“An item on the list is to take the dog to dinner at a restaurant. How stupid is that?”
Local restaurants here in the Monterey Bay area have outdoor eating areas where folks bring their dogs. They have dog menus. Take the dog for a walk, take him for a Sunday brunch, enjoy the company of other dog owners, it don’t get much better than that.
Dogs don’t care where they eat. Last year, when my dog was dying, I had to hand feed her. I would hold her on my lap and feed her Ensure with a hypodermic plunger. Sometimes, when she was up to it, she would eat deli meat from my hand. I would pet her and comfort her and she was a hell of a lot more content than if I would have brought her to a restaurant. She only lasted a few weeks at this level.