Dogs Trust Ireland celebrate their sixth national ‘Dog Friendly Ireland Day’ today

Dog Friendly establishments have become increasingly popular across Ireland, however not all dogs are comfortable in crowded places and some dogs might prefer a quieter life, away from the hustle and bustle of busy environments.

To mark their sixth national ‘Dog Friendly Ireland Day’ today, Dogs Trust has created an online assessment tool for owners to help them better understand their dogs’ behaviours and determine whether they will be content visiting dog friendly establishments.

Research carried out by Dogs Trust in May, found 94% of owners would bring their dog on holiday in Ireland, if the destination was dog friendly and 88% would like to see dogs at work if their workplace was suitable, as would 81% of non-dog owners.

This shows the huge increase in demand for dog friendly services, especially public transport, accommodation and the option to bring dogs to suitable workplaces.

However, as Dogs Trust has received a record number of 1,654 requests from people hoping to relinquish dogs into their care this year, the charity is appealing to owners to learn the signs their dog may be stressed or uncomfortable in a situation.

Vonna Nolan, Head Coach of Dog School Ireland explains: “This year, we want to help as many owners as possible to recognise if their dog is enjoying visiting dog friendly locations.

“The most common reason people want to relinquish their dog is due to unwanted behaviour issues so, we hope our assessment tool empowers owners to decide if their dog might prefer to remain at home while they grab a coffee with friends.

“If you feel your dog doesn’t have all the social skills necessary to safely enjoy being in a dog friendly location, we recommend you enrol in our online classes so we can help you with this.

“However, some dogs, just like people are social butterflies while others can find these situations quite overwhelming and that’s what we’re hoping to empower owners to able to recognise and avoid.”

Head of Communications at Dogs Trust Ireland, Ciara Murran continues: “We’ve all seen well behaved, chilled out dogs in cafes and bars, asleep at their owner’s feet.

“What we will not have seen is the walk or exercise they had before arrived or the training their owner has done with them.

“So, this can create unrealistic expectations that all dogs should be happy to sit quietly in such places.

“What we would love to impress on all dog owners this year, is to have fun with your dogs in whatever way they find most enjoyable.”

Dogs Trust is encouraging the dog loving public to get involved in this year’s Dog Friendly Ireland Day by sharing photos of their happy dogs at home, in the workplace or visiting dog friendly establishments on social media using the hashtag #DogFriendlyIrelandDay.