Date Your Dog

As dog-friendly towns go, Traverse City is tops

Oct. 20, 2018

Taking your significant other on a date might be fun, but let’s be real. Nothing will ever compete with the love you have for your dog. A quick online search reveals that northern Michigan is a place for dogs—and their owners. In Traverse City alone, there are two official dog parks, many beaches and parks where you can bring your dog off-leash, and a steadily increasing number of restaurants, coffee shops, and even hotels that will allow you to bring your dog along. There are even a couple of extremely active dog groups like the Northwest Michigan Golden Retriever club and Woofers on the Run, which host events to socialize dogs. 
        
Some area restaurants and hotels really roll out the red carpet—one has gone as far as to actually include dog-friendly items on their menus.
        
It would take days to visit every single dog-friendly place northern Michigan has to offer, but here’s a preliminary list to get you and Fido started:
 
At The Shed Beer Garden in Traverse City, enjoy a beer while your dog eats dinner! Unfortunately, The Shed is out for the season, but their dog menu is too fun not to share a few items:
 
Healthy Hound: Crispy salmon treats, peas, and baby carrots served over brown rice.
Puppy Patty: All beef burger patty, cheddar cheese, served with peas and baby carrots.
Hungry Dawg: Brisket bits, bacon, peas, carrots, and brown rice.
        
General Manager Jimmy McKenna said, “We’ve been doing it for two years now, and it’s been a huge success! We’ve had zero problems.” While you’re waiting for the snow to thaw, perhaps take some culinary inspiration from their menu to shake things up for your dog!
 
Higher Grounds Trading Company at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons in TC looks out over the large village green. Here, you can enjoy small-batch fair trade coffee, tea, and nibbles out on the patio with your pup.
        
Morsels is a dog-friendly bakery and coffee shop downtown with a lovely patio overlooking the Boardman River, and is only a 15-minute walk to the Traverse City Dog Park. And after walking a dog for 15 minutes you will absolutely deserve a sausage and egg biscuit. Or one of their tiny cupcakes. Or both …
 
During the summer, The Little Fleet in TC is filled with—yes—a fleet of food trucks, but now as it’s getting colder, the food trucks are out and indoor cocktails and outdoor (hopefully) fires are in.
 
“We are very dog friendly,” says General Manager Jess Heller. She particularly looks forward to the Woofers on the Run Annual Halloween Parade. Owners come by (this year it’s October 25 at 6pm) and dress their dogs up in costumes and go for a stroll that ends back at The Little Fleet with a “Yappy Hour.” 

“The Little Fleet was created to be a welcoming space for everyone, and that includes dogs!,” added Heller, a dog owner herself.
 
BringFido.com points to no fewer than six eateries in Petoskey that get at least a “three bone” rating for pet friendliness, including Chandler’s, Mim’sand Duffy’s, all of which earn five-bone ratings. Elsewhere, consider Short’sin Bellaire, Bridge Street Tap Roomin Charlevoix, and Boyne City Taproomin Boyne City – all of which get the highest ratings for being pet friendly.