Dog incident at pub

The other owners sound awful but I don’t think a pub is the best place for a reactive dog really. Must be quite stressful for her, wouldn’t it be kinder and safer to leave her at home?

I agree with above. The other fella sounds a bit strange but reactive dogs and pubs just don't mix. I'd say drop the dog home then wander back for a drink without the worry of having to keep an eye on the pooch.

Agree with the above posts. Man was weird. Reactive dog in pub not a great idea

Leaving your dog at home is a real thing.

Keep the socilsing for humans only.

This incident was entirely a them problem! They started it, they continued it, you moved away ahead of anything happening.

However, if your dog is reactive, going to a pub is fine, good in fact for some gentle exposure. But sitting near the entrance isn’t a good idea. You were keeping watch but you easily could have missed something and set your Ddog up to fail. Better to sit on the edge of the outside area, or a quieter corner inside. Somewhere Ddog can feel a bit shielded rather than exposed by the entrance.

If your dog is reactive, you need to avoid busy places like pubs.

This is why I avoid pubs, cafes and restaurants which allow dogs.
We have dogs. We leave them at home.

Is 'reactive' just a soft word for aggressive? Imo there are plenty of dogs who aren't like this, and in my day, these aggressive dogs would be humanely put to sleep, and no one would have to be on such high alert over a pet.

Are you taking her to the pub because she enjoys it? If not, leave her at home.

I also have a reactive dog and it’s a pain in the fucking arse so you have my sympathies. She’s on anxiety meds and actively working with a behaviourist. It’s stressful enough keeping her under control without other people letting their dogs go wild and come close.

Have you considered a muzzle? My dog has never bitten but sometimes we muzzle her if we are going on walks where there will be lots of others around. It works wonders. People automatically avoid & keep their dogs away.

You don’t need to take the dog to the pub. Nobody does and I wish they wouldn’t. Bet all of this was just lovely for the other people there. 5 dogs going berserk. God.

Why why why can’t dog owners leave their animals at home? It’s not compulsory to take them everywhere. It seems to have got worse the last few years. They are animals, not children.

I don’t really care if this upsets dog owners. A bit like dog owners don’t really care if their little darling terrifies the living daylights out of me when they fail to control it. Some just even stand & laugh.

I'm more worried about that man than the dog.

I agree, sitting near the entrance with a reactive dog was setting your dog up to fail. If you go to a pub garden, sit on the outskirts so your dog can see what's happening without going into meltdown, and as it gets used to being there, over time, you can move in closer.
That said, the guy sounded like he was an idiot given what the rest of his party were saying to him.

Just saw your last post and no, I don't think you need to avoid it completely, just sit where your dog can be comfortable with the situation. Keeping dogs away from these sorts of situations are what will make them react more, but also exposing them to too much of what makes them react will also cause them to react more. It's a fine line

Increasingly I see stressed dogs in unsuitable places.

A pub is no place for a dog, especially not one that is reactive.

A pub is not the place for ANY dog. Nor, come to that, are cafes, restaurants, shops or, as I came across the other day, the toilets at a motorway service station.

They were arseholes but why on earth did you think it was a good idea to take a reactive dog to a busy pub and sit her by the entrance? It was never going to end well.

Leave your dog at home next time or only stop at the pub if it’s quiet and you can sit on your own table outside and keep your dog safe.

I certainly have to disagree with that last place. Nobody takes their dog to a motorway service station for a day out. People drive solo. You can’t leave the dog in the car especially in current temperatures. I wouldn’t leave my dog even in winter as they could be stolen. If I need the toilet on a long journey dog comes too (they’re allowed).

My dog is not reactive but she barks..a lot. He greeting for people is barks and tail wags. She’s also deaf so it’s harder to get her to stop barking. Because of this we don’t take her to pubs and places like that because it wouldn’t be fair on the other patrons.

I agree with the other posters, you need to not take your reactive dogs to places that could trigger her.

The bloke sounds like a dickhead though.

My younger dog is horribly nervous and on a low dose of medication from the Vets. I'd never take her out to the pub as she'd be so stressed on high alert that it would take hours afterwards for her to decompress. She's not remotely aggressive but she'll bark and appear like she is.

I would honestly review putting your dog into a high stress situation for them. But the people sound horrendous. I've got a yellow nervous/don't approach harness and lead for mine but people still let their dogs come right into her space and it drives me insane.

Where do you live? I live in the countryside and pretty much every pub is set up for and actively encourages dogs. The pub is certainly a place for a dog round here. Not mine though because she’s batshit 😂

Reactive or really dog aggressive like one of mine was? I spent years avoiding other dogs public places, I wouldn’t dream of taking him to a pub, he’d have been far too stressed with the people/dogs. We spent stupid amounts on trainers/trying to help him, but nothing helped so we kept him secure/unstressed/out of tense situations.

It’s unfortunate but you have stressed out your dog and now yourselves. I’m extremely lucky that I can now go anywhere with my current two who are very relaxed/love other dogs and just lie quietly under the table.

Not always possible.

I would say train yours better a reactive animal is dangerous. No i wouldn't take a dog to.a pub unless it was complacent.