Tara Huveneers

Dog Dinner Basics: How to behave?

Multispecies Dinner Etiquette

Together with artist and philosopher Eva Meijer, we hosted our first Mutlispecies Dinner at Mediamatic Eten. A carefully prepared 3-course plant-based dinner was served to all participants (both dogs and humans). Since a multispecies dinner is a new concept for most of our guests, Mediamatic has set up some ‘dog dinner etiquettes’. These guidelines are suggestions that can be taken into account before attending a Multispecies Dinner, they should not take away the egalitarian spirit that lies at the heart of these events. 

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Dog Spinoza enjoying his meal at the Multispecies testdinner of the 17th of Januari 2023 - Made by Eva Meijer , taken from THE POLITICS OF (NOT) EATING ANIMALS. Eva Meijer

For the etiquette we have incorporated findings from our first test dinner, such as feedback from the participants. If you haven’t heard about our dog dinner before check out this article to learn more about the philosophy behind multispecies dinners. 

The Dog Dinner Etiquette:

 

  1. JOY. This event is for dogs who like to be around other dogs. Ideally dogs will be off leash and everyone will eat together.

  2. SOCIAL. The dog dinner is a social gathering. Please be attentive to your dog companion and the other guests.

  3. BOUNDARIES. Please respect the boundaries of other humans and dogs and move seats if necessary. Take a break when you want to.

  4. SPACE. Please be conscious of your human position during the Multispecies dinner. This event aims to create a space for dogs. Humans and dogs will sit down on the floor. If you are unsure if this event is accessible for you, please be in touch before you make a booking. 

  5. FUN. We invite you to experiment with ways of eating: plate licking, eating fast, using your paws or hands. Learn from your dog. Cutlery will be available but we know from experience that at least half of the guests prefer not to use it. Feel at home. And ASK for assistance if you need it.