Help & frequently asked questions

Dog Happiness helps you find dog-friendly parks, beaches, pubs, and cafés across NSW. We check council regulations, venue websites, and community reviews to assess whether dogs are welcome at each venue, and surface the details that matter — like which areas are dog-friendly, whether there’s shade and water, and what conditions apply.

Our Dog Happiness Score (out of 5) rates venues from a dog’s perspective — not a human prestige perspective. It considers four things: the venue’s dog-specific amenities and layout, public reviews, dog-specific community signals, and community contributions. A quiet local park with shade, water, and good fencing may score higher than a famous venue that happens to allow dogs. Some venues don’t have a score yet because we don’t have enough evidence to rate them fairly.

We only show a score when we have enough evidence to rate a venue fairly. If a venue has very few reviews, limited feature data, or dogs aren’t allowed, no score is displayed. This isn’t a negative signal — it just means we need more information.

By default, venues are sorted by “Best for dogs” — which shows confirmed dog-friendly venues first, followed by likely and then unknown. Within each group, venues are ordered by their Dog Happiness Score. You can also sort alphabetically by suburb or venue name.

We use a hierarchy of evidence. Council regulations and official venue policies carry the most weight. Venue website FAQ and policy pages are strong evidence. Consistent community reviews add supporting confirmation. Where confirmed or clearly identified, we show the access status. But venue policies can change, so we always recommend checking before a special trip.

Yes — especially for pubs, cafés, and other hospitality venues. Dog policies can change without notice, and conditions like which areas are dog-friendly, time restrictions, or seasonal rules may apply. Our information is based on the best evidence available, but confirming directly is always the safest approach.

If a venue’s dog access information looks incorrect, you can submit a correction directly from the venue page. Your feedback helps us keep information accurate. You can report incorrect access status, wrong conditions, or outdated details.

NSW law and food safety rules create different zones within a venue. Beer gardens and outdoor areas are the clearest dog-friendly zones. Front bars are common but not always guaranteed. Bistros and gaming areas are usually excluded. Where confirmed or clearly identified, Dog Happiness shows which specific areas are dog-friendly.

Yes — and it happens more often than you might think. A pub that welcomed dogs for years can change its policy after a single complaint or a change in management. This is why we always recommend checking before a special trip, especially for hospitality venues.

Some pubs simply permit dogs. Others actively welcome them with water bowls, dog menus, treats, or dedicated dog events. Where we have this information, we surface it — so you can find venues where your dog will genuinely have a good time, not just be tolerated.