This is created from a set of posts all about traveling with your dog in Seattle. Local contributors are IslandGirl, voyaging, suze2you,and kisalas. A trip report was posted by TortugasontheBeach. This has been edited mildly to meet TripAdvisor's format.
General Dog Info and a Dog Bakery!
They see downtown dogs daily and have good suggestions. They also have Dine with Your Dog events.
City Dog (current issue viewable online) and dogfriendly.com have a wealth of information. Dogfriendly has a list of hotels to call.
http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/tra...
Ferries and Buses
You can take your dog on the ferry and on buses. There are restrictions on dogs on the ferry. They are supposed to stay on the car deck.
Pike Place Market
During peak day hours the market can be insanely crowded and the
sidewalks are not wide. However there are quieter times when you could
stroll through with the dog. If your dog ist nervous in a thicket of
legs, don't take them. The Market
is SO crowded on the weekends and summer days that it will be a challenge for
both you and your pet. Dogs are not common there for this reason.
Restaurants and Shops
Dogs are technically not allowed in establishments that serve food in Seattle. You will regularly see dogs in coffee bars. You can take your dog into most stores (except grocery stores, bars or restaurants); just ask before you go in. When you visit Ballard you will find your dog welcome in most shops. Downtown likewise, most shops are not going to toss you out if you come in with your dog on a leash. Dogs have been seen in many shops downtown.
There may be some grey area wiggle room at sidewalk cafes. I think it will be pretty safe if you are on the inside of the railing and your dog is on the outside of the railing. For example, in Ballard there are a few places with sidewalk cafes with railings: La Isla (Puerto Rican), Volterra (great Italian), Carta de Oaxca (regional mexican),and the Matador (s.w./Mexican).
In Pike Place Market, Cafe Campagne has an outdoor terrace on Post Alley. In Fremont (another pretty laid back/progressive neighborhood in general) perhaps 35th Street Bistro could accomodate that set up. Also in Seattle:the Pink Door allows dogs on the deck which is generally regarded one of the best outdoor dining spots in the city. Crave on Capitol Hill is another choice.
In Ballard, these places also have outdoor patios: Balmar & India Bistro., Cafe Besalu (a favorite cafe in Seattle, unbelievable handmade pastries), Java Bean Coffee, Firehouse Coffee, Cupcake Royale/Verite Coffee.
Here's an artifle on Dogs and Dining in Seattle:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html...Parks and Dog Parks
Here's the Seattle Park's listing of all current dog parks, and rules for their use:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/offleash...
There is also Golden Gardens, where there are many dogs on the beach though tecnically that is a violation of the law. The beaches are well posted with signs to that effect. There are often as many as 20 dogs on the north section of beach. Just proceed at your own risk.
Shilshole Marina nearby is good for a walk on leash, as is the Hiram Chittenden Locks nearby. Shilshole/Golden Gardens off leash park is up the hill from the picnic area. There is a railroad tracks underpass with stairs that lead up into the woods. It is not a long or arduous walk. IF your dog eats "people food", get a plate at Paseo's Carribbean at the Shilshole end and share some.
Olympic National Park / National Forest
www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/pets.htm
Dogs are not allowed on trails in Olympic National Park, even on a leash. Pets are permitted only in park campgrounds, picnic areas and parking lots, along with several ocean beaches.Pets are not allowed on park trails or beaches -- except for the following three areas where leashed (up to six feet in length) pets are permitted:Rialto Beach one-half mile north to Ellen Creek, all Kalaloch beaches (from Ruby Beach south to South Beach), andPeabody Creek Trail
Dogs are allowed on trails in Olympic National Forest while on a leash.
Summary of Trip Report from TortugasontheBeach, August, 2007
Spent some time in Ballard, did some shopping and made a stop at Firehouse Coffee. Went to Bark! and bought the pup some homemade biscuits. Then on to the to the locks to hang there for a while. Got a snack at the Totem fish place and went to Golden Gardens Park for a walk. The pup is a little shy with other dogs and likes people best, so did not actually go in the off-leash area there, but it looked like fun. Walked around the trails there, and called it a night.Took the ferry to Bainbridge Island. It was ok to sit on the sundeck but couldn't go in the covered area. The dog seemed to like it and she made lots of friends. One thing to note though, it was a hot day and the surface of the sundeck was hot. Stayed in the shade after that. Checked out a few stores, had some ice cream, and ate at an outdoor cafe.
Three Dog Bakery was a neat place- it smelled so good in there even though everything is for dogs. They gave her a complimentary "pupcake" which she thoroughly enjoyed. Walked around Seattle Center and Olympic Sculpture Park where even more friends were made.
Stayed at the La Quinta Downtown and it was fine. The dog was welcomed there and she seemed to like the room. Getting back to the hotel at night, she would just flake out after a long day. Right next to the hotel was Denny Park- this was a good place to take the dog to pee in the morning and at bedtime. Of course, cleanup afterwards. There were always homeless people in that park but they did not annoy.
Would have tried to go to the "Dine with your Dog" event at the Three Dog Bakery. No Pike Place Market because it would be too busy with the dog. It didn't feel limiting having the dog. Seattle did seem very dog-friendly indeed. The hardest thing with having the dog was finding her a place to pee. Being downtown there is so much concrete everywhere... sometimes she just had to hold it while a suitable spot was found.
And everyone in Seattle seemed to comment on her, say hi to her, and ask to pet her. All things that she LOVES. Also, people in Seattle know their dog breeds. Often heard was "Oh, an Irish Setter!" whereas at home, people are always asking what kind of dog she is because they are not quite sure. The pup definitely got more attention than the baby did in Seattle...
In conclusion, traveling with a baby is harder than traveling with a dog, traveling with either one of them will limit you, and traveling with both at the same time may mean that you are crazy. But it can be done, and a great time was had! It was fun to have the dog to make it a true "family vacation".
Thanks Seattle!