Just so many dogs nowadays, or is it just me?

[HairyFanjoBanjo]

Away for the weekend at a typical British seaside town in Anglia and am quite shocked at just how many people have dogs now. Am sure there never used to be quite this many, or maybe I am just more observant now I have a child who isn’t keen (on bigger dogs).

Reckon I’ve seen well in the hundreds today, I’d say at least every other family or couple had a dog. So many labradoodles / toy poodles, cockerpoo’s, pugs everywhere.

Some people looked to be almost dragging dogs around the shops in really busy / small lanes of endless gift shops, then waiting for friends/family outside shops (as no dogs allowed) some with fairly stressed looking dogs😢

Is this the lockdown puppy effect in full force now? Just everyone and their pal has a dog now.

I think doggy day care and professional dog walkers mean people who never would have considered having a dog before do so now. Not saying that is a good or bad thing.

I hate how humans have humanised their animals and their natural instincts and urges are being suppressed by being dragged around shops, carried in a carrier thing or under an arm.

I agree. It seems that, more than ever before, a pet dog is used as a substitute for a child or is seen as some sort of fashion accessory. It's very strange, but interesting from a psychology perspective.

A dog is a dog, not a fur baby, or a girl or boy. They're meant to be smelly, dirty creatures that eat poo and roll in the partially decomposed bodies of dead animals. Bathing them every week, dressing them up and putting bows on their collars doesn't make them any more human.

Dog ownership has increased slightly in recent years:

https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report/uk-pet-populations-of-dogs-cats-and-rabbits#:~:text=Our%202022%20findings%20showed%20that,of%2011.1%20million%20pet%20cats

In addition, as another poster referenced above, people are more likely to take them out on day trips and it has become less acceptable to leave dogs at home for long periods.

My DF and Step Mum had four dogs when I was a kid. They were left all day every day when my parents were at work. There was no such thing as a dog walker then. Today this is considered as abusive to the dog. Attitudes have certainly shifted. Consequently more businesses and public spaces have become "dog friendly" to accommodate this change in attitude.

I'm not a dog owner and am fairly ambivalent towards them, but it would be nice to be able to go to a dog free cafe every once in a while. Unfortunately I live near Keswick, dog friendly capital of the UK!

There everywhere and when you've got a an autistic child who's petrified of them it's hard work (he's had therapy and still scared before anyone says we don't try🤷‍♀️).
It's revolting that they are in places like cafes and bars where food is served and now shops!
They are not children and there's no need for them to be allowed in places!

So they can bark all ruddy day and upset the neighbours !

Loads and loads.

Love it personally.

YANBU. They are absolutely everywhere. Including inside shops, including food places. Absolutely gross. I hate it.

During covid, when people could not go abroad very easily, a lot of people went to UK based destinations they wouldn't normally go to and fell in love with them. And continue to visit now occasionally because the liked them so much. Newer visitors + the visitors that have been going for years and years = more dogs.

There are lots more to be sure. Love love dogs but I do think In public places they should be on a lead.

Attitudes have changed too as dogs are regarded far more now as family members not to be left behind.

Our rural gastro pub local is walk to wall dogs on a Sunday. You are in the minority without one

I love dogs, but won’t own one until I retire.
it always amazes me how many there are now, considering the responsibility, that they’re such a tie, and how expensive dog ownership is!

I'm just back from the garden centre with my dog. She's very well behaved (because I have trained her and continue to do so) and also was a lockdown puppy. I could never have a dog before because of my work, but now I partly work at home, as does my partner, and the dog has been such a happy addition.
Probably a lot of people like me, where it previously wasn't an option.

There are certainly a lot more dogs being handed into rescues than ever before. They are all struggling to cope and having to turn dogs away every day. I foster for a bulldog rescue and they have a dog in every foster and are still turning at least one dog away each day. The amount of people wanting to adopt has dropped hugely so the dogs are sometimes staying in foster longer than they would have done. It's all very sad. But people get new puppies and the cycle continues!

