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 don’t really like dogs in small cafes as the smell of wet dog is not one of my favourites.
My local pub is dog friendly but it is a large pub so doesn’t seem to get that wet dog smell the cafe does. So it doesn’t bother me if dogs are asleep under the table.
I don’t mind young children in cafes as long as they are not feral and the parent is controlling them rather than sitting on their phones ignoring the spilled drinks and screeching. But I don’t like young children in pubs as I think adults should be allowed at least one child free environment. I understand why pubs are allowing children in as they need the trade but in doing so have lost mine which is fine as they clearly make more from them than me and there are still other pubs I can use which don’t cater for the mummy brigade.

I'd rather a dog be in a coffee shop than the majority of kids that I encounter in them lately. They are better behaved,don't scream the place down when they don't get their own way for 5 seconds,and their 'parents' don't expect you to interact with them when you're just trying to relax and look at Mumsnet catch up on some emails.

Yes to more dog friendly cafes and less children friendly cafes!

Agree. Hate them in shops too well as cafes. No idea why its allowed now. How can you compare children to dogs. Children are humans who grow up to be customers. I know most dogs are better behaved than children but they have still had their nose up another dogs backside and their paws have been in mud, poo, wee etc. @rangerider

Having worked in a nursery for a while I'd sooner take my chance with dog paws than grubby toddler hands. I still feel ill when I think about Playdough.

I am a cat person and fairly ambivalent towards dogs but I don't really see the issue tbh. Most places say they are dog friendly so if you don't like dogs just don't go into those places, easy.

Same with people who moan about cafes overrun with kids. If you know a cafe is child friendly go to one that isn't!

Loads of responses and thoughts - I had completely (and quite shallowly) forgotten about guide dogs. And hadn't thought about pubs - our dogs go to the pub for goodness sake!!!!
Thanks all for giving my head a bit of a wobble!
To answer a few questions

• It was a city centre coffee shop
• the server didn't appear to wash their hands (but I may be wrong)
• the food was covered

And FWIW I am by FAR more concerned about picking up germs off my toddler than a dog. He is a germ factory. I've never caught norovirus off a dog.

I love it. Both my dogs are twats though in their own special ways, so I’d leave them at home. But any chance to have a dog cuddle with someone else’s when I’m out. Great conversation starter too.
I’ve read that love of dogs is genetic - which explains why it’s such a marmite issue.

@wellhellothereall - one of mine is too big too. His tail is just at table height so if he turned round quickly he could clear a table much more quickly and dramatically than Caffè Nero staff do.

So much nastiness towards children, I am gobsmacked! But I have seen this from the dog folk on here before. Bizarrely I have dogs but also like children. I've never seen any children being out of control in a cafe or pub so must be very lucky (we live in the sticks) and tend to avoid soft plays as they're disgusting.

I've never seen any children being out of control in a cafe or pub so must be very lucky

Yes, you are!

Sometimes I wonder if its because I work shifts and tend to work every weekend so I only ever go out with my children in the middle of the day on a weekday! Maybe I should keep it up forever... Homeschooling?

I had a quiet lunch with a friend this week completely ruined by a man and a woman with twins of around a year. They allowed them to bang toys on the metal table tops and then let the pair of them loose, telling the staff they needed some "feral time" ( their exact words). They then smiled indulgently as the babies crawled around the floor, pulled themselves up on the glass windows and doors got under the waiting staff's feet and tried to dismantle the crisp and condiment racks.

We skipped coffee and dessert and left them to it.

Give me dogs any day!

I know other mums who do gentle parenting who let their children behave like that.
I am rather strict

Most of the time the kids I see are absolutely fine. But very occasionally I see behaviour that does take my breath away. Like the Thai restaurant where the parents literally let three very young children run all round the place and climb over all the furniture. The staff took the kids back to their parents a few times. The parents just ignored the kids. I don't see it often, but when I do I always think how at risk the kids are. Waiters were carrying hot plates of food as these very young kids were literally running around all over the place.

I have a cocker spaniel puppy and we visit caffé Nero often who are known for being dog friendly. I've never met a dog in a coffee shop that hasn't been well behaved. Most dog owners know their dogs and know if they'd be okay in a loud and exciting environment like that. My pup sits next to me by the table (we usually sit by a window so he can see out) the only bad thing he's done is take a drink from my coffee when I turned around! I had to get a new one

Never seen them on seats or jumping around or near the food etc.

MrMakersFartyParty not nasty, just true. The whole 'bad owner' thing can relate to parenting too. Sadly nowadays a lot of parents don't like cba to parent their own children & expect others to do it when in public. And I say that as the owner of both dog & child at one point!

I think it's nice. They aren't near the food prep & are usually better behaved than the children that are there.

Most dog owners know their dogs and know if they'd be okay in a loud and exciting environment like that.

They need to get used to being in pubs to be ok in them. That's why my dogs are taken to pubs as puppies, pretty much as soon as they were allowed out. My previous lakie took to pubs so well, he'd veer towards any pub we walked past.

The current one has always been brilliant anywhere, she's so bonded to us that she just stays close, usually under the table or the seat, and doesn't bother anyone else. The two previous ones (both boys) were more gregarious and wanted to go and say hello to people.

That's why my dogs are taken to pubs as puppies, pretty much as soon as they were allowed out. My previous lakie took to pubs so well, he'd veer towards any pub we walked past

I took my Welshie to the pub too every week after he'd had his jabs. He's now so well pub and cafe trained that most people don't even notice him dozing quietly.

I have to drag our dog past the cafe in the local park as he loves it so much. We’ve only had a dog for eighteen months so I am surprised and delighted at how many shops, cafes, pubs,p and restaurants allow him in. He is very well pub trained and will happily curl up at our feet whilst we eat/drink. We would avoid cramped cafes and very loud pubs.

Mine are perfect in pubs but a nuisance in a cafe, so they don’t come for a coffee.

I’m a responsible owner, I know their limits.
I do love seeing dogs in a cafe though.

I know most dogs are better behaved than children but they have still had their nose up another dogs backside and their paws have been in mud, poo, wee etc.

And you don't think humans traipse through mud, poo and wee while they walk around town @londonrach? Pavements are covered in all kinds of animal piss, bird, rat and mouse poo, muck from the road and goodness knows what else.

I work in a shop and the dogs are far better behaved than the children, who generally run riot, hide in the clothes stands or play in the changing rooms, knock things on the floor and insist on touching everything with their sticky fingers!

I've never had to faulty a product because a dog has wiped its paws all over it, nor have I ever had to fix a broken sign or anything because of a dog, but I've had to do both because a child has been out of control.

25% of the adult population own a dog. Many of these people like to go for a coffee/hotchoc to warm up when out for a walk. Dog walkers are out in all weathers every day of the year. It makes commercial sense to have a dog friendly business. I’ve been in loads of places all over the country I’ve never once seen a dog causing a nuisance.

There are plenty of places which don’t allow dogs you can go there if you like. Unless a dog is dribbling in your coffee or steals your cake can’t see the issue