This “humanisation” of dogs has got ridiculous

[Houseplantmad]

Had lunch in a chain restaurant yesterday. Two couples came in with smallish dogs. No problem with that as the restaurant is dog friendly however, they insisted on having high chairs for the dogs when their meal came as they had been holding the dogs on their laps until then. The waitress refused but they went and got them anyway so we had these shoved next to our table with a restless dog breathing and being uncomfortable in the high chair very close to us.
Today I get on an intercity train and a woman boards with a medium size dog and puts it on the seat next to her across from me at a table. The person who had booked that seat then turned up and the woman said what was she supposed to do with the dog as it couldn’t go on the floor! It did but was clearly distressed and couldn’t settle, poor thing.
I think putting animals in these situations is so unfair on them and also on others but it seems to be very common these days for people to treat their animal as if it is a human.

One of my work colleagues took her dog to see Santa before Christmas. She was also taking her toddler, but said she couldn't leave the dog at home, and you can take dogs into John Lewis, so the dog was going too!

I agree some people have dogs as substitutes for kids (and when kids have flown the nest) but that doesn't explain why so many people have them AND kids and then moan about all the "life admin".

I actually think allowing dogs on trains is more problematic than cafes/shops etc. I can choose whether to go in a shop, but if I am on the train and someone tries to sit next to me with a dog, there is going to be a problem - I can't just get off and walk. I think you should have to prebook dogs and only in certain parts of the train.

I absolutely love animals and totally get that people get very attached to their pets.

But part of loving them is understanding that they aren't people and their needs are different. Dogs need love and care, absolutely, but they are dogs, pack animals, and they also need a (loving) master. They don't actually like being left to do anything with no rules and no structure when they're domesticated.

😁 my dogs trump any child I have

Wanna go out for the evening? - Just leave them locked away in their crate!
Wanna go on holiday without them? - Just book them into kennels or holiday care!
Having to stay longer at work? - No problem, dog is already home no fines for late pick up.
Wanna have someone who truly thinks the world of you without judgement? - Get a dog!

... and that's just for starters!

And the thing I always think as well - it's not just about customers, it's about staff as well.

You might have worked in a particular shop or cafe for years and now suddenly your manager/owner decides you have to coo over dogs. So you have to put up with it, or leave. But where do you leave to when everyone is allowing them?

@Houseplantmad

I agree. Many dogs are lovely, and plenty of dog owners are decent, and I do know a few people who had one as they couldn't have children, and they are like their own child IYSWIM. They adore them, And that is their right.

BUT - at the end of the day it's still an animal. And they are not human. (No shit!' I hear someone cry!) Anyway, as lovely as many dogs are, there's a time and a place for them, and eating around humans is not the place... (or time.)

This is why I disapprove of people washing their dog bowls (and cat bowls) with their 'human' ones. They can carry all kinds of pathogens and poisons and parasites that dogs and cats are not affected by, but can cause harm to humans. And people always come up with the 'but dishwasher water is very hot!' argument.

Still, NO. Keep the bowls separate. It's fucking gross.

I do agree with others on here though, that there seems to be no safe space from dogs these days, and they are just everywhere. I am sick to death of being afraid to walk around the country lanes, and fields (with designated walking areas,) because there is almost always a dog on the loose! And most people do NOT have control of them! Sadly, some dog owners are just terrible these days. (As I said earlier, plenty are fine, but there are too many poor ones.)

Even easier still is to not have a dog at all though

I agree. Why people have to take slobbering mutts everywhere instead of leaving them at home I don’t know. I preferred the days when only assistance dogs were allowed in places. Sitting a dog on a train seat is disgusting

Recently DH went through a local park on his run and saw a couple trying to force their Labrador on to the slide so they could film it in their phones. Apparently the dog was not enjoying and trying to jump off. Idiots! And yes, I’ve seen dogs sat on tables outside cafes, and on seats in crowded tubes when passengers are standing.

There was a brilliant rant in the Guardian recently about how many self-proclaimed dog lovers are anything but. I’ll have to try and find it and post a link.

