Dogs in coffee shops?

[fedupntired]

Is this a thing now? I've previously seen dogs in clothes shops and today am in a coffee shop (which sells food) and two dogs have been welcomed with treats from behind the counter.
I own two dogs - but ew!

I’m not keen to be honest but that’s mainly because where I live I see more badly behaved dogs than well behaved dogs and it’s mainly elderly people that have them! I work in community nursing and the amount of homes I go into that have dogs and let them jump at me take offence when I ask them to be put away and don’t put them away, let them rifle through my work equipment and traipse through my sterile field etc. Not to mention is I’m kneeling on the floor they are jumping up my back while the owner sits going ‘aw is she not playing with you’ er no I’m bloody well not, I don’t like dogs and I’m not here to play with your pet. I also work with another girl who had a dog pee on her whilst she was working with a patient so maybe my view is tainted unfortunately and I certainly wouldn’t like to come across these people in a cafe with their pets

Welcoming dogs and saying they are accepted is one thing, but I don't think coffee shops should be giving dogs 'treats'. A dog may have things that upset their stomachs, which a person serving in a coffee shop may not know about.

I am yet to see a dog in a shop

Kids very different to animals.
Plus I'm not allergic to kids.

Do all the people that have an issue with it refuse to eat at friends or family homes that have pets in?

We regularly take our dog with us to coffee shops and to the pubs. He sits under the table and after a few mins will lie down and go to sleep. Nobody knows he is there.

You do get the odd person that will continue cooing at him consistently which makes him think he can get up to say hello etc, which is annoying for us. But we just distract him. These people normally have a yappy shih tzu with them or something along those lines so our dogs are quite different.

What is very annoying is the amount of people that let their children crawl under the table to see him, whilst we are sat having our coffee or trying to eat. Thankfully he is very friendly, but a lot of dogs wouldn't like having their space invaded by a stranger whilst they are cornered under a table. And it's annoying for us because we then have to stop what we are doing to watch them both.

We were recently in a pub where we have taken our dog before and he has resumed his normal routine - wags his tail as he goes in, then settles on the floor on a lead. Meanwhile, children were running up and down screaming. It makes me laugh that people would tut at the presence of a quiet dog, but not be bothered by this.

I'm offended when there isn't a dog in the coffee shop.

I quite like dogs but this dog thing is annoying for me as all the rest of my family are highly allergic. So a mix is ideal I guess.

Agree it’s not great in clothes shops - do not like fur/dander on clothes! Guide dogs excepted obvs.

I also tend to find a small cafe tends to get a bit stinky when dogs in there.

Once someone had a huge Alsatian sitting on a bus seat, which pissed me off.

ForalltheSaints

I think it's okay so long as the owner is asked first.

My local coffee shops give dogs a sausage when they come in. I've always been asked first if it's okay.

Dogs and children often display many of the same unsociable and undesirable behaviours in public, that's why the comparison. Personally speaking I've yet to have a meal or coffee ruined by a dog but I've had many ruined by parents who made no attempt to control their children.

I’m totally dog-broody so love to meet other people’s dogs in coffee shops, pubs etc.

And i've no idea why dislike of dogs is always so often immediately countered with stories about children.

Because children are often extremely badly behaved in public and yet nobody suggests banning them from
coffee shops.

I've never had a meal ruined by a badly behaved dog, but I've had many ruined by children who have been allowed to tantrum, scream, throw things, run around uncontrolled and wander up to my dog, unattended and try and fuss him.

Likewise in shops it's children who wipe their dirty hands on the clothes, play in the changing rooms, play hide and seek under the racks and run around causing trouble while their parents are oblivious. The dogs, on the other hand, are always on a short lead and their owners take them out if they get too energetic or noisy.

I’m surprised someone hasn’t seen a dog in a shop.
Ours goes with my husband into Army and Navy, Jack Wills, John Lewis, Barclays, Robert Dyas and Starbucks. Lots and lots of coffee shops like him visiting too.
Absolutely right that badly behaved dogs should be brought under control just as badly behaved children should. If the owners/parents can’t control them and make them sit quietly whilst coffee is being drunk they shouldn’t be there.

But why compare dogs and children? One is an animal and one is a small human.

There’s no such thing (in this country) as a dog free public space, as guide dogs are allowed everywhere. So even in the most dog unfriendly restaurants, clothes shops etc you may find yourself sharing the space with a “smelly, drooling, shedding, disgusting” animal. It would therefore be prudent to prepare for it.

As I’ve posted many times before, I have a close friend whose guide dog is her lifeline. She can’t see the evil looks but she can hear people muttering that her dog shouldn’t be allowed in places, that it’s “unhygenic”. Just like lots of people on this thread who seem to think dogs are the embodiment of the antichrist.

They’re just another animal in a shop full of other animals. Our shoes have been on the floor just like their paws (and I see many people put their feet on train / bus seats). I’m on the train every morning with people who sneeze and cough everywhere, or who apparently have a complete inability to blow their nose and who sniff and snort the whole journey. You can’t catch an illness from a dog no matter how gross you might find them, but I’m certain I’ve caught quite a few from some fairly unhygenic people!

@MrMakersFartyParty what do you think Homo sapiens are? Aliens?

