Are you looking for dog friendly restaurants in Miami? Taking your furry companion to a restaurant can be helpful for socialization and obedience training, as well as a fun experience.
We have collated a list of some of our favorite dog friendly restaurants and activities that are nearby. We will also discuss the importance of puppy socialization and some obedience training tips. Let’s start by going over the importance of puppy socialization.
The importance of socialization
Socialization training can help establish positive relationships and prevent fearful and aggressive problem behaviors from developing. Your puppy should be exposed to different people, animals, sights, smells and sounds so they can become more familiar and comfortable around a variety of stimuli. This will help with everyday life, but also with routine appointments like going to the vet and grooming appointments. For more information on reactivity you can check out our blog on “Why Puppy Socialization Matters and Where to Start” and “Understanding Your Dog’s Reactivity”.
Every adventure can be a socialization opportunity. A good socialization goal is for your dog to see about twenty to fifty people and dogs each week. With the large variety of dog friendly beaches, parks, and restaurants, this should be manageable in a few outings each week.
Obedience training opportunities
You should always take the opportunity to teach your puppy some obedience commands. Two training opportunities are to teach a down stay and an auto sit. You should bring along some training treats.
An auto sit is when your dog is encouraged to sit for attention, rather than jumping up on people to greet them. Your puppy can learn good manners, still get the attention they want, and learn to respect people’s personal space.
While sitting at the outdoor patios at a restaurant, it’s a great place to practice a down stay. Your puppy will be around many distractions, including pedestrians, people, and other dogs. Reinforcing the down stay command will encourage your dog to be calm around these distractions, and make it easier to take your dog on adventures with you.
Now that we have discussed socialization and obedience training opportunities. Let’s discuss some of our favorite dog friendly restaurants in Miami, and dog friendly activities that are nearby each one.
Rusty Pelican Miami
The Rusty Pelican Miami is located right on the water at Virginia Key. With beautiful views of the Miami skyline and dog friendly seating. You can enjoy a seafood menu including surf and turf, rib eye, and sushi.
What dog friendly activities are nearby?
The Rusty Pelican is located near the Biscayne dog friendly beach and Hobie Island Beach Park. These beaches are good places for your dog to exercise and practice socialization skills. These sandy beaches have shallow water for your dog to splash around in, and often have food truck vendors.
Just be mindful that there are no showers, and these beaches are not fenced in. Free parking is available at both beaches, while Hobie Island Beach is the larger beach with bathrooms available.
Crazy About You
Crazy About You, located on Brickell Bay Drive, offers waterfront views overlooking Miami’s South Channel, and has dog friendly outdoor seating. Their menu includes salads, sandwiches, chicken parmigiana and bbq baby back ribs.
What dog friendly activities are nearby?
As it is located on Brickell Bay, Crazy About You is conveniently located near multiple dog friendly parks and beaches. Crazy About You is an approximate ten minute drive to Hobie Island Beach Park. A fifteen minute drive south to Coconut Grove Dog Park and a fifteen minute drive north to the Bayfront Dog Park.
Bayfront Dog Park is a fenced park with a double gate. It has a nice off leash play area with turf and plenty of trees for some shade.
Coconut Grove Dog Park has two fenced areas for large and small dogs, with picnic tables, water bowls, and agility equipment. There are some trees and a shaded seating area to escape the sun.
Il Bolognese
Il Bolognese is an Italian restaurant that has outdoor dog friendly seating. It’s menu includes Pizza, Pasta, Lamb Chops, and Chicken Parmigiana. They are located at Miami Beach overlooking the palm trees.
What dog friendly activities are nearby?
The Flamingo Bark Park is an off-leash dog park with two fenced, grassy areas and agility equipment for dogs.
For those who want to explore Miami Beach with their canine companion, there are three dog friendly beaches, where your dog can explore the beach on leash. The closest dog beach to Il Bolognese is the 21st Street Beachfront Area at 2100 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach.
Since the next two restaurants are located near each other. We are going to cover the nearby dog friendly activities in the same section
Bellillo
Bellillo is a dog friendly Italian Restaurant whose menu includes Pizza, Pasta, and Calamari Fritti.
Dolores But You Can Call Me Lolita
Dolores But You Can Call Me Lolita has dog friendly outdoor seating. It’s menu is a blend of American, Spanish and Italian, from Miami Style Pork Tacos, Chicken Paella to Argentinean Churrasco.
What dog friendly activities are nearby?
Bellillo and Dolores But You Can Call Me Lolita are both located along South Miami Avenue, close to several dog friendly parks and beaches. They are approximately a fifteen-minute drive to the off leash Bayfront Park and a fifteen minute drive south to Coconut Grove Dog Park. These parks both have fenced off leash areas for your dog to play in. Hobie Island Beach Park is also approximately 15 minutes away in Virginia Key.
We are here to help
Do you need help with socialization training with your puppy? Or perhaps you are interested in puppy obedience or behavioral modification training? You can schedule a free consultation with our Beyond the Dog Miami Pet Behavior Team to discuss your training goals and any behavioral concerns.
We provide science-based training methods to achieve overall behavioral wellness. Our co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Kristyn Echtelring-Savage, will develop a personalized training program that addresses the unique needs of your puppy.
