Or was this bloke in the cafe totally over reacting

[NicoAndTheNiners]

I'm in a very dog friendly cafe with my well behaved dog. Who is on a lead and has spent 99% of the time under the table. She ventured out from under the table and sat between our table and the next table sniffing the floor.

Bloke at the next table jumped up, got right in my face and told me in a very aggressive manner to stop my dog sniffing round his table. I don't think she was but said sorry and pulled her under my table. He carried on and said it was the second time (it wasn't, though we had to walk past them at one point so he may have meant that).

He carried on ranting at which point I told him there was no need to be so aggressive and that he could have mentioned it in a far nicer manner. Which shut him up.

Photo so you can see the space dog had ventured into. Dog wasn't touching the woman's purple coat. Small spaniel who was sat in the middle of that space.

You are right about him picking on a woman on your own. I go to a dog friendly cafe. The only time I have had a problem was when I was apparently on my own. A man started making sarcastic remarks like 'what sort of idiot takes a dog to a place like this'. I told him that we had checked and it was a dog friendly establishment, and that there was no need to be unpleasant. Then DH returned and they realised that I wasn't alone and moved sheepishly away to another part (the no dog part) of the cafe.

Sweet little thing. Barely big enough to call a dog.

If you don’t like dogs go to a cafe where dogs are not allowed.
Ours is too big to go under a table and has mouth at plate height. We don’t let him pester but just occasionally, him thinks we’re not looking will try to hide things in his stomach.

He's a knob; move on.

'what sort of idiot takes a dog to a place like this'.

One bright enough to read a notice on the door saying "Dogs Welcome"

There are some twats about Wooly. Well done for politely sticking up for yourself.

thinks we’re not looking will try to hide things in his stomach.

pengrin I am lucky my phobia is spiders, happily these aren't taken out to cafes. I don't mind dogs, we have one. But it doesn't do any harm to remember that a fear of dogs isn't that unusual and finding them in cafes is a fairly new thing.
It doesn't excuse the bloke being aggressive and OP was right to pull him up on that but understanding where the aggression could have come from also doesn't hurt.

I'm actually kicking myself for not defending myself more and pointing out that my dog wasn't sniffing his wife or if she was she was doing it from a non touching distance foot gap. And pointing out that it wasn't the second time either.

The only other time she'd come out from under the table is when I left the table to check out the cakes and took her with me (on her lead). As we came back towards them there was a crumb on the floor (not from their table, but nearer an empty table by the side of them) and she stopped to eat the crumb and I let her.

They were looking at her then. I obviously thought they were admiring her cuteness but on reflection I guess they were boiling with rage that my dog was eating crumbs off the floor.

He was an are for sure and your dog looks lovely.

But I'm not sure the 'woman on her own' thing is quite accurate - I think the type of man who does this is equally happy to do it to a man he sees as weaker than him as well. I've seen unpleasant men square up to other blokes about petty and unreasonable stuff plenty of times and try to intimidate them. It's when the other guy is a foot taller than them and could clearly win a fight than they steer clear. I'm sure there ARE men that just dislike women (and maybe he was one of those), but I get the feeling that for most it's a general power wielding/nastiness thing as its often the same men who are unpleasant to waiters, customer service people etc regardless of sex.

I am lucky my phobia is spiders, happily these aren't taken out to cafes.

Take no notice of the haters Incey - we love you!

In case you’re wondering, I hate the crotch sniffing, drooling, moulting, general sniffing and smell of dogs Then don’t do any of those things!

I'm actually kicking myself for not defending myself more and pointing out that my dog wasn't sniffing his wife or if she was she was doing it from a non touching distance foot gap. And pointing out that it wasn't the second time either.

No - you did right to respond as you did. he would probably have kicked off and started shouting of getting aggressive, and that would have upset both you and your lovely dog.

What a tosser!

schaden I did once hold a tarantula and was surprised by soft and light they are. But if you brought it to a cafe I wouldn't be tutting and complaining so much as screaming and whacking 😀

If he doesn't like dogs, what's he doing in a dog friendly cafe? The clue is in the description. Sounds like he was spoiling for an argument IMO.

Anyone in their right mind in a dog friendly cafe would be admiring her cuteness!

Perhaps he was upset that his wife preferred your dog to him. 😁

@Elephantina same! If anyone grabbed my chair and got in my face they'd be at risk of losing theirs with any of my dogs - 2 are non aggressive generally but don't like questionablw getting too close to us and the other 1 is just not a people dog 😒
Op you handled him brilliantly 👍

He freaked out in a dog friendly café because.....there was a dog behind his wife? 100% he wouldn't have said a word had you been a bloke. My dog gets loads of positive attention when we're out and about, but even we get the occasional dog hater curling their lip - such people are just sad and strange and deserve our pity.

I’m not keen on dogs , and wouldn’t go to a cafe that let them in
He did
He’s an idiot ( a rude idiot ) and he’s completely overreacting

Silly tantrumming boy to behave like that. Maybe he spectacularly skid 5 metres on his arse after sliding over in fox shit on the way home.

@fromage, I do hope so. Or even better in dog shit! 😁

He was just a wanker really - a bully showing off to his wife. May they deserve other! 🌹

He was a twat and your dog is adorable. I love her outfit.

one hand on the back of my chair and the other in my table, leaning into me

Definitely talk to the cafe staff about that. It can't be good for business if people like him are hanging about being aggressive to other customers.

SleepWarrior, I think you're right; it's not just about women per se, it's inadequate men being nasty to anyone they think they can intimidate.
That said, often a given woman is smaller than a given man, so maybe we get disproportionate amounts of the impotent rage.

If you don't like dogs don't go to a cafe that calls itself dog friendly. Man's a moron.

aw she has a little coat on
how can someone hate that hes a dick

He was totally unreasonable, don't go in a dog friendly cafe if you are going to be spooked by being sniffed. Mine is great at sitting under the table but they do venture out if something in the air gets them interested. Mine does very well for titbits from nearby tables by sitting head on one side.

Ps it never cease to amaze me how accommodating staff are to dogs, mine gets under table service (large bowl of water) free treats and the odd sausage even, as the sign said last week - "well behaved owners allowed with their dogs, no pushchairs allowed" they know their clientele!