The last time I brought my Chihuahua Pinky, gazing adoringly at you on the left, into the grocery store, the store clerk acted as if I’d dragged in a rabies-infected sewer rat. “That thing should not be in here unless it’s a guide dog,” she sniffed. Pinky weighs five pounds. And she’s not the brightest crayon in the box. I’m pretty sure she’d be more of a hindurance than a help to a person with any sort of disability. So moments later, we were booted from the vegetable aisle. I’ve always wished that Americans would be more European (read: less anal) when it comes to dogs in public places. It’s annoying–not to mention embarrassing–when you find out too late. And it makes Pinky feel like a parasite. I recently discovered a pretty awesome book though that spares us from such unpleasant experiences. Val Mallinson’s The Dog Lover’s Companion to Seattle is a comprehensive guide to all the parks, restaurants, shopping plazas, etc. that allow dogs. It divides the city by neighborhood and gives a brief rundown on each locale, many of which I never knew allowed dogs. Pinky, it turns out, can hang out at Top Pot Doughnuts, Il Bistro, Salumi, and Red Mill Burgers–and that’s just the beginning. You’ll find this guidebook incredibly useful if you own a dog. And it will greatly boost your abilities to pick up chicks, gay men, or in my case, just look like a crazy single dog lady. The Dog Lover’s Companion to Seattle (third edition), $17.95, Avalon Travel.