Dogs. Everywhere

[monkeysox]

Loads of shops, bars and restaurants are now allowing dogs in them.
I'm very allergic and one of my dc is too.
It's so widespread now. Such little thought for those with allergies.
Aibu

I run a (dog friendly) b&b and was updating my visitor information the other day and admit I was surprised to discover that 80% of the local cafes, pubs, tea rooms, restaurants allow dogs. Great for me as I love dogs but can see what a problem it is for those who dont/have allergies. Small country market town, for context.

The ignorance surrounding dogs, cats and fleas is staggering! I’ve lived with dogs all my life and we’ve never had a dog with fleas!

People just wouldn’t keep these pets if they had fleas as it wouldn’t just be the pets who had them, the whole family would be covered in flea bites!

This thread has reached an all time low, in so many ways, even for Mumsnet.

I'm allergic to dogs, too, so I understand what you're saying. I do think there is a balance, though - I generally take an antihistamine and my inhaler when I go out and try to avoid touching them (which can be hard when they are so very cute). On the upside, I do feel like the pubs around me that allow dogs tend to be safer, kinder, friendlier places than those that don't. So there are benefits!

Where do you live OP, I have never seen this other than country pubs and guide dogs, which I'm ok with. I did see dogs in shops in France and all I could think of is what happens if they need to do a shit.

Not small shops either, third floor of a Debenhams type store, no way can you get the dog outside that quick.

Breaking news 🙄🙄 dogs have control of their anal sphincter!

And people are so trivial about allergies to dogs/cats in a way they aren’t about food allergies. You can die from an asthma attack. I’m not sure people realise this.

All allergies can be life threatening. And people can be allergic to pretty much anything.

So no dogs or animals in public places, cafes, restaurants. We should take all nuts and shellfish off menus. Strawberries, dairy, egg. Start with a bee eradication program. Fur allergies in general- how do we keep rats, mice, squirrels, foxes and other native species away- chances are there will be an urban fox somewhere close.

There is absolutely no way to keep all allergy triggers away from the population. So i am not sure the allergy argument works, or any person with any particular allergy should also be entitled to ask that their trigger is removed from public places.

I’m allergic to lavender. It’s quite often planted in public places. Should it be removed in case it triggers my allergy?

Where is the retail park? If most of the shops have followed suit, I would guess the retail park is close to a popular dog walking spot and the shops are attempting to attract people calling in in their way home from a day out with Fido. It's good business sense. I'd take my dog shopping under those circumstances.

I take him into cafes if I've taken him for a day out somewhere and just cope with the constant stream of "Excuse me lady, what kind of dog is that? Is he a collie? Are you sure he is not a collie, my grandma has a collie and it looks a bit like that but bigger and blacker? How old is he? How old is that in dog years? Can I touch his tummy? Does he want some of my sandwich? My mummy? She's over there with Aunty Doris. Can I stroke his ears? My friend has a dog and it doesn't like its ears stroked. Does he do any tricks? Can I see his tricks?....."

What reallyanotheronesaid.

Really? So tell me, if someone you knew had a potentially fatal reaction to peanuts you'd blithely carry on opening your bag of nuts reallyanother?

And some places do ban nuts. Sorry you have a Lavender allergy. Guess what I love lavender, but I certainly would have the good grace not to carry it around you.

But nuts lavender and shellfish don’t get up and walk around and wild bees and wasps clearly can’t be controlled by people as they’re not pets. As a family of nut allergy sufferers we’ve avoided them pretty well for the past 30 years buy saying in a restaurant ‘I’m allergic to nuts’. It really is fairly simple. As much as I try I just can’t seem to avoid dogs running up licking and jumping at me (and their shit ALL OVER THE PATH). I feel really sorry for anyone with allergies to them as they are essentially driven out of spaces for humans becasue dogs are given priority.

Formerbabe: “There's something seriously wrong with a society that values dogs over children.”

I couldn’t agree more!

Children with cat dander on their clothes spark my allergies. I don't call for them to be banned. I deal with my allergy by carrying the appropriate medications.

Adults don't seem to cause me as much of a problem, though I know if they own or have been in contact with a cat. I guess it's because adults don't spend as much time rolling around carpets covered in cat dander.

When I react to children covered in dander, I take my medicine and remove myself from the situation where possible. It's a bit shit sometimes but asking for the child to be removed because I have a medical issue would be as insane as expecting shops to put my medical issue above their profit line.

But imagine how much more likely you would be to have a reaction Frequency if people were allowed to bring their cats into shops, cafes and restaurants.

Unless the cat lived in the building, my reaction is likely to be lesser, Minnie. If they lived there, then I'd have to leave.

