To dare to think that the Cult of Dog has gone too far?

There’s an independent dog friendly coffee chain in my area which is partnered with Guide Dogs. Each branch sponsors a guide dog puppy in training and the profits from their dog treats go towards that. This is a good thing surely, and it would not be a good look if their shops were not dog

I think that’s excellent. And any shop with a jar of dog treats and a bowl of water I don’t have a problem with either. It’s the treating dogs as our equals, by providing dog ice creams, ‘cakes and pastries’,dog menus in cafes etc, that I think is going too far.

I sat next to a couple having lunch in our park cafe a few months ago. They ordered a meal for their dog, which came on the same type of plate used by the cafe for people. Our flats are supposed to be dog free but people are getting round it by claiming that they’re emotional support dogs. Absolutely people should have guide dogs, hearing dogs, medic alert dogs etc. Unless a dog is a licensed assistance dog, then it’s a pet imo. All pets provide comfort, emotional support and companionship . Unless it’s a working dog , that’s why we have them. I love dogs but I agree there is a dog cult and anyone not buying in to it is deemed to be a dog hater.

Yes, because all that wil happen is that there will be no dogs.

You need help.

And I’m sure the dog poo was collected, I’m pretty sure the streets of St Ives aren’t littered with dog poo. Not seen any, quite a few bits of litter from the grockles.

Sounds like you’re better off abroad though

The tricky thing is dog owners have been the bread and butter for places like the lake district, and most uk tourism (outside of cities) for years and years. Dog owners have been the reliable uk holidayers for decades

If you have a cafe in the lakes for example. You know that a big chunk of your custom has dogs that must be with them (as you cant leave them in 90% of tourist accommodation). You also know that a large chunk of people will eat in a cafe with dogs in it and not care. If that's your current status quo then you can't know how many people are walking past because of it and if that cancels out the dog owners

I think we might have reached peak dog ownership levels around lockdown times and the level is still higher than in the past.

The inevitable consequence of this is that with more dogs about there are a higher number of less clued up owners.

I have a DC who is a bit afraid of dogs. It's not a completely irrational fear. Some of it dates back to a dog bounding up to him in the park when he was little. This has made me observe dog and owner behaviour a bit more closely and I do see what OP is getting at.

I think dogs in cafes and pubs is ok if they remain on lead and under table/out of the way. I don't like dogs on beaches on peak season family spaces. Those beaches where they have to be on leads create a different problem. I feel sorry for the dogs as their barking and wanting to join in the beach fun when they can't is frustrating for them.

Dogs on mountain/hill or coastal path walks are better on leads. It's not safe on steep paths to have your dog off a lead - not safe if you have to go running after it off path, not safe if it runs ahead and causes distress to other walkers, if there are sheep or other animals about then dogs have to be on leads.

We were recently in the Lake District over a warm weekend. We did a couple of popular walks. 2 days running we encountered poo bags every few metres. It was shocking to see this, there really isn't any excuse. If it had been one or two I guess it's par for the course that there might be less clued up owners but every few yards is ridiculous.

Completely agree and loathe dogs and 90% of owners.

But why are dogs allowed in pubs when no other animal is? What is so special about dogs. They are mere beasts, like horses, rats, or hippopotamuses, None of those animals would be allowed in a pub, people would think you were mad if you considered it.

Genuinely how would it be enforced though?

I 100% like the idea of it, and think there are certain things you should have to do eg classes, health checks, have a register so dogs could be complained about etc. I just think there's zero way of doing it so it reaches owners that aren't already doing those thing

The uk stopped dog licencing because they couldn't enforce it And the compliance was terrible

Microchipping has been law for a decade and only something like 10% of strays are chipped properly. Most responsible people's dogs are, but they aren't the dogs that tend to stray.

Equally docking and cropping is illegal. You can physically see dogs with those attributes and still nothing is done

Something like cars works because you have to use them on public roads and you can read plates at a distance so check thousands a day. There's no way of doing that for dogs. Every single check would be manual and easy to avoid

Car insurance is a great example. People insure their car because of anpr, and you need to have the car physically visible at some point. What is astronomical is the number of uninsured driver's that are driving an insured car in someone else's name.

How much police resource would be dedicated to stopping owners and checking paperwork? Where would you do it? Like tv licencing where everyone is assumed to have a dog?

Even if say there were microchip readers on everysingle lampost (that can register the absence of something being the hardest thing!) , people with unlicensed dogs would just go else where to fields etc

Situations where people avoid the vets with dogs, avoid socialising dogs, exercising them well, and avoid training is an absolute mix for an explosion of dog bites.

Its why in my health care job, we don't check people's immigration status at A+E

The sooner this country falls under the cloak of Islam is is ruled by Sharia Law, the better! Keeping pet dogs will be haram!

@OonaStubbs they aren’t even really animals - they are man made creatures. A bit like Frankenstein’s monster, human’s created these beasts and now they are having to live with the consequences. They contribute nothing to the eco system and do not need preserving or looking after in the same way real wildlife animals do - all dogs could disappear and the world would carry on just fine. They are really nothing more than a very expensive, intrusive and irritating hobby.

