You'll feel like a star when you arrive at Dog Tail, as a whole pack of small dogs greets you noisily and accompanies you to your assigned floor cushion in the large playroom. But then, you'll be abandoned just as quickly as another guest arrives and the dogs all rush to the entrance to greet the newcomer. It's an emotional roller-coaster!

Once you've settled in with your drink though, and the resident canines have calmed down, you can pet the passing dogs and try to initiate games of fetch with the many chew toys on hand. Two dogs wearing head cones during our visit were confined to penned-in areas, and these were especially friendly to any visitors who came over to give them some attention.

Dog Tail's playroom occupies a large space overlooking the river just north of Dotonbori, with seating on rather minimal floor cushions. The eleven resident dogs here include a maltese and a friendly miniature dachshund.

Dog treats are available for visitors who stay more than two hours, but are limited in number. The drink menu includes hot and cold coffee, iced tea, corn tea, and several fruit juices. The cafe can get crowded even on weekdays, so we'd recommend visiting early in the day.