I love dogs - they bring lots of joy and happiness. As someone whose children were previously very nervous around dogs, it’s a good thing for them to see them around all the time and get used to them.

I love dogs. We have a dog but it pisses me off that people take them everywhere.

The reason that businesses banned dogs, except guide dogs, was because of dogs weeing everywhere.
My parents had a shop in the 70s/80s and they banned dogs from entering as they were fed up of mopping up after them.

People now see dogs as another child and take them everywhere but businesses are now reluctant to ban them as owners now are too gobby. Their assumption is that the dog cannot be left alone.
Well they shouldn't bloody well have a dog then.

It's always the usual suspects too.. cockyshitpoos and springanoodles.

I love seeing dogs out, most want to be with their family and don’t want to be left at home.

I don’t understand John Lewis/clothes shops allowing dogs in so much and wouldn’t take my dog shopping for the day. If I need to nip in to a shop on my way to family/meet friends or for a walk and it’s dog friendly then he’s coming with rather than staying at home/in the car though! Saying that I do everything possible to be a good owner and I’m very aware other people don’t like dogs. A very close family member is petrified and I consider that everybody I meet may feel the same way they do! I am however constantly surprised at the amount of people who approach my very large dog without asking, including people letting their toddlers approach and the dog gets far more attention than our baby. I get the impression more people love dogs than not but I do go to very dog friendly places.

Yes, far too many. I don't mind dogs generally but there's been a massive increase in terrible owners who don't give a shit about anyone else.

I don’t know if the actual number has increased but people definitely bring their dogs with them more now.

I remember going to the carboot when I was young and seeing a guide dog and I was so excited to see a dog.
I went yesterday and could barely move because of the dogs everywhere. I must have seen at least 50.

Yep. Dogs everywhere. Dogs in cafes, in hotels, in restaurants, in service stations, in shopping centres, in churches (!) Dogs everywhere you look. Parks, beaches and green spaces rendered unusable by anyone other than hordes of dog walkers and packs of dogs.

People must visit this country from abroad and think WTF?

Yup, went on holiday last summer to
a place in Cornwall and was sick and tired of having to dodge dogs every 2 seconds whilst walking on narrow pavements with my 2 kids. Often having to walk into the road to let dogs and their owners coming the opposite way pass us! Then a few meters down the road having to dodge all the dog shit they just left there.

Fookin hell- Tenby today was full on dog central. Never seen anything like it. Twatty owners with the long leads etc. Dogs brushing past my ankles every 2 seconds. I would love to know the percentage of people today who had a dog with them, cos it looked around 80%

I like seeing dogs out and about. I miss our little fella who died a few years ago, so I like to enjoy dogs vicariously. Always welcoming to any who come up for a 'hello' sniff.

Everyone seems to have a dog these days! Back in the 80s you used to see the odd labrador or there were one or two local mongrel dogs that used to wander the streets, but now it's all cockapoos, labradoodles, shitzus, french bulldogs etc. and people are taking them everywhere- pubs, restaurants, shops etc. I love dogs, there are definitely far more of them!

It is Easter, it is not miserable and wet, no surprise most dog owners are out with their dogs today. No football matches today in East Anglia for anyone to be at, for example.

I've noticed more simply because since working from home I go out for a walk each day. Not unpleasant ones in my area fortunately, indeed three this morning looked very content to be going out with their owners.

Agree about certain breeds which should not be kept in my opinion, and this does make it difficult for those with certain conditions or who have been jumped at by a dog.

I agree there are lots more dogs about, they are everywhere. I don't really like going to cafes that allow dogs but only about half where I live do, so you just have to choose well. I do have a dog myself and she does go with us on days out on a British holiday as cottages have as part of t&c not to leave a dog alone in the property.

We used to take our dog to Royden Park in the 70s. Probably not on a lead then, though my DM would definitely have followed rules!