Dogs in cafes/pubs

[AutumnEve]

I was in a cafe for lunch today and the people next to me had large dog which tried sniffing my food when it was served to the table. The owners apologised but then didn't make any extraordinary effort to make sure it didn't happen again.

I don't mind dogs but DH doesn't like them. Why must people bring their dogs into these places and then not be sensitive as to whether the people around them feel uncomfortable?

Personally I think there should be laws about this.
AIBU?

I wouldn't ever have taken my Labrador to a pub/restaurant as he just couldn't be trusted around food and would ruin the meal for me.

However, I like going to dog friendly places as we no longer have him and I like my kids to be around dogs. If I didn't like it, I just wouldn't go to those places to eat. So, YABU to go to a dog friendly place and be annoyed at a dog being a dog

We have 2 food pubs within walking distance & in the last few months people have started to bring their dogs. The dogs smell because it has usually been raining, dogs bark & the last time we were there 2 small dogs yapped at each other for most of the meal & no one did anything. I'd rather listen to a crying baby.

We live in a built up part of the city so these dogs aren't out on a big country walk & it's usually a Friday night. The dogs should be left at home instead of stuck under a table for hours.

Right, so I'm in the minority.
The cafe I was in is a place I go to regularly and there have never been dogs in there before so I didn't know it was dog friendly- I think the manager has welcomed dogs only recently. There was no sign to say so. I will not be going there again and - selfish me - I'm sad about this.
Pineappletastic it did "try" and got pretty close. I had to move my food to prevent the dog's nose touching my sarnie - I don't know if it sniffed some other dog's shit beforehand!
Just for the record, I had a dog as a child and would quite happily go up to a dog and stroke it if it wasn't when I was eating.
Thanks for your input everyone.

Yanbu. I know that some places allow them in the UK but I think it's gross and weird. As do many people from other parts of the world who are baffled by our unhygienic and strangely anthropomorphic attitude.

I think the issue maybe isn't that the dog was in there, but that it wasn't prevented from encroaching on other diners' spaces.
I love dogs but it bugs me that some dog owners don't seem to appreciate that other people may not want their precious pooch sniffing them, or jumping at them, or running towards them with an unknown intent.
As for fear of dogs being learnt from parents, that's just massive bs; only 1 of my three kids had a dog phobia and frankly why wouldn't a small toddler be scared of a larger than them animal with big teeth running at them?
Would help if more dog owners stopped them doing it, didn't just say "it's alright, he won't bite" - so this dog who won't come when you call it's totally trustworthy otherwise? And who says biting is the only thing we'd rather your dog wouldn't do?

I live in the Lake District and a huge majority of cafes, pubs and shops allow dogs. Restaurants and places like Tesco, not so much, but pretty much all the local cafes, bars, pubs and outdoor shops positively welcome dogs - many have treats on offer and will have big water bowls for them too.

I love it. The dogs are much better behaved than the children - I work in a shop and it's not the dogs that rub against the clothes, hide under the rails and play chase through the changing rooms!

I'm not a dog lover (and that's me being polite) BUT there are far, FAR more non dog friendly cafes than ones that allow dogs. So maybe go to one of them?

But no one's complaining about the ones that are well behaved. They're complaining about the ones that aren't, the ones whose owners let them run rampant off the lead knocking over small children and fiddling on people's picnics and then laughing, because "oh, Brutus is just playing!"

OP is talking about pubs. When is the last time yo daw a dog behave like this in a pub?
Friday night is pub night with my dogs.

oh, pubs and cafe, sorry.

Sorry just read the update OP, if it's a recent change than they should have made people aware. I'm not a fan of the whole 'dogs allowed' thing especially in food/drink related business (and no I'm not scared of them. I just don't like them shock horror ) BUT it seems to be becoming more common place these days. Can't please everyone I guess, we all have to rub along together

It can make good business sense for a cafe to allow dogs. I purposefully holiday in the Lake District as most cafes allow dogs in.

Shame it put you off going there OP, that dog should not have been allowed near your food.

I know mine would love to go round sniffing, but they are on a short lead by my feet.

Think yourself lucky. My son sniffs food. Luckily last time he got in before we could stop him the lady whose food he sniffed thought it was hilarious (phew).

I was in the eating bit of a pub yesterday for some lunch, and people came in with a labrador. They asked the waitress for a table, and she showed them one. She also asked us (and presumably other tables) if anyone had a dog allergy. Which would have given us (or anyone else) the opportunity to object if we just didn't like dogs. No one objected, the dog sat under the table, and we all carried on having lunch. Struck me as a sensible way to carry on...

Pietari you're correct- it wasn't so much that there was a dog in the cafe at all, more that it was able to get so close that I was enforced to put up with it even though I didn't want to. Actually, there was another large dog in the space too, but that didn't bother me so much (though my heart sank when it came in: I braced my ears for a sudden barking contest).
The small cafe I was in has crammed in the tables; normally fine, but there wasn't an option where I could have changed tables to get away from the dogs.

MaudesMum that's a good idea. I wish I used that as an excuse yesterday.

Sorry, yes, enforced was a strong word. You're right.

I'm jolly glad that there are places especially in walking country where dogs are allowed (even at the end of a walk, if its hot you can't just bung the dog in the car).

Obviously anyone who takes their dog in to a cafe or pub should keep it away from other peoples food, and under close control. My current dog is fine - he won't lie under a table, he likes to sit up alert and watch whats going on, but its humans who approach him not the other way round.
My previous dog, OTOH, wouldn't just sit quietly (though not physically interacting) so we wouldn't take him into cafes etc. It was a pain, but our problem if there wasn't outside seating or rain.

Surely you only needed to use your words and say you'd like the dog moved?

I'd be pretty mortified if my dog got up at table height and tried to sniff the food on our table let alone someone else's table.

Dogs are fine in cafes and pubs as long as they are lying / sitting quietly. If your dog can't do that then I don't think you should be taking them. We have one cafe near us where the owner's have a dog - if it's just us and our mutt in their he will sometimes be allowed to wonder into the garden space with their dog.

That's the exception though. It's normally lie / sit down or we leave and find food we can eat on the hoof.

As much as I love dogs, not everyone does. And I certainly don't want my dog thinking he can help himself to other people's food, or be inquisitive about it. What's on their plates is none of his business.

While I agree that any dog in a public place should be under control sometimes other people really don't help
I went for lunch after a long dog walk with a friend to a cafe with a dog friendly area. I managed to get my rather large and over enthusiastic dog under control and lying down between my chair and a wall but my lunch was ruined by other people coming over to talk to him, which made him get up and then I had to settle him down again. I also had to ask a lady to remove her toddler from him!!
We only go places where dogs are welcome and he isn't allowed to bother anyone, I just wish people wouldn't bother him either.

Personally I prefer dogs in pubs rather than parents who let their children run around and who change nappies in full view of the restaurant. I will always go in a pub that welcomes dogs as i have 2 of my own.

I don't like dogs or children.

i'm happy with dogs in pubs or cafes if they are under control and well behaved.

I don't see why the OP should have had to avoid the cafe. The dog's owners should have made sure it couldn't get up and approach someone else's food.

Same as children in pubs and cafes shouldn't be allowed to run around or be a pain to other customers.

Just consideration I would have thought.