Orlando is a Great Place for Pet Parents

There’s nothing quite like enjoying a delicious meal on a breezy patio on a summer afternoon. That fun is doubled when you can bring your furry friend along with you! Orlando is a wonderfully dog-friendly place, with many restaurants, bars, parks, and markets where you and your dog can stretch your legs and enjoy some snacks. Before you go, though, it’s important that you get to know the restaurant’s rules so that everyone can have a great time at their meal.

Even if a restaurant says it’s dog-friendly, or allows dogs in their outdoor dining area, the rules are different than they would be if you enjoyed lunch at home. It’s important to be mindful of the restaurant staff’s needs as well as the comfort of the other diners around you. 

Dog Dining Etiquette Tips

Be Sure Your Dog is Up For the Outing

You know your dog better than anyone else does. You know whether your dog is leash aggressive and nervous around other dogs or strangers. If your dog experiences any of these issues, it’s probably best to leave them at home. When you’re focused on your food, you might not see the warning signs that your dog is about to snap. What’s more, aggressive and explosive movements plus a table full of food and drinks equals a recipe for disaster. Putting your dog in a situation where they will likely be uncomfortable is unfair to everyone involved.

Everyone Else Might Not Love Dogs as Much as You Do

Every pet parent believes that their dog is the best dog in the world that deserves love and affection from every human that crosses his path. While we agree with you, not every human in the world is a dog lover – and that’s ok! Make sure that your dog is not encroaching on other people’s dining experience without their express permission. Keep a handful of treats with you to encourage your dog to return to your side if they start to wander. 

Try Not to Sit in the Center of the Dining Space

Going out in public with your dog involves a lot of extra equipment: leash, water bowl, treats, and beyond. If you’re situated right in the middle of the dining area, all this extra stuff may cause a tripping hazard for staff and other diners, and it also doesn’t give your dog much room to stretch out and chill while you eat. If it’s at all possible, find yourself a table at the corner of the patio so you can set up comfortably and your dog can maintain a personal bubble, should they need it.

Don’t Tie Their Leash to the Furniture

You may think it’s ok to tie your dog’s leash to the table or chair you’re sitting at since you’ll be right next to them, but it’s much safer for everyone if you maintain your hold on their leash. First of all, you’ll be able to react quickly if something should happen, like your dog starting to wander or someone needing to pass by. Secondly, even if your dog isn’t being reactive, there’s always the possibility that they could pull the furniture over when they move, which poses a serious safety issue to you, your dog, and those around you.

Don’t Let Them Sit at the Table

Your dog should stay by your feet during your meal. First of all, as you know from some of our previous blogs, human food is not always safe for dogs, and when you order it from a restaurant, you don’t know exactly how they’ve prepared it. It could include garlic or spices that will make your dog sick. Secondly, letting your dog sit like a human can reinforce begging behavior at home, and that’s a no-go for everyone. Finally, letting your dog eat from the plate might gross out other restaurant-goers, and we’re sure the restaurant staff doesn’t want to clean dog slobber from their plates and silverware.

Time Your Visit

As we all know, dogs can get bored after a while of sitting around, especially if there are so many new sights and smells surrounding them. According to Reader’s Digest, you want to leave the restaurant before your dog gets tired, bored, or has to potty. Be intentional with the time you choose for your restaurant trip, as well; it’s best to avoid visiting during peak hours. Instead, go when you know the crowd isn’t too big and you’ll be able to enjoy yourselves. 

Great Places to Eat and Drink With Your Dog in Orlando

As we mentioned above, Orlando is a wonderfully dog-friendly city! Here are just a few of our favorite places to bring our dogs for an afternoon: 

Barley and Vine Biergarten

This charming craft beer and wine garden allows dogs both inside and out on their expansive covered patio. They don’t serve food, but they do often have visiting food trucks, and you’re welcome to bring your own food from one of the many restaurants nearby!

Sideward Brewing

Sideward Brewing offers a huge variety of craft beers made in-house as well as delicious snacks and sandwiches. Their covered and fan-cooled patio space is frequented by local dogs who love tagging along with their owners for a pint. 

Pups Pub

This brand-new bar in Orlando is designed specifically with dogs in mind! Featuring turf flooring, designated play areas, and Paw Patrollers who make sure everyone is having safe fun and staying clean, Pups Pub offers monthly memberships so you can bring your dog for a pawty whenever you want. 

903 Mills Market

Looking for more of a relaxed environment for a great breakfast or lunch? 903 Mills Market is a quaint local eatery with some of the best breakfast sandwiches in town, and plenty of space to be comfortable in their outdoor eating area. They have plenty of water bowls on hand for your thirsty pups!

