Dogs are everywhere?!

[LadyMonicaBaddingham]

I took DS to a university open day today. Two separate families had brought their dog with them! Is this someone I've missed?! Why is this necessary?!

I do take my dog places with me, although not restaurants, inside of cafes or shops. Dog friendly attractions I do though (things like dog friendly areas of national trust etc). She's quite small, 20 yrs old, can't walk long distances but loves being out and loves the doggy backpack. I try to leave her alone as little as possible given she won't have long left. I don't expect people to fawn over her though, and she prefers it if they didn't.

I have a dog which I love so much . I would never eat anywhere that allows dogs in . People are treating them like children

I own a dog {well behaved} and completely agree- dogs pissing up things in shops is completely unacceptable.

Too many dogs are untrained pains in the arse.

This and other post show that part of the problem is that there is no compromise possible - entitled dog owners push on every boundary and ignore any rule they don't like.

I don't mind dogs on the ground that much, but I see dogs on sofas, chairs or with their head on the same level as the table utterly disgusting, and it is very unpleasant to have to smell them. A big proportion of good dog owners is ok, keeping their dogs under their tables and generally on the ground. And than some "other" dog owner comes, allowing their smelly ugly beast up.

I just don’t see the level of dogs around in shops and cafes as described on here. Ive been shopping in a local town today. Just me and dh. I went in to many shops, and can say that I didnt see any dogs in any of the shops I went in. At all. And despite hearing on MN about loads of dogs wandering rounds clothes shops, i have yet to see any. See plenty in dog friendly cafes, but certainly not in shops. And I live near tourist towns, so if it was rampant, I’m sure I’d have noticed it.

😄 Selling them. Although she was crazy enough to have removed her own I’m sure.

A dog in a backpack won't be an inconvenience.
Friend owns a 15 1/2 yr old dog who is unobtrusive and quiet as a mouse. Just lies next to her owner on a soft thick blanket on the floor if they go to their local dog friendly restaurant { there is a a non ~dog separate section as well}

It must be really area dependent. I’m the other end of the country to you, so we probably aren’t going to the same places.

I don’t see so many dogs in London although there’s definitely been an increase there as well. But in my local area it’s just become exhausting going anywhere with the number of dogs.

And I actually like dogs! Just not the amount of badly trained ones around here!

They still did it though pets were given little thought. my cats used to hide for a week, I have to leave my house as it is so loud, my rescue dog heard one in the distance yesterday she was so scared. They have got louder than the ones in the 70’s in that you used your garden,

Really dislike dogs. The barking, the smell, the licking, the jumping up.
Mostly I hate how people expect you to love dogs as much as they do and think you’re some kind of horrible weirdo if you don’t.
Really hate how almost everyone has a dog now so you can’t go into a cafe or pub without encountering a dog, it would seem.

I have to say I lost my shit in a restaurant we had just been to discuss wake for my dad thought we would get something to eat. 2 couples with 4 dogs 2 small dogs who were reactive 2 large dogs who the owner couldn’t control, they tried to attack a poor woman who came in with her elderly staffie she left, think they were all twated it was 4.30. They were all very loud & the dogs barking there were a group who we had met previously with their little Maltese. In the end I told them to keep their out of control dogs & themselves quiet whilst people were eating. Then they were sniggering like naughty children. My poor mom was horrified. I have never seen such uncontrollable dogs & owners in a restaurant.

Personally, I'm amazed you even noticed them on a day devoted to your DC's future education.

WTF? Why wouldn’t you notice a dog in a place where you wouldn’t expect to see one? Just because you’re there to find out about the university doesn’t meant you’re oblivious to your surroundings. What a silly thing to say.

I’m the only person in my team at work without a dog. Most are ‘pandemic dogs’ who can’t be left, and the owners get ridiculous concessions for working from home as a result. It boggles my mind- they have more concessions than I’d get for my child. Possibly because our manager is also dog obsessed. I’ve started to avoid nights out with them after a couple in a row where the conversation was almost exclusively dog related.

I also agree that dogs are suddenly everywhere- I’d be interested to see data on whether there’s been an actual massive increase, or whether it’s more of a behavioural change in owners/ they just feel more visible because they’re now in spaces they never would’ve been in 10 years ago?