I agree it should only be assistance dogs. And if it's not obvious it's a trained assistance dog, like a guide dog, you absolutely should be allowed to ask for proof it has been trained as an assistance dog.

If you want to park in a disabled bay you have to display a blue badge, so if you have an assistance dog, you should have something to say it's been trained as such.

TW

I don't know if anyone else has noticed on here the number of posts titled things like, my little girl has just died or I've just lost my little boy...I often see that and think of my gosh, how horrendous and assume their child has died. Then I see it's been posted in the pets section and actually their dog or cat has died. Really unnerving.

I've only read the OP at the moment but I have honestly never seen this sort of behavour before and I have a lot of friends with dogs.

I see endless threads about dogs on here and I just never see it. Our local is dog friendly but we don't take ours because I wouldn't find it relaxing.

This! Had dogs literally charge at my clearly terrified children and the owner 100 paces away “he’s just saying hello” just F* OFF and control your dog!

Added to say the bar area is dog friendly but they aren't allowed in the restaurant.

I went into a non dog friendly cafe last week ( doesn't say no dogs, but neither does it sell dog treats etc) there's was five tiny dogs at one point in this 15 table cafe. Someone had their jack russel doing the same. Sitting up at the table. Two people sitting at a 4 seater table so their dog could sit up at the table. I wonder how people would feel about a lab Sitting at the table?

My fog was never allowed to go on the dinning chair ever. She could sit on the sofa but she needed SOME boundaries. At least they bought a blanket for it's un wiped arse to sit on. My dog didn't wipe it's arse either btw, but in having a dog I knew that and it was my personal choice. I didn't take it into cafes or restaurants. That would have been insane pre pandemic

I love animals, but dog owners these days are ridiculous!

The amount of dogs I see in posh london restaurants at night! Why!?

Dogs on seats on the tube/ train/ cafe/ pub etc.

I saw a dog at the weekend pissing up the compost stacked outside B&Q! Some poor person will buy that! It's rank! Same dog jumped up at me while waiting to pay. Owners were shocked that I wasn't thrilled 🙄

I love my dog to bits, I love most dogs in general and I often take mine into dog friendly pubs (usually the beer gardens) and places like large cafes in parks who have dog areas. I would absolutely lose the plot if I seen a dog in a baby high chair in a restaurant/cafe!!! Imagine putting your baby in a high chair to eat after a strange dog had been sitting in it!!! (I mean even from memory highchairs always looked a bit filthy anyways!) Unhygienic and also I would bet a thousand quid those dogs were scared and uncomfortable. My girl would have been terrified. Absolute madness!
Also to those who say dog others are ridiculous..they are.. though my girl always wears coats in cold weather and has a raincoat for wet days otherwise she'd refuse to go out! But as for dressing her up...just no!

I assume dog friendly businesses exist because there is a response from customers. After all no business is going to do something that harms their profits are they?

That is just disgusting. 🤮

Dogs in highchairs is grim. And fair enough if she has booked a train ticket/seat for the dog, but not otherwise.

I find it VERY hard to believe that they were in highchairs.

I stay away from "dog friendly" establishments by any means necessary.

Love that your dog tries to drag you in the pub 😂 but absolutely, dogs are a pack animal and are happiest when they know where there place is. In a family with humans this should be the bottom of the pack. That's just how it is. Highchair thing is ridiculous and unfair to babies that need to use them.

Love that your dog tries to drag you in the pub

Our last DDog was a rescue and every time he went past a pub he tried to get us to go in

That's absolutely revolting about the high chairs and has actually upset me to read that. I struggle with contamination OCD and doing my very best not to let it take over or to affect my kids experiences. So when we go out and I lower my babies into a public high chair I really try to remind myself it's only had other babies in and their food. To think it's had a dog in 😩😥 ?! How can people be so selfish. They're meant for babies!

Dogs paws walk on the floor, we would never put our shoes on the seats so why should dogs paws be allowed on the seats or anywhere near the table or high chairs!
They also piss and shit on the floor, sniff it, lick bins and other dogs bums. They also can have fleas etc, just rank

Would also love to know which restaurant this is to avoid