We’re always looking for the best places to bring our dogs along with us! Of course, we love bringing our dogs to the farmers’ markets with us when we attend every weekend. What are some of your favorite dog-friendly places around Orlando? Send us a message and let us know!

Your Dog’s New Favorite Food is Just Down the Street

One of our favorite parts of owning a local dog food shop in Orlando is getting to meet all of the fun, furry friends who love our food and treats. Every weekend, we attend several farmers’ markets around Central Florida where we get the chance to interact with Orlando’s wonderful pet parents and their dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds. We love being able to share our nutritional knowledge and getting to know your stories, as well!

Many dog parents are embracing the benefits of shopping at their neighborhood pet stores instead of big box stores. According to PetBusiness magazine, independent and neighborhood pet stores are critical to the pet supplies industry overall since they have more direct interaction with local clientele and are often early adopters of awesome new dog food, supplements, and health and training techniques. Beyond that, there are so many great reasons to visit your local farmers’ markets or independent pet supply stores when it’s time to fill the food bowl, and we’re here to talk about them!

The Benefits of Shopping Locally for Dog Food & Treats

Save on shipping costs, save the environment

Every smart shopper wants to save money and find the best deals wherever they can, right? By shopping at local stores and markets for your dog food and treats, you’ll save those extra dollars you would otherwise spend on shipping costs! Lots of pet supply stores offer a few different options for local dog moms and dads to get their supplies; Pawsitively Pure offers free doorstep delivery for Central Florida pups, and we have food and treats available for you to take home at several farmers’ markets each weekend!

Here’s another bonus to avoiding shipping: shopping locally is better for the environment. When you order dog food or treats that need to be shipped over long distances, they often require air transportation, truck transportation, and beyond. Each of these uses a great deal of fuel and in turn creates harmful emissions that damage the ozone layer. Local pickup also reduces the need for packaging which may create additional waste.

Support your community

Makers and retailers in your community deserve your support! Not only does shopping locally directly financially support members of your community, it also goes a long way to help support other institutions in your community as well. Financially supporting a small business can give them the opportunity to expand their operations and eventually hire other individuals from your community. Additionally, local businesses may donate to local charities and foundations, like our very own Orange County Animal Services here in the Orlando area. 

Get tips directly from the maker

When it comes to the big-box pet food companies, it can be hard to get in touch with the people who make the food to answer your questions and give you nutrition advice. When you shop with a small local business, however, you’ll be able to meet the people behind the products and get their insights on how their food can help your dog. They can also offer you tips to get the most out of your dog’s diet and how to tailor your food and treats to your dog’s age, breed, and stage of life. It definitely comes in handy when you have a burning question!

Enjoy the “freshness factor”

Small-batch, locally sourced dog food is created with the freshest ingredients. You can rest assured that your dog’s locally made food wasn’t made with a bunch of fillers to help offset costs. Gently cooked dog food like the food we make at Pawsitively Pure is made with nothing but the good stuff and is formulated with dogs’ health in mind. We have seen firsthand how much our dogs’ lives have improved since we moved to wholesome dog food and we want to spread that joy to our community!

Start Shopping Locally Today!

There’s never been a better time to find a locally owned dog food and treat company that can fulfill your dogs’ nutritional needs. The team at Pawsitively Pure is always available to answer questions about our products. Fill out our contact form on our website or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram! 

Every Saturday morning, the Pawsitively Pure crew heads over to the Lake Mary Farmers Market to set up our booth. These days, there’s nothing quite as refreshing as enjoying a few peaceful moments outside, and Central Park in Lake Mary offers the perfect place to safely enjoy a Saturday morning with your dog.

COVID-19 took away many people’s in-person shopping options and eliminated shopping for fun as an activity. So when farmers markets reopened in the summer of 2020 under special safety guidelines, we rejoiced! With vendors maintaining their distance and enforced masks and hand sanitizer stations, the Lake Mary Farmers Market is safe and fun for responsible shoppers and their friendly dogs. 

The Lake Mary Farmers Market is one of our favorites. Here’s why: 

There’s a Wonderful Variety of Vendors

Since we started attending this market years ago, we’ve connected with a wonderful group of vendors offering an array of goods. Find your traditional farmers market offerings, like fresh fruits and vegetables, amongst other local makers, artists, and producers. Many stalls have handmade meals and treats; others feature art and home decor. It’s like a mall you can bring your dog to in the beautiful open air!

Precautions are in Place to Keep Attendees Safe

The organizers of the Lake Mary Farmers Market have taken the necessary precautions to keep vendors and attendees safe during the coronavirus outbreak. First of all, vendors maintain at least 6’ of space between their stalls to prevent crowds from forming. Secondly, all in attendance are required to wear masks. Additionally, many vendors and organizers offer hand sanitizer and extra cleaning supplies to prevent the spread of germs. 