But tbh, this isn’t a dog problem. It’s a people problem. The group you’re talking about were a set of unpleasant people, who hasn’t taught their dogs how to behave. A bit like adults taking their kids to cafes. If they have unruly children whoare using the cafe like a play centre, I wouldnt blame the badly behaved kids, but I would hold to account their parents who clearly can’t control them. Same with dogs.

I'm in London and loads of dogs. Mainly with useless owners.

Catching tube to work in rush hour and always a dog in the carriage. The other day a person crams themself in a pack carriage bringing on two dogs with them. Just plain fucking ridiculous.

People can't afford children so they have dogs instead.
It's pathetic.

The comparison doesn't work.
Children have a relevant chance to grow into a valuable member of the society.
The dog has at the best a chance to be valuable member of the specific family and not a nuisance to the others.
It is useful to have some tolerance for children no matter the parents, but there is no value in tolerating badly behaved dogs/bad dog owners.

I see a potential for self-regulation here. Some kind of good dog owner examination which would describe and test the standard to which the dog owner manages the dog and the establishments allowing dogs with the required level of certification.

I love that they went to look at uni too. 🐾 Not a problem for me if dogs are well behaved.

I'm utterly fed up of the ubiquity of dogs. Dogs everywhere! I live in a semi rural village and you'd expect there to be plenty of dogs. But not as many as there are here! All the paths around the village and across the fields are spotted with dog shit, so you really have to watch your feet, especially with a young child. Dogs are regularly walked off the lead round here which is a bloody nightmare if you have a child (with ASD/LDs) who can be terrified of them running up to him.

Worse by far, some fecking ignorant dog owners have allowed their stupid mutts to chase and worry/kill sheep on a local farm, which has now rescinded permission to use parts of that land recreationally for walks and so on. Just because some thick and thoughtless owners thought that THEIR precious sweet fur baby would never run after sheep.

Our pleasant local town recently was targeted by some entitled dog owner who went round ALL the cafes, pubs etc strongly suggesting they wanted to be dog-friendly and here's the sticker for your window, etc - not one single cafe said 'actually no, we don't want dogs where people are eating' - so every single place you can go to eat or drink in our town is card-carrying 'dog friendly'. It leaves no alternative. (Actually I tell a lie - you can't bring a non-service dog into the supermarket, so I suppose the supermarket cafe is dog-free.)

I do like dogs for the most part (I don't want one). What I don't like is the implicit expectation that I will LOVE your dog, that I'm happy at the fact that there are 4 or 5 smelly heaps of fur between the tables in a local cafe and I have to literally step over them to get to my seat, and that they are exactly the same importance as a child.

Love these sorts of dog threads. Feel a sense of inner glee when I take my dog to places, knowing there's a chance I may be pissing off one of you lot.

We can't go into shops/cafes/etc which allow them due to DS2 being severely allergic. We are not in a tourist town but and every cafe allows dogs (yes, I've checked...if we go anywhere I have to), the only craft shop in the town allows dogs, all the garden centres allow dogs, all outdoor clothing shops allow dogs, the only book shop allows dogs, there's more but I think you get the idea.

We can't visit these places. They've prioritised animals over humans in spaces that are for humans, excluding some humans by doing so. We will not "get over" other peoples pets restricting where we can go. Everywhere we have to be alert for dogs in places they never used to be. I'm constantly running a mental risk assessment because the next dog we encounter in a building could be DS2's next severe asthma attack. It never used to be this bad; his allergy never used to stop us doing much at all but these days we can't even buy him a pair of school shoes without encountering a dog in the shop.

Even outside, so many walks we meet uncontrolled, off lead dogs with the shout of "it's ok, he's friendly" from someone doing nothing to keep their dog away. Their dog could be the friendliest dog in the world, he's still allergic, it's still not ok to have it approaching strangers. I joined the RSPB because their nearest reserve to us doesn't allow dogs so we can actually have a relaxing walk. The last time we went there was a dog shit in a bag hanging from a tree. Even the dog free areas end up with someone taking dogs in.

Plenty of cafes do say no, the others know their businesses & make their own decisions.

Responsible owns say ok & go somewhere that welcomes their dog.