Dogs in restaurants

I have 3 dogs, who are well behaved. I would never take any of them to a restaurant when having a meal. Dogs can be left for at least 4 hours at home without any problems.

Since covid and a LOT of newby dog owners, they treat them like children and expect them to be accepted everywhere.

I recently had a meal in a pub restaurant to be greatly annoyed by a dog constantly yowling and barking 🤷‍♀️? So bloody annoying, leave them at home!

I do understand- not everyone loves dogs, they are not always well behaved and yes it’s less hygienic.

However, I’ve just been on holiday with my dog and so I had to take him with me. Luckily there were a great many restaurants who would take him. Some in certain areas only, which is attempting to accommodate everyone. There were other restaurants who refused dogs. I was absolutely fine with that.

Being a puppy he had a crash course in lying quietly and being as unobtrusive as possible. Because most dog owners do understand that our love for our dogs is not shared by everyone.

I completely agree. Annoying humans whether children or adults are far preferable to stinking animals.

Not really. Just pointing out the number of people comparing animals to children but there were so many I got bored. They are not the same. Children trump dogs every time. Restaurants do not exist for dogs, they exist for people. People that compare the two are batshit. Not sure why you think me pointing this out is provocative, it’s simply a fact.

I have a dog, there are loads of restaurants that don't allow dogs or only allow dogs in some areas. I would recommend you go to one of them if dogs bother you.
Loud/drunk people or loud kids bother me more than a well behaved dog

Are you just trying to be provocative?

I don’t see the issue. Most of the time you don’t know they are there. Unlike children who ruin many restaurants

YANBU at all. Who wants dog hair in their food?

But it's pretty easy to avoid by simply eating at restaurants and cafes that don't allow dogs inside.

I was just about to say I don't mind dogs in pubs and then remembered the pub I was in where a clearly bored and distressed puppy urinated on the on the floor and the owners carried on drinking and ignored it.

I completely agree with the idea of having dog friendly areas, most restaurants here tend to put dogs all in one corner.

I will say though, if they do that then there needs to be adequate spacing between the tables so dogs aren't ontop of each other with no place to sit

We took our pup to dog friendly cafes for short periods of time and encouraged her to lay on a mat and chew a chew for the duration of our drink, then meal and built up the time she laid quietly over a period of time.

We did this as when we holiday (camping) she comes too. It's nice to support local businesses this way which we couldn't if she couldn't come as you cannot leave a dog in an unfamiliar place even if you can at home.

The result is a dog who now calmly lays under or beside the table whilst we eat. She is far less trouble than a lot of adults if I am honest.

Not everyone likes dogs so we are happy to be put in a 'dog' area with ours as long as the other dogs are under control.

We have taken our dogs into pubs and cafes for 20 years without problem as they are well trained and exercised so tend to just chill out. However a lot of people take their dogs to brunch/lunch without this so you have a lot of pent up energy and frustration. Big difference between a tired dog from a nice long walk or day out and a morning coffee with a fizzing dog who hasn't have chance to let off steam first.

We have been in the situation where our dog has shown she is unhappy due to the behaviour of another in the same place so we have just quietly removed ourselves.

My dogs aren't fur babies, nor do I baby them
They are well trained and tolerate being left well

It's simply responsible of me to take them to places where they are allowed and not leave them in holiday places where they are not allowed alone, in tents where its too hot or cars. It is also not responsible of me to leave them tied up outside as some suggested (Which I personally hate walking past tied dogs because I feel there's no control over them and it feels risky). It's also not responsible of me to leave them at home if I happen to be out for too long

Because I am responsible, I walk them often. Whilst I am out, sometimes shock horror I might need a wee, or equally on a 3 hour hike we might stop for lunch

Local business actively encourage me to do so. In fact it's been a big problem of some of the campervan community that people are visiting places but not stopping in local shops or restaurants. I do not demand to go in, I simply actively research where would encourage me

I am not taking my dogs places where they aren't allowed

It reminds me of a recent thread where it was deemed that anyone who let their dogs sleep upstairs must molly coddle them as dogs sleep else where (possibly kitchen but other people kicked off it was unhygienic)

My dogs sleep upstairs and aren't allowed in the kitchen, because it suits the layout of my house. Not because they are uncontrollable swines

I completely agree there are bad dog owners, like there are people that litter, or abuse anything. I promise you they are more annoying to dog owners than non dog owners
Me and my quiet dogs are more annoyed by a yapping dog, or a dog roaming because it's more disturbing for my dogs
Dogs in the way is often because places actively encourage dogs then when you get there don't provide you space. Same reason my pram is sometimes in the way, not cos I'm dick but because there's no place to tuck and someone's sat me there

Many times it's not me simply deciding I'd rather dine with a dog, but because I've no other option

Dog owner here and totally agree. I adore my dogs but appreciate others do not and that as animals, however cute and clever I feel they are, they are unpredictable, can get stressed in crowded/noisy places and may react badly to scary/barky/growly dogs! So, no, dog friendly cafes and bars, outside and away from others is fine. Not restaurants. Especially at the prices today.

My dog does not have separation anxiety because of the pandemic. And yes I am training her.

Dogs should be allowed in restaurants at the restaurant owner’s discretion. It is not entitled to take dogs to dog friendly places. Just because you take your dog to a dog friendly restaurant it doesn’t mean you take your dog ‘everywhere’. If you don’t like dogs in dog friendly places, vote with your feet, take it up with the owner or lump it.

Well clearly MN hive mind isn't reflective of the general population then 🤷‍♀️

Money talks. If restaurants bring in more business catering to dog owners then that's what they will do. My suggestion is to find restaurants that don't allow dogs. My niece is dog phobic so that's what we do for family meals. Surely if everyone who doesn't want to eat beside a dog did this then the businesses would change their policies?

But how did it affect you @MealDealDreamz . The dog was lying on the floor at the next table, so didn’t touch yYou or interact with you in any way, so what is the problem? If it’s just that you don’t like it, well society is full of stuff we don’t like, but if it doesn’t affect us or cause a problem generally why not live and let live?

I think you’ll find the reason for this is that it is becoming a very big problem and needs addressing, partly because there are too many dogs and partly because there are some very flakey owners. A couple of people on here complaining they can’t leave their dog at home because it has separation anxiety but really that is a problem of their own making. They should have trained the dog to be left for incremental periods of time and this is also a huge hangover from the pandemic when people didn’t think what would happen when they had to leave their dogs to go back to work. Be a good owner and train your animal, do not be an entitled fuckwit. Dogs are a lot of hard work.

Yeah tough. I will keep taking my dog where places allow her.

This

Very articulate 🥳

Yes. Speaks volumes but still on deaf ears

Dogs should not be in restaurants - end of.

I can most tell the day of the week by the number of MN threads complaining about dogs, it really incessant every weekend.

Assistance dogs are still grim
But the patrons need for the dog outweighs the negative
You don't get multiple blind dogs unless it's some kind of convention..
Whereas you can if everyone is bringing their pet.
You just do not need it. Why be dirty when you don't have to.