To dislike the increase in dogs in shops/cafes

@PyreneanAubrie

My dog wants to be a domestic wolf (which is what she is). This means that she gets to spend loads of time running around on the mountains where her wolf ancestors once roamed before getting a dog treat off and a cuddle off her favourite waitress in her regular dog friendly cafe while her mum has a coffee. Before going home to her nice warm house and curling up on her soft doggy bed.

I have just read a post on a woman's group on facebook about a lady who has an extreme fear of dogs and was looking for suggestions as to where she could walk locally without dogs being off lead. The main consensus of the comments are people telling the poster to get counselling and therapy?! Wtaf! She walks in areas where dogs should be on a lead and they aren't and it's her problem? The world has gone mad.

I have a dog btw and I wouldn't subject to him being shoved under a table while I ate my dinner/lunch. It's not fair on him, he'd rather be a home in his bed. So OP, yes I would refuse to visit dog friendly establishments. My dog shakes and there are hairs everywhere. I don't want that in my food.

Anyone thinking dogs are treated like children need to report themselves to social services. Popping into Costa with a dog should not be your childcare benchmark.

I take mine in dog friendly cafes when out on walks. Nothing wrong with that, and these cafes would close down if they banned dogs as very few families now go on walks ( prefer to stay home on devices). The one I go in near a large woodland walk is full of dogs and owners on a weekend, so it would silly of them to ban dogs or they’d get no customers. As far as actual shops, I agree probably not appropriate to take dogs in. But I have to be honest here and say I never see that. I go shopping every weekend at either my local large shopping mall, or city centre (Leeds) and never come across this.

I had a lovely friendly dog in the 90's and I would never have taken him in a cafe or shop.
I like dogs, but the whole 'take them everywhere' thing has got totally out of hand.

@fatphalange

The dog 'buggies' are not used in the same way human buggies are. If you see a dog in a buggies, their is a 99% chance that they have a mobility problem that means that they can't walk far any more. But they still enjoy going outside for some stimulation, going to their favourite places, different sights, smells sounds etc, getting out to walk for a little bit here and there. It is a lot better rfor them than sitting in a dog bed in the living room all day every day.

I’m a dog owner and it’s never crossed my mind to take my dog into a shop or cafe. And yes I probably would avoid these places that allow them in where possible. As with a lot of things these days, it’s all to post on social media so they can show what a “good” dog mum (or dad) they are (not in all cases). But I agree with others, it’s on the businesses for allowing it. Obviously doesn’t apply to guide dogs etc.

All dogs smell, some* *folk just don't mind it or are oblivious to it.

Other people’s dogs, other people’s children… there are elements in common 🤣

I loathe it! It shouldn't be allowed!!! 😡

It's totally demeaning. Your dog wants to be a wolf not a baby ffs.

I'd rather share a cafe with a well-behaved dog lying quietly under the table than an annoying shrieking toddler running around!

It's gross and unnecessary. I'm allergic too so I can't go if they allow dogs in.

Please share!

I have a dog but I agree that there are too many dog owners who don’t adequately control their dog, and I sympathise with those who don’t want dogs in food places. Also with those who don’t like dogs running around off-lead, not enough dog owners understand that it doesn’t matter if their dog is “friendly”, other people have the right not to have your dog’s nose in their crotch or paws all over their jeans. If it doesn’t have excellent 100% recall, have it on a lead.

However wrt cafes and pubs it does come down to the cafe owner and the clientele in the area.

(I wouldn’t expect a food shop, like a deli, to allow dogs in and am really surprised that this is a thing- I haven’t seen it in my area, the opposite in fact with dogs allowed in some areas of places like garden centres, but not in the food-shop areas.)

Mine's a big fluffball and she wees on her knickers, but she's only 7 months so I'm hoping she'll grow out of it. My previous one was a boy and he didn't really smell much, for obvious anatomical reasons 😁

Agree though, I love their ear flap smell and their neck 🤗

Off topic but I've noticed a dramatic increase in clothes shops stocking outfits for dogs both online and in store. It used to be a bit of a novelty and now it's normal. Even loads of Halloween outfits for dogs about this year. And when I go into town I usually see dogs being pushed around in prams, which used to be considered a bit eccentric. Do people really think their pets are like mini humans now?

I saw a dog do a little widdle on a shelf in a small independent shop and the owner saw but just walked away.

My dog doesn't come shopping with me, she stays home, but when we are away on holiday we seek out dog friendly pubs and cafes with outdoor areas to sit. I prefer the out of the way seats. People who don't like dogs don't need to go near, that's fine, I understand not everyone does. Yes, of course, she has a doggy smell, but given the number of humans walking around absolutely reeking of BO, an entirely preventable smell, I'm not losing sleep over my dogs natural smell. She is regularly groomed and has a good diet.

I went looking for wallpaper recently. The young assistant smelt so badly I was gagging after 5 minutes. We left the shop.

@ButterMints

I live in Lake District too. I can think of plenty of places that don't take dogs.

I remember a few years ago being sat in the Lingholm kitchen which is so dog friendly it’s untrue with my impeccably behaved small dog sat under a chair at the small table I was at. The gentleman on the next table got up and walked over to me and hissed in my ear to move my dog to the other side of my table so it was away from his wife. The tone he spoke to me in was unbelievable. If he’d just said that his wife didn’t like dogs, would I mind moving her, etc but he literally said “move your dog”. 🤷‍♀️

I did move her to the other side but I calmly told him he’d spoken to me very rudely, that my dog was sitting perfectly quietly and very well behaved and that if they disliked dogs so much maybe they shouldn’t come to the most dog friendly cafe in the Lakes 🙈😆

I agree. The problem isn't people having dogs, it's people treating them like human babies.

Dog would far rather lie at my feet in a cafe than be left at home. He wont jump up at anyone who ignores him. If we go into a food shop he goes in a k9 backpack.

middle class shops like joules will get retrievers, Labradors, spaniels and doodles which is great. Wetherspoons probably ban them to keep out muscle dogs.

Try living in the Lake District. It's awful around here. There isn't anywhere that is NOT dog friendly to go to.

I think dogs are great but not in every cafe and shop. And yes they do smell.

I feel sorry for them. You see it around here in the shops all the time. Poor things are overwhelmed and stressed.

Oh and DC go to a kid's club that had a big social on Friday night. Some chump brought their dog with them. FFS why? It was a 90 minute event so no need. The kids were loud, really loud. There was a huge bonfire. Bloody ridiculous.

Yanbu. They stink. I avoid "doggy friendly" places like the plague and thus, my world is getting smaller and smaller. "Doggy friendly" literally means "Paying customers with allergies not welcome here". Quite frankly I'm sick of being asked to sit outside to eat at cafes and restaurants as if I'M the dog

Mine never used to smell bad, I quiet liked his scent round his ears, but he's 13 now and both ends smell rather whiffy sometimes. It comes to us all I suppose 😂