Tips for Taking Your Dog to a Brewery

At a brewery with my husband and two dogs, Gracie and Kona.

When it goes well, bringing your dog to a brewery—or any dog-friendly restaurant, bar, or café—can be a blast! But when it doesn’t go well? It can be a bit of a nightmare, especially if you expected everything to go smoothly. That’s why it’s worth doing a little prep ahead of time to help set the stage for a great experience.

If you’re planning to take your dog to a brewery soon, here are some tips to set you both up for success:

1. Ask Yourself: Does My Dog Actually Want to Go?

We get it—it’s hard to leave your dog at home on weekends or after a long workweek. Dog-friendly spots can feel like the perfect solution! But the truth is, breweries can be challenging environments for most dogs.

They’re full of new sights, smells, people, dogs, and food—and that can bring up a lot of emotions. Your dog might feel excited, curious, overwhelmed, scared, or some mix of all the above. So before heading out, really think about whether your dog has the energy level, training, life experience, and temperament to not only handle a brewery, but to actually enjoy it.

It’s also worth asking yourself if you want to bring your dog. It’s more responsibility, and you probably won’t be able to fully relax or socialize the way you would otherwise. There’s absolutely no shame in deciding to prioritize your own downtime or your other relationships.

2. Meet Your Dog’s Physical and Social Needs First

Dogs are expected to do a whole lot of nothing at breweries. They can’t run around, explore freely, or say hi to most people or dogs—and that’s tough!

So, before you head out, make sure your dog has a chance to meet those physical and social needs. Give them time to move their body, sniff around, and interact with others (if they enjoy that!). When their tank is full, it’ll be much easier for them to settle and resist all the stimulation once you’re there.

3. Plan Ahead for a Positive Experience

There’s a huge difference between visiting a quiet brewery on a Tuesday afternoon and hitting a packed patio on a sunny Friday evening. Even if you think your dog will do great, it’s best to start with quieter, low-key visits to help them get acclimated, practice calm behaviors, and build good habits.

For the first few outings, consider going alone or with friends who won’t mind if you need to leave early. If your dog gets overwhelmed or hits their limit after 20 or 30 minutes, you’ll want the flexibility to head out without feeling bad.

4. Pack Treats—Then Pack Some More

The secret weapon for brewery success? TREATS. And lots of them. Especially during those first few visits, you’ll want high-value treats that are more exciting than all the distractions around your dog.

Bring a variety of bite-sized goodies—think real meats, cheese, or soft dog treats cut into pea-sized pieces (or shredded for smaller dogs). You can also fill a squeeze tube with wet dog food or try some moist, meaty treats. Mix it up, and bring WAY more than you think you’ll need. For a 30–60 lb dog, aim for about a cup of treats—or more for bigger dogs.

Don’t forget some food puzzles, too! Once the initial excitement settles, many dogs will happily chew on a stuffed Kong, bully stick, or lick mat. It keeps them calm and gives you a moment to relax.

Important Note: If your dog shows any signs of possessiveness or aggression around food, skip the puzzles in public. And feel free to reach out—we can work on that together! Food guarding is a common behavior and typically responds really well to training.

5. Keep Expectations Low and Let Your Dog Be a Dog

A brewery is a new place full of smells, sights, people, and dogs. Most pups will feel excited, curious, nervous—or all three! It’s totally normal if they can’t be calm or focused the whole time.

Try thinking of these early visits as socialization or desensitization trips. Don’t worry about perfect behavior or training in the moment—just help your dog get used to the environment at their own pace.

Bonus Tip: Training really can make a huge difference—whether it’s at a brewery or any other dog-friendly adventure! If you’re in the Chestnut Hill area, I’d love to help your dog build the skills to thrive out and about: staying calm in exciting places, polite greetings, leash manners, and more.

Let’s make those brewery hangs as fun and stress-free as possible—for both of you!