The atmosphere is pleasant and attendees are all respectful of the rules. We have felt safe during every appearance, and have done our parts to promote the safety of those around us!

Special Events Make Saturdays Fun

The Lake Mary Farmers Market frequently hosts special events, so you can get a healthy dose of holiday fun while staying safe! This month, we’re offering some Pawsitively Pure goodies as prizes for the Halloween Pet Costume Contest, an annual favorite of ours. Organizers have lots of fun and treats in store for the upcoming holidays to make your season just a little brighter! 

The Lake Mary Farmers Market takes place at 100 N. Country Club Road in Lake Mary, FL, every Saturday (with exceptions) from 9 AM to 1:30 PM. To learn more about the other vendors and the market in general, follow Lake Mary Farmers Market on Facebook.

When the COVID-19 quarantine began early this year, we pet parents were certainly thankful for the company of our furry friends. Many people brought home a new dog or cat for their companionship, giving animal shelters across the country record adoption numbers. Our pets have helped reduce our feelings of loneliness when we’ve been self-isolating, reminded us to stay active, and given us an outlet to snuggle and pet and laugh the stress away. 

Still, it can be monotonous for both you and your dog to see the same scenery day after day. Now that some health and safety restrictions have been lightened, we have the opportunity to take part in a few different public activities. Your health and safety is of the utmost importance, so if you do choose to participate in any activities, be sure to follow all of their stated safety rules, maintain a 6’ distance from other people at all times, and keep hand sanitizer and masks handy. With that in mind, here are some of our favorite dog-friendly social distancing activities in Orlando. 

Parks

Many dog parks around Orlando have reopened. Lake Baldwin Park is one of our favorites; it’s big enough to give everyone plenty of room to stay distant and offers lots of different activities in one place. Lake Baldwin Park is famous for its dog beach, but it also has a wooded trail area and lots of open grassy areas for dogs who love to fetch. 

Other parks that aren’t specifically dog parks offer a breath of fresh air for you and your dogs. Take a stroll around Lake Eola with your dog now that the temperature is finally starting to cool off. Or you can head to one of our frequent stops at Cranes’ Roost park near Altamonte Springs. Both offer opportunities for walking, playing, and relaxing safely.

Shopping

Nothing beats a morning of open-air shopping with your dog! Head over to Park Avenue in Winter Park to take in a little window shopping; many of the restaurants and stores in that area are dog-friendly. Farmers’ markets are another great option, and a handful of markets have resumed their normal operation with extra safety precautions in place. Pawsitively Pure has a booth at the Lake Mary Farmers’ Market every Saturday Morning at 9 AM. Friendly leashed dogs are always welcome. To keep everyone safe, booths have been spread out and all vendors wear masks.

Restaurants

If your dog loves coming with you to grab lunch, Orlando has plenty of options available with social distancing rules in place. Areas like Thornton Park, Mills50, and the Milk District have wonderful restaurants that serve everything from sandwiches to tacos. Best of all, many of these restaurants offer outdoor seating or takeout options so you and your dog can enjoy your favorites in a safe space. 

Rule number one for when you and your dog venture outside of the house: be smart! Following posted instructions and all possible safety precautions not only keeps you safe, it also helps keep those around you safe. In any new situation, it’s a great idea to keep some tasty treats handy for training and reward purposes. If you want to bring some extra special treats along with you, head over to our store and pick out your dog’s favorite flavors.

The last few months have been unprecedented, to say the least. Everyone’s top priority is health and safety as we attempt to navigate the world in the midst of a pandemic. In response, Florida government officials introduced a stay-at-home order and many businesses closed temporarily. Pet food stores were listed as essential by Governor DeSantis, but still, many people preferred to stay in the safety of their homes to isolate themselves from potential infection.

During this chaotic time, Pawsitively Pure has remained dedicated to providing good nutrition for dogs all around the country. We continue to offer free doorstep delivery to dog moms and dads in Florida so that you can give your dogs the best of the best while still maintaining your health and safety.

Online shopping has been a great tool for people who wish to keep their distance for health reasons. Carole at Pawsitively Pure has her online shelves fully stocked and ready to send food, treats, and bone broth to happy, healthy dogs when they need them. We also participate in the weekly Orlando Makers Online market, where wonderful vendors from around Orlando offer their wares in a safe setting. 

We can’t wait until our favorite farmers’ markets and events can reopen safely for everyone, but until then, we want you to stay safe and healthy! Take your dog for lots of walks and enjoy some sunshine together in the back yard. When you need food, treats, or bone broth for your dogs, click here to visit Pawsitively Pure Dog Food’s online shop.