We’re mammals just like dogs.

But why compare dogs and children? One is an animal and one is a small human.

Humans are animals too!

And people compare them because children are often badly behaved yet nobody suggests banning them from coffee shops or anything like that.

I don't understand the dogs are dirty thing. I've caught flu, chicken pox, hand, foot and mouth and various other delights from humans but actually never anything from a dog 🤷‍♀️

And for the poster who said all dogs smell and bark mine doesn't do either thanks. Think more like a giant cat.

We've had this recently with a local restaurant that allows dogs in and has their own livestock as well. Loads of people moaning when there are hundreds of establishments around that don't allow dogs. Even one woman declaring she wouldn't be able to go again unless they got rid of their chickens as she didn't like them. Their reply to anyone who moans is 'go somewhere else then' so I take it they're doing ok.

Go somewhere else.

There is a direct inverse correlation to the rise of the dog population and the demise of the high street

This doesn't look right to me.

Are you trying to say that the rise of the dog population has caused the high street to flourish? (in which case your statement is grammatically correct, but factually wrong)
OR
are you trying to say that the rise of the dog population has caused the high street to become defunct? (In which are your statement is both grammatically and factually wrong)

I run a shop & although we politely have a sign up not allowing dogs (we have a small range of food) most dog owners ignore it and in the interests of good customer service I tend to not say anything - do dog owners generally check before bringing their dogs into shops?

Ragwort - I assume that if there is not a sign saying "Dogs Welcome" then the proprietor does NOT want dogs inside and I don't take them in. (Though if I'd seen something in the window I particularly wanted, I might open the door, lean in and ask - and I would never cause a fuss if they said "No".)

However, regarding your point of people ignoring your sign - that's your own fault and effectively you are saying "I hate dogs, but I want your money so if you bring yours in I'll just seethe and say nowt." And if one dog owner sees another being welcomed in a shop, then they will take their dog in, too - why shouldn't they, despite the sign, the dog hasn't been asked to leave.

I can't see how your allowing them despite the sign is "in the interest of good customer service" if you're ignoring the wishes of all the "good customers" you'd get if you insisted that dogs stay out (at least from the reading this thread).

You either want the trade (fair enough) so you say nothing, or you are a coward and don't want confrontation, so you say nothing - but don't hide behind this "good customer service malarky, because that's rubbish!

You have every right not to have dogs on your premises, and almost every dog owner will respect that right. A simple - "Sorry - we don't allow dogs." is sufficient if they have missed your sign. But you'd have to be consistent - no letting your regulars bring their dogs in because you know them, and refusing other people. That WILL cause arguments.

It's either service dogs only, or no dogs at all

Welcoming dogs and saying they are accepted is one thing, but I don't think coffee shops should be giving dogs 'treats'. A dog may have things that upset their stomachs, which a person serving in a coffee shop may not know about.

Coffee shop staff have always asked "Can they have a treat" before showing the biscuit to my dogs. One of mine won't take anything from anybody; the other two would inhale strychnine if they go the chance, they're so greedy!

But I think most dog-loving proprietors are aware that there are people who, for whatever reason, prefer their dogs not to have random treats.

What is very annoying is the amount of people that let their children crawl under the table to see him, whilst we are sat having our coffee or trying to eat.

Yes to this pande - in spades.

One of ours is a very shy dog, and hates to be touched by people she doesn't know. Idiots saying "Oh, she won't mind me, - will you sweetie?" While the dog is trying to crawl backwards and has nowhere to go really get on my tits!

Our local FatFace welcomes dogs, in fact it gives out treats. It is a small rural town though..

Lots of people on here talking about who is the most annoying between dogs and young kids but I feel I should nominate my group of people as the worst.

We don't have a dog ourselves for various reasons (me because I work full time) so my heart sores when I walk into a cafe and find dogs! I become the annoying person who will start a conversation with your dog and spend most of my time with my head under your table. I will ask you a million questions about your dog (not noticing at any point that you may actually be there with your friend enjoying a catch-up) and then spend 5 minutes saying goodbye to my new found doggie best friend and peering through the window longingly as I walk away.

I apologise in advance to anyone who comes across me 😬

What is very annoying is the amount of people that let their children crawl under the table to see him, whilst we are sat having our coffee or trying to eat.

Quite! Ours naturally attracts small Disney fans but dislikes them. Parents override my direction and encourage their uncontrolled offspring to stroke Pongo. His name isn’t Pongo but everyone assumes it is. Offensive offspring hurtle towards our poor beast to the point where I have to be quite firm in telling them not to or even hold them off and hand them back to their parents , if they fail to listen.

My favourite coffee shop has started to allow dogs in. The first time I went it was fine, there was one dog asleep under someone's table while they had a coffee - no problems. The next time I went, there were 3 in there, and 2 of them kept barking at each other while the owners fobbed it off with "oh they don't mean any harm" rubbish. The shop owners didn't say anything, so I haven't been back since. I like dogs and have no problem with them being in there, but if the owners won't deal with them properly then it isn't a very nice experience sat there with dogs barking.
Same goes for kids- when my son was a toddler and had a habit of kicking off and running around in places like this, I stopped taking him there.