Austin Guide to Dog Friendly Spots

Austin is a great town for dog lovers since there are so many attractions and events that are completely dog-friendly. Your four legged friend doesn’t need to feel left out in this town. As long as you follow proper dog etiquette, your pooch will be welcome at any of these restaurants, parks or hotels.

What is proper dog etiquette? It’s taking care of your dog and its needs so that it can behave while out in public. For example, you should keep your dog on a leash at all times unless you are at a leash free facility. If your dog is aggressive, you may want to leave it at home until you have time to work on some basic obedience skills. Always keep your dog and the ground around it clean by being armed with poop clean up bags and a hand towel if your dog likes to drool. Don’t allow your dog to eat the food of others and if you’re going to be out for a while, bring a travel food and water dish. By being a responsible pet owner, you can keep Austin safe for dogs and people alike.

Now that those ground rules are established, here are the best places to enjoy Austin with your dog.

Restaurants: There are over three dozen restaurants in the city that allow dogs to either come in the restaurant or sit with you on the patio. These are two of the most popular chains.

Austin Java –

There are five different locations for this popular coffee and food spot, and all are dog friendly as long as your dog is on a leash. The original is at 12 & Lamar. There are also locations at Barton Springs Road, West 2nd Street (nearly City Hall), Victory Drive (near Victory Medical Center) and one location at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport.

Freebirds World Burritos –

Choose from four different locations to eat a stuffed burrito and chill out with your canine companion. The Hancock store is at 1000 E. 41st street. The Brodie Oaks location is at 4032 Lamar Suite and the Tech Ridge location is at 1100 Center Ridge Drive. Finally, there is a location at South Congress avenue.

Off-leash Parks: Letting your dog run free is normally a no-no in the city of Austin, except in these special areas. Overall, there are twelve different parks and free runs where dogs can legally be off leash.

*The soccer field area of Zilker Park.
*Red Bud Isle
*Onion Creek District Park
*Auditorium Shores from South First to Bouldin Avenue
*Surplus airport property between Old Manor Road, Manor Road, Lovell Drive and the airport fence.
*Northeast District Park between Crystal Brook Drive, the railroad right of way and Decker Lake Road.
*Walnut Creek District Park between Cedar Bend Drive, Walnut Creek and the east and west park fences.
*Emma Long Metro Park between City Park Drive, the west park boundary fences, Turkey Creek and the top ridge of the bluff line.

With these locations, and several others, you’ll be able to enjoy Austin with your dog.

About the Author:
Joe Cline writes articles for Austin Texas Realtor. Other articles written by the author related to Cedar Park real estate and Austin real estate can be found on the net.