Sometimes it feels like london isn't such a dog friendly city, especially when it comes to doing everyday things such as shopping, but here are a few shops that welcome our best friends as long as they are on their best behaviour, and why wouldn't they be?! Over time I'll let you know about other dog friendly places but here are 5 to start us off:
1 - Liberty
I love having a wonder around this beautiful shop, full of antiquated charm and gorgeous pieces. Bernard gets quite a lot of attention in here from all of the attentive staff, he always seems quite at home. One of the products Liberty's are famous for are the beautiful collections of fabrics on their 3rd floor. Maybe if I ask Rob nicely enough, he may knock up a new bed or a toy for Bernard with one of them. I like shopping for Diptyque Candles there too, however Bernard gets quite overwhelmed with all the smells, so I tend to reach for my favourite, Feux Des Bois and go.
2 - Hunter Boots - Regents Street
Bernard seemed to enjoy his visit here the other day when we went to get some new Wellies. I think our dogs should totally be there to help us chose the footwear we will probably spend most of our time in with them. Bernard helped me choose a nice green pair, perfect for those muddy days out in the park. This is Hunters first flagship store on Regents Street. To be perfectly honest customer service is hit and miss, but they have most of the range of Hunter gear and dogs are welcome so we can let that one slip.
The Milky Bars are on me!
Oscar waiting for his coffee!
3 - Milk Bar
Situated in the heart of Soho on Bateman Street, this is one of my favourite coffee shops, Bernard loves to snuggle up at my feet whilst I take a break from whatever we are doing. They have great coffee (which you would hope, being a coffee shop), and you can buy bags of it to take home. Also there is a lovely range of afternoon treats and yummy food. One of my favourites is their avocado on rye, I alway ask for a side of smoked salmon to go with it, mm mmm. I also love to meet my friends there when I'm in town.
B picking up the engagement rings.
4 - Cartier, Bond Street
If only I could afford to spend more time in Cartier! We had a very special experience there picking up our engagement rings (yeah!!) not so long ago. Bernard came with us and he was treated like a VIP. They told us they often gets clients and dogs visiting the shop on Bond Street. However they also told us Bernard was the cutest dog they'd ever seen. I could not agree with them more, but I can't help but think they say that about every dog they see in the shop.
The new iDog for 2016!
5 - Apple Stores
Going with Apple Stores unwritten rule of anything goes, that would seem to include dogs too. This is great if you want to attend any of their training sessions or need to just quickly pop in. Apparently a comedian in America tried to push this "anything goes" rule to the limits by ordering pizza from the store to be delivered there, dressing as Darth Vader, hosting a date and bringing a goat in. I think we will just stick to dogs. I just bought a USB SuperDrive so we can burn some music to take on the road for our next holiday (dog friendly of course).
If you ever visit any of these shops, please post it on your Instagram account and tag me in. It would also be great to hear about any other places that are dog friendly that you know about as there are definitely lots more than people think. Why not tell me of your favourite places in the comments section below. I will put together another post of 5 in a few weeks time with some of your suggestions.
If you are worried about taking your dog on public transport or into busy situations and need some advice, get in contact.
Here is another fun recipe to try for your dogs during this hot weather.
You may remember a few years back a lovely client called Jeremy shared with me his recipes for making lovely Bobby some dog friendly Ice Cream.
We have put it together for you to have a go yourself. Don’t forget to tag me on instagram with your creations @olijustedogtrainer. I love to see what you’re up to with your furry friends.