Why We Love Dog-Friendly Vineyards/Breweries
In a recent survey, we asked you (our most loyal followers) why you love dog-friendly vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies. Here's what you told us.
We at Cork Hounds love dog-friendly vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies. Why? Because we love to travel and dislike leaving our pups home alone for hours. Having them with us allows more time for exploration. It’s nice to know that places like vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies are welcoming to our furbabies. But enough about us, we asked you (our most loyal followers) why you love dog-friendly vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies and want to share what you told us. So, here is what you told us about taking your pup with you:
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He enjoys going with us as much as we enjoy going. He loves to share everything with us.
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She’s my favorite company :)
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In exploring our favorite pastime of experiencing new breweries and wineries we’ve seen that most are very well equipped for bringing along your pets. They have great outdoor areas and room for everyone to spread out on a nice day. Breweries and wineries are a great way to enjoy being out and not having to leave part of the family behind.
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We love outdoor adventures and I feel like the best place to do that with your four legged friend is to visit dog friendly vineyards. We love our dogs and we make a point to take them with us everywhere we go.
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So we can bring our best friend to hang out with us while we enjoy tasty treats!
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Being able to relax outside having a glass of wine with our fur babies is super rewarding.
Businesses have two main reasons for allowing dogs. First, many are passionate about dogs and want them to be a part of the experience, and second, it makes good business sense. Visitors with dogs can stay longer than visitors who leave their dogs at home unattended. That translates into revenue. About 20 percent of Barrel Oak Winery’s (BOW) revenue comes from visitors with their dogs, according to its owner, Brian Roeder. The work to maintain the property with all the dogs, keeping everyone safe and happy, adds to the work for everyone at BOW, said Roeder. But, he and the staff love their dog guests and the added patronage keeps the winery going. [Read our blog/interview with BOW owner Brian Roeder].
We also asked you what these businesses could do differently to improve your experience and you had some great suggestions:
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Offer some interior seating options in inclimate weather.
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Some places don’t allow pets on the furniture. I wish this was a case by case situation.
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Having water stations and bowls, along with dog waste stations make pet owners feel invited with their pets.
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I think it would be great if dog-friendly vineyards had a fenced in yard area so the pups could run wild and free. Also putting dog-friendly signs on doors would be extra helpful because we often run into rude comments from other customers about dogs being there even though it's a dog-friendly business.
We’re very fortunate that so many vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies welcome dogs. But keep in mind, it’s not always up to the owners to make that call – some states, through food/health and safety regulations, make it difficult or impossible for these businesses to be dog-friendly.
Finally, a reminder to remember your doggy etiquette when visiting a vineyard, winery, brewery or meadery. Set an example of good behavior so that businesses will feel good about allowing dogs.