, but there is no way I am getting one. I would feel self conscious. I suppose I could move to France...maybe not. :D

Forget France! I just got back from an extra long trip to Paris (volcanic ash:() and the dogs there are not even on leashes. It's actually unbelievable the way their dogs are trained.

I don't yet know anything about dog restaurant rules but I suppose I will find out soon enough. At the restaurant yesterday I asked if they minded that Cooper sit outside with me. They had no issue and even asked if they could get him water or anything else.

Congratulations! :) Cerise is very well behaved at restaurants and public places. She wants to be with me so bad that she puts on her "see, I'm just like you mommy" attitude LOL!

Outside doggy dining! how exciting...i would love to take Mabel out to eat but my family is resistant.:mad: All i get from dh and my mom(who it seems i have to take everywhere with me...No, i'm not 18...I'm 48!)I'm not eating with that dog hanging on me!BLAH BLAH BLAH. My kids would love it tho!(2 & 12) My family is a bunch of cranks!:mad::mad:

I have a 6 yr old maltese and a soon to be 2 yr old yorkie. Before I had 2 dogs we took lexie everywhere. Madison hasn't had that luxury cause its harder for one to take 2 dogs out and about.

The point is that in my opinion that the more we take them out and about and expose them to a variety of situations the more they adapt to this and learn to behave and have fun being out with us. Which is all they really want anyways is to be with us. :)