Dog-Friendly National Chain Restaurants & Stores

| If you’re like me and want to bring your dog everywhere, you need a solid understanding of where they’re allowed to go! Check out this post for a list of every place I can think of that allows dogs! Pretty much every restaurant with a patio allows dogs around here, but be sure to check before you head out to eat, especially if you live in an area that isn’t usually super dog-friendly.

Pro tip: Keep a small bed, cushion, or blanket in your car so you’ll always have it when you’re shopping to put in the cart. Dogs don’t like the way their feet slip through the cracks or holes in shopping carts, so if you just put them in there, they’ll spend the whole time shifting around uncomfortably or trying to get out. A flattened reusable shopping bag works if you don’t have a bed or blanket with you! If you borrow something from the store, don’t accidentally steal it! That’s almost happened to me before!

Where Dogs CANNOT Go:

Animals (except task-trained service dogs) are not allowed in the following establishments per US law: grocery stores, enclosed indoor restaurants or food-serving establishments, hair or nail salons, gyms and/or spas, hospitals and/or medical facilities

Pets are not allowed at Wal-Mart, Target, or any other big box store that sells groceries.

Chain Restaurants with Dog Items on the Menu

  • Starbucks
    • Puppuccino: a small cup of whipped cream
  • In-N-Out
    • Puppy Patty: a single, unsalted burger patty (Penny’s favorite)
    • Flying Dutchman: two unsalted burger patties with cheese (more suitable for large dogs)
  • Einstein’s Bagels
    • Doggy Bagel: a beef-flavored mini bagel made just for dogs
  • Shake Shack
    • Pooch-ini: a sundae made from dog biscuits, peanut butter, & vanilla custard
    • Bag o’ Bones: biscuits made by Bocce’s Bakery just for Shake Shack
  • Chick-fil-A
    • Dog Treats: a lot of locations stock dog treats and will give you one if they see your pup with you in the car!
    • Grilled Nuggets: order the grilled nugget entree (4ct for small dogs, 8ct for large dogs) and rinse the seasoning off with cool water before feeding it to your dog

Dog-Friendly Chain Stores

  • Petco and Petsmart
    • Almost all pet stores are dog-friendly and they are the absolute best place to practice public pup behavior! Your dog will get to socialize with humans and other animals, plus you can stock up on supplies. They have the right stuff on hand to clean up messes and they’re used to it happening!
  • Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack
    • This is a good place for advanced training! There is a lot of carpet and expensive merchandise all around, so it’s a great place to practice chic doggy behavior. I would not recommend bringing an untrained puppy here, as there is a lot of potential for accidents.
  • Home Depot and Lowe’s
    • Both Home Depot and Lowe’s Hardware stores are great places for training your dog to behave properly in public around strangers! They’re both pet-friendly as long as your dog is leash trained and all locations have concrete floors, which is nice in case of puppy accidents!
  • HomeGoods, Michael’s, and Hobby Lobby
    • Be sure to check the rules at your specific location, but most craft/home decor stores are pet friendly! Bring a small bed or blanket to put in the cart or keep your larger dog on a leash. Be careful, there are lot of breakable items at ground level if your dog is walking on leash.