Humans do (take) precedence over animals. A dog under a table in a pub doesn’t mean they don’t. Sorry you all hate them but unlucky, you’re just going to have to live with it.

1 trillion percent. They need to be confined to dog parks and peoplea homes. If you choose to own a dog and your live in a soqce that doesnt accomodate them thats your own problem don't inflict that on others.

We have stopped holidaying in the UK now are everywhereis dog country. Last time we went 2 years ago we went to st ives emd of sept so thought bmit be quiet. Nope nope. Dogs everywhere. Tight cramped streets full of dogs crapping everywhere On the beaches that coeqrly say no digs allowed during peak season. March - Oct no dogs allowed. But yet dogs were there.

We escqped to a remote beach and cove. Only to be followed by people with their dogs. A seal mother and her pup were separated she qas out hunting for food and couldnt get bqck to her pup as the dogs were in her pathway back to him. You could aee her poke her head up qnd check peridocially. And becuase of this she most likely abandoned her pup! Absolutely disgusting. It should be a criminal offense.

I am not a dog hater. My family had dogs BUT they had q massive farm and they were working dogs. They sleep outside and looked after and roam on the private property. They are not forced upon the mass public!
It has gotten out of hand. Hotels accepting dogs and B&Bs any holidays rentals. And now landlords have to accept them! It is revolting. We do not keep dogs in the house as it is a massive hygiene issue. So to go rent where dovs lived or go to a hotel where dogs go is a massive no no for me. It makes me feel nauseated.

But kids running about are also having an impact on those birds too. The dog part is also very small and is not entirely natural as it is cut off by a man made wall.

I am doing nothing wrong by taking my dog there and will continue to do so. My dog is the reason I am alive right now, and I don't buy into this whole dogs are destroying the planet thing. I don t have kids, and I don't use planes or have a car. Let me have that one bit of joy right now, because I am hanging on by a thread at the moment.

She is well trained, and I am a responsible owner. People like me are not the problem. I am just as irritated by irresponsible dog owners too.

Do you believe much of Genesis? Or is it just that particular part. Humans are animals who have developed good tool use skills.

But dogs are animals. Humans should precedence over animals.

@SnoozingFox and likewise, my dog and I couldn't give two hoots about what you want either. So now we're even.
If you want consideration you need to be prepared to consider others as well.

People’s litter doesn’t negate the impact of your dog and isn’t the subject of the thread, it’s just whataboutery.

Crows and gulls ARE wildlife! And I doubt they’re the only shorebirds there; dogs are known to have a negative impact on wildlife including on beaches:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/apr/10/pet-dogs-have-extensive-and-multifarious-impact-on-environment-new-research-finds

You might "be their world" but if you were a responsible owner you would train your animal to be left on its own for periods, just as responsible owners have done for centuries.

The fact the dog is your world does not mean its everyone else's world too. So selfish. I couldn't give two hoots whether your dog is unhappy, mediocre or ecstatic. I just don't want it anywhere near me.

Any form of dog licencing will just be the same people ducking out of it So they run the risk of having their animal seized and destroyed then, as they would with an uninsured car. Some people not wanting to comply with a law is not a reason to not pass the law in the first place.

The idea that historically dogs weren't everywhere is also false.

In the 60s/70s my mums dog went with her everywhere. There were also eras of dogs been turned out into the street for the day etc, packs of dogs wandering round.
Dog poo everywhere (far worse than it is today!)

Dogs tied up outside shops wasn't a good thing. Im not sure why it's seen as the answer often in these threads, most people that aren't keen on dogs are even less keen on walking past unattended ones.

Most children of that generation have some sort Dog related horror story.

Now days the rules are stricter
We don't leave dogs in cars like we used to
We don't leave them outside shops anymore tied up
We know it's not good for them to be left for 12 hour stretchs
We also have less places to leave them, lots of holiday lets etc explicitly ban it which didn't used to be a thing

Why aren't these dog lovers adopting rescue dogs instead of spending a month's pay on one?

Yes! If I go out without the dog, he will be unhappy. It really is heartbreaking to see a beautiful unhappy dog lying by the door all day just waiting for their person to come home. When you have a dog, you are their world.

How does my dog having a splash about in the sea and a run about on the sand "ruin" beaches for other people and wildlife?
The only wildlife on this beach are sea gulls and crows. Oh, and don't get me started on the amount of litter left by people. That is a beach being ruined by people, not dogs.

The dog friendly part of the beach we go to is rather small. I also never take her onto the bit where dogs are forbidden so please don't tell me I am encouraged to push my luck and treat the whole beach as dog friendly. Stop talking about dog owners like we are all the same.

You clearly know nothing about dogs! Large breed dogs are usually friendly and harmless; it's the yapply little f*kers that will grab you by the ankle that you have to watch out for.

Children yes although I'm still not interested in them, thick parents who think other people should indulge their offspring and therefore don't parent them no. The same goes for dogs and their owners.