Josephine Marcotty, a Star Tribune cohort, discusses in her Body Talk blog the Minnesota Legislature's decision to legally allow dogs at outdoor restaurants.

She points out that in Europe, dogs are often allowed inside restaurants and other places that sell food. So why the difference in the United States? In search of an answer, Marcotty called the University of Minnesota, the Department of Health and Dr. Joni Scheftel, our state veterinarian. Come to find out, it's not so much a health concern that has kept dogs out of Minnesota restaurants as it is our inability to control them and the high prevalence of dog bites.

So, here is my request—-and I know I may be preaching to the choir, but hear me out. As the weather turns warmer and the taste of a bloody Mary on a sunlit sidewalk starts calling your name—-take your dog, but only if you are prepared to make your experience of sharing a bite to eat with your canine a complete non-issue for those sitting around you. Let me explain.

The best thing that can happen is that people could care less—-and not even seem to notice—-if a dog is sitting near them. Which means the dog isn't begging, whining, drooling, barking, nervous, scared or (lord help me) sitting on a chair.

Canines are very assimilated into European lifestyle—-which includes dining and public transportation. When I published TC Dog magazine, we ran an article on the canine culture in Europe. The author writes, "I've discovered Rome to be a fascinating world where stepping in dog doo on the street is considered a sign good luck, and dogs are a part of life in the most unexpected ways."

Some of us have dogs that just can't be in situations that require them to be extremely well behaved. My own dogs, for example, will not be joining me for a cocktail anytime soon because I have not trained them to behave properly is such a situation. I will enjoy sharing a drink in the company of dogs this summer, but only if I'm not annoyed by inappropriate behavior—which, in most cases, stems from the other end of the leash.