Las Vegas has restaurants to dine with your dog

Your dog may not have the best table manners, but he sure is a fun dinner companion. So when you’re dining out, it may be a bummer to leave him home.

Twenty years ago, taking Rover to a restaurant was just not done, but things have changed since then. In fact, when the Review-Journal started compiling a list of places in Southern Nevada that allow dogs to accompany diners, we had to stop when the list passed 50-plus. Most spots that have outdoor seating allow Spot to join in.

There are, however, a few rules. A restaurant that wants to welcome Wags has to apply for a waiver from the Southern Nevada Health District, which otherwise doesn’t permit dogs in food establishments. The waiver, said Aaron DelCotto, an environmental health supervisor, is “essentially a written agreement between us and the actual operator to ensure they train their staff and have procedures in place on dog soil cleanup, internal staff procedures and patron rules to be followed.”

As for those rules, they’re pretty straightforward (and don’t apply to official service animals, who are allowed anywhere the general public is):

Dogs must stay outdoors; they can’t enter through the restaurant, but must enter through a separate patio entrance.

They have to remain on the floor; they cannot be on a seat, bench, table or other furniture at any time.

The owner can’t hold the dog.

There has to be a waste-cleanup kit available, with gloves and scoop.

“We always tell the restaurant staff they’re not supposed to touch any animals,” DelCotto said. “If there’s an accident, the operator is to hand the owner the materials to clean up.”

Among the dozens of Southern Nevada restaurants that allow canines in their outdoor dining areas, Lazy Dog, a regional chain that has outlets in Town Square and Downtown Summerlin, probably is the most dog-friendly. There’s the name, of course, and the dog-oriented decorative accents, like pawprints on the tables and cutouts on the patio gates.

But Lazy Dog takes it a step further, with a dog menu (printed below a list of rules, as specified by the health district). Visiting dogs are each given a bowl of cold water, free of charge, and their owners have the option of ordering them a grilled hamburger patty or chicken breast with white or brown rice, peas and carrots, $4.95 each; or a bowl of rice with peas and carrots, $2.50.

On a recent sunny afternoon, at least a dozen pups and their owners lazed on the patio at the Town Square location. No accidents were noted, and almost no barking, since doggy etiquette is an unspoken but very important element.

Shelby and Jordan Guidice were there with Zuma, their bandana-bearing border collie. Shelby Guidice said she dines out with Zuma “all the time; I take her with me everywhere.”

“She’s really good with kids,” Jordan Guidice said.

A couple of tables away, J.R. Echaluce sat waiting for a friend (and the friend’s dog) with his French bulldog, Rafa. Echaluce said they come in once or twice a month, and he even threw Rafa a birthday party at Lazy Dog, attended by family and friends.

Jerry King’s golden retriever, Milo (who was wearing a cone), and German shepherd, Jasper, come in with him once or twice a month, he said. Their other frequent haunts include Starbucks and World of Beer at the Galleria at Sunset mall.

It was only the second time for Bruiser, another French bulldog, and his owner, May Benda.

“I think it’s good to get him out of the house,” Benda said, “to interact with people and other dogs.”

Ron Schultz, owner of the Crown & Anchor British Pub on East Tropicana Ave., said he allows dogs because “the owner is a dog lover.” They’ve been coming to the pub since it opened in 1995.

“We have a patio that has shade and grass and trees and bushes; it’s a friendly environment for a dog,” he said. “A lot of people like to come with their dogs, so it’s a service we can provide them. They have a fun place to go and drink beer and eat food with their dogs.”

While there’s no canine-specific menu, he said they seem to especially like the french fries and bangers. Staff members also give the dogs water and treats.

Schultz said he thinks his was one of the first places in town to allow doggy diners.

“Back in those days, there weren’t that many places that had patios,” he said.

And they’ve refined the practice since then.

“We’ve had some of the dog clubs come in,” he said. “We’ve had rescue groups. We had a doggy wedding once.”

And dog lovers have a special event from 3 to 7 p.m. every Saturday (it may move to later in the evening as summer heats up), when a portion of the proceeds from sales of Tito’s cocktails are donated to A Home for Spot.

The name of the event? Yappy Hour, of course.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.