I can see cats. I can actively avoid them. I can't tell which children are carrying cat dander until I react to them.

Great, I'd rather see dogs in pubs than kids.

Really? So tell me, if someone you knew had a potentially fatal reaction to peanuts you'd blithely carry on opening your bag of nuts reallyanother?

It doesn't help to conflate anaphylactic allergic responses with, however uncomfortable, milder ones that can be limited in other ways. This is the view of allergy response training that I have to do every year in my work as a teacher.

This is about dogs, and quite simply, someone who has an allergic response to dogs can never ever know that they are not in the presence of dog. So dog bans are not sensible.

It doesn't help to conflate anaphylactic allergic responses with, however uncomfortable, milder ones that can be limited in other ways.

Whilst I see the point that anaphylaxis is immediately life threatening and hives/wheezing isn’t people can die from an asthma attack which can be easily triggered by exposure to animals if they’re allergic. It’s not fair to write it all off as mild allergy.

Really? So tell me, if someone you knew had a potentially fatal reaction to peanuts you'd blithely carry on opening your bag of nuts

Don’t be ridiculous. But i have often gone to m&s before a train journey and bought a bag of mixed nuts to eat on the train.

By your reasoning should m&s stop selling nuts altogether? In case someone is allergic? Should we only eat nuts in our own homes and designated nut eating areas?

Don’t get me wrong i am not saying dogs should have free range. But the fact that people may be allergic to them is not a reasonable argument for banning them. Or we’d be banning everything. Feathers set off asthma. Is feather bedding banned in hotels or shops?

It is simply not possible to modify everyone’s lives to accommodate allergies.

I find it ironic that all these people complaining about nasty dirty dogs setting off their allergies might not have them at all if they were raised around a dog. A study a few years back found kids who lived with a dog during infancy had a significantly lower risk of developing allergic rhinitis and asthma than those who didn’t.

I don’t know where the OP lives but as a dog owner in London I find it fairly challenging to find cafes, shops etc that allow dogs. They seem more lenient outside of London but you’re still very restricted on where you can take them.

dogs in shops in France and all I could think of is what happens if they need to do a shit

Dog owners know their dog's toilet habits, and will have ensured the shit happens first. Dogs won't go inside unless they are poorly trained. That's a different issue.

I feel really sorry for anyone with allergies to them as they are essentially driven out of spaces for humans becasue dogs are given priority.

Dogs aren't "given priority". No business owner says they are catering first and foremost to the dogs, unless they are an animal-based business. They're just allowed in, IF owners wish to take them.

Hobby craft was one example. The retail park in question has 20 premises which allow dogs now.

Here’s full list of dog-friendly stores at Teesside Park:
• Argos
• Charles Clinkard
• Currys PC World
• Game
• Hobbycraft
• Holland & Barrett
• Laura Ashley
• Moss Bros
• Mothercare
• Pandora (small dogs that can be carried only)
• Pets At Home
• River Island (small dogs that can be carried only)
• Schuh
• Simply Be/Jacamo (small dogs that can be carried only)
• Sports Direct (small dogs that can be carried only)
• Thomas Cook
• TUI
• Barker & Stonehouse
• DFS (small dogs that can be carried only)
• Sofology
• Office Outlet (small dogs that can be carried only)

Shops selling clothes: 6? of which 2 or 3 are 'carried only' dogs. So don't shop at Laura Ashley or Moss Bros or whatever if you are worried about hairs on clothes.

How often do you buy a sofa or furniture or book a holiday via a travel agent in person? Could you go elsewhere when you do, if you don't appreciate their business model? I expect so.

It sucks. Allergies suck. But it's hardly Dogs Vs Humans, the places aren't going to be over-run and the warehouse-style shop units flying with fur and dander.

On second thoughts, do you reckon i could get Lush closed down because i am allergic to lavender?

Probably not. I shall just take my usual measures to avoid it, like most people with an allergy

I also think it is very sad that so many people are raising their children to fear and dislike dogs because they do themselves. My dog is the least threatening, fluffiest most ridiculously looking little creature I have ever come across yet the number of people that gasp and grab their children close when he obliviously ambles by is quite ridiculous.

I am irrationally afraid of spiders but I will never show this around my son if I can avoid it so he is not cursed with the same issue. I get that some dogs aren’t as harmless as mine but given they are not going to go away surely it’s better to teach your children to read dog body language and approach/play with them properly rather than be blindly afraid of them.

I am not a fan of dogs but as long as well trained I have no issue with them in pubs.

I did hate walking in the park with the pram the number of dogs that would approach me with my newborn. Had to shout no to a few of them as they tried to peer in. (I got very dirty look from the owners) If walking in parks surely dogs should be trained not to run up to random people. Other than that I tend to think live and let live