I’ve never understood the phrase, ‘as fit as a butcher’s dog’. Surely a butcher’s dog would be more liable to be fat than fit? Teddy certainly would be if he got his way. Every time we pass Hampstead Butcher & Providore, Teddy sniffs the air like a cartoon dog and strains at the lead to get in – even if we are on the other side of the road. Although it is not against the law in the UK to allow dogs to enter premises where food is sold (it’s up to individual businesses to decide) most food shops are not keen. When I consider what might happen if Ted got into the butcher, that’s probably not a bad call.
In general, Hampstead is a dog-friendly place to live (see Teddy Loves… Going Wherever I Go). Clothes shops are never a problem, neither are newsagents or bookshops. While there are lots of cafes and restaurants with pavement seating where you can sit with your four-legged friend outside, we’ve recently upped our game with LLS Cafe Deli. Hooray! Not only does this cool little cafe welcome dogs inside, they make a mean cinnamon bun, too.
Most British dog-owners know that pubs are dog-friendly. Indeed, it was the dream of taking his best friend to the pub for a quiet beer that inspired Mark Rochell to choose a Mini Schnauzer. “It had to be the kind of dog I could take to the pub with me”, he says. Now Mark and Grenson, a distinguished black Mini Schnauzer, visit pubs (along with other dog-friendly places, too), and all in the name of research: check out his blog Man About a Dog.
I recently discovered Dog Friendly which boasts, “The largest database of dog-friendly places to stay and play in the UK”. With over over 100,00 members and 27,000 places reviewed it’s a valuable resource. They also chart things like dog-friendly beaches – very handy, as when we go away in the UK, beach-loving Teddy comes too.
