As more eateries and venues become dog-friendly, one Canberra cafe has rolled out the welcome mat even further by adding canine cuisine to its menu.
Self-confessed dog lovers and cafe owners Kate and Rhys Schmutter love seeing people out and about with their pets.
"We thought it was nice for the dogs to have something to eat too," Mr Schmutter said.
"They always try to steal the people's food so they may as well have their own dish."
While the linguine chicken pasta and doggy biscuits listed on the menu may sound appetising, they are meals for four-legged diners.
"If we've got something spare in the kitchen and we've got a group of dogs outside, we're always happy to bring something out for them too," Mr Schmutter said.
"We do a lot of sausages for breakfast, so every now and then a spare sausage may go out.
"It's better in their mouths than in our bin."
More cafes accepting of dogs
Australia has the third highest level of pet dog ownership in the world and the RSPCA is behind a push to have pooches accepted in more public spaces.
Canberra in general appears to be on board, with the annual spring festival Floriade now including a Dogs' Day Out and local wineries having "bring your dog" open days.
"I've noticed a huge increase in the number of Canberra cafes that are not only welcoming but have dog bowls out and special spaces for dogs," Canberra Dog Walks organiser Georgia Morris said.
"Some actually encourage you to book ahead so they can set up an area for you with your dog."
While dog-friendly cafes have long been popular in Sydney, the recent trend in the capital seems to coincide with inner-city apartment developments.
"People still want to have a dog and live in an apartment and that's just created a very different attitude towards dogs going to cafes," Ms Morris said.
"People want to take their dog out and spend time with them and not have them locked up all the time."
Owners want to spend more time with dogs
Catherine and Richard Rowe enjoy sipping coffee at cafes with their pup Wilbur.
"We like to take him out with us as much as we can," Ms Rowe said.
"I don't want a dog sitting in a backyard by itself; I like a dog to have company and we're his pack."
Ms Rowe has had pet dogs for most of her life.
"There is much more acceptance of dogs now than there was 10 years ago," she said.
"Not only that, there's more dogs out and about; more people take them out."
Doggy meals and hygiene
The pooch-friendly cafes across Canberra have outdoor areas where four-legged friends can join their owners for coffee.
The Schmutters' cafe is set in the heritage-listed old English gardens next to the Yarralumla Nursery, offering plenty of outside space.
And for those who may be concerned about hygiene in a venue serving doggy food, Ms Schmutter said it was not an issue.
"The bowls with the paws are very much not for the humans," she said.
"It's a pretty well-rounded process, we sort it out in the kitchen and we have multiple sinks so we can easily do that.
"We have more and more bookings that say 'plus two dogs', so it's definitely a part of what we do now."
