'Don't worry, he's friendly'

[PraiseBee]

Too flippin friendly. Yet again, another dog running up to my four year old DC with a chunk of a branch in its mouth, firmly ignoring it's owners recall whilst they yell at me 'don't worry, Fluffyballs is friendly'. My DC loves dogs but hates dogs rushing up to him and is obviously scared. Large dogs are the same height as him and can easily knock him over. Imagine as an adult being rushed up to by a horse with a bit of tree trunk in its mouth trying to lick your face. I think most adults would be perturbed by this. It seems to be happening more often. Are dogs getting less well trained? I think the thing that makes my blood boil over is that the dog owners seem to think their dog is the most amazing thing ever so of course me and my DC want to bowled over by Fluffyballs. No we really don't and no, I give a shit what your dog is called. AIBU to be so annoyed by this happening every time we go to a children's park?!

@Flaxmeadow

I thought you meant lobbying as in trying to change the law. And to be fair, nothing in that article says owners, as whole want this.

I wouldn't put it past them to try change the law. The dog lobby already represents dogs in court that have bitten people, sometimes multiple times, many of them children. These dangerous dogs are then put back into our communities. It happens all the time

But they aren't trying to change the law.

They are asking businesses to consider being dog friendly and they will advertise them.

And who are 'the dog lobby', is that an official group of people? In the UK?

Often dogs are defended because there specific reasons, they feel they need a defence. And lots of people feel the owners are the problem and destroying a dog, because of the owner isn't ok.

Its hugely unlikely it will ever be law that anyone must allow dogs, other than service dogs.

Your posts, to me, come across as though you are blowing this way out of proportion.

But dog owners have chosen to live with the unhygienic conditions, people in public places have not chosen it.

Dogs will shake and throw off all sorts of dander and crap. They drag their backsides around on furniture and carpets. They carry parasites and diseases. They lick their own arses, they eat excrement and vomit. They lick their noses constantly. The list goes on and on why dogs are unhygienic but owners have made a choice to live with it, we non dog owners haven't made that choice

If I go to a park, I don't have a choice if some dog has diarrhoea and craps allover the grass, and pisses, where children play or people have picnics.

In a pub I have no choice if a dog shakes its dander all into the air

Being around dogs (and other animals) improves your immune system and makes you healthier. Most of the bacteria on a dog is harmless and some of it beneficial, just like the range of bacteria you find on you and your clothes and belongings. There is nothing bad for you about eating in the company of a dog. You're less likely to pick up harmful bacteria from a dog on the floor than from other humans touching surfaces or coughing and sneezing at your level etc.

"In a pub I have no choice if a dog shakes its dander in the air."

That's my allergy! It's bizarre that pub owners would prefer to have a dog sat on the floor inside for free than have a paying customer buying a meal but cannot do so because of the dogs.

Food places have a responsibility to ensure they cater for customers with food allergies safely and within reason would do their best to cater. But they don't consider people might have allergies of the dogs they are allowing in the eating area they are serving the food in!

Being around dogs (and other animals) improves your immune system and makes you healthier.

Being around animals? What like Covid or Ebola did. Like worms, bacteria do?

It is isn't true that dogs are good for our health. They are actually extremely bad for put health

Most of the bacteria on a dog is harmless and some of it beneficial, just like the range of bacteria you find on you and your clothes and belongings.

Can you please name a bacteria on dogs that is good for humans?

There is nothing bad for you about eating in the company of a dog. You're less likely to pick up harmful bacteria from a dog on the floor than from other humans touching surfaces or coughing and sneezing at your level etc.

Could you provide some, independent from dog sites, evidence of these claims please

Rosewaterblossom

It's crazy

@Rosewaterblossom

"In a pub I have no choice if a dog shakes its dander in the air."

That's my allergy! It's bizarre that pub owners would prefer to have a dog sat on the floor inside for free than have a paying customer buying a meal but cannot do so because of the dogs.

Food places have a responsibility to ensure they cater for customers with food allergies safely and within reason would do their best to cater. But they don't consider people might have allergies of the dogs they are allowing in the eating area they are serving the food in!

For pub owners, it will depend on where they are and customers.

If they get lots of dog walkers, they will choose to welcome dogs. Not because they want the dog sat in the floor for free. But because they want their owners business.

They have decided they will make more money from people who have dogs or don't mind dogs. They risk losing business from people who don't like or can't be around dogs. But that's the business decision they make.

Personally, I am in the 'don't mind either way' camp. But totally get why people don't want it and I am fine with it. I would support a move that makes businesses obliged to let dogs in.

@Flaxmeadow

Rosewaterblossom

It's crazy

Just utter utter madness that you can't see people with dogs or don't mind dogs outweigh the people who don't want them there. Especially in touristy areas

To be honest I'm not completely unreasonable. I mean of course it makes sense for a country pub to allow dogs if their main business is from dog walkers. I couldn't be spontaneous on a walk and think Ooo let's go in there for a meal because of the risk. If it was a planned trip I'd call ahead and ask in the same way someone with a food allergy would to ensure they are catered for.

Maybe they should be obliged by law to have it advertised on their website and on the door very clearly about the risk of possible dog allergies if they allow dogs. In the same way they have to by law list the allergies their food contain.

I know it all sounds dramatic but when you have the allergy it's really shit!

Could you provide some, independent from dog sites, evidence of these claims please

Sure. There's an article about it from the NY Times here and one from The Independent here.

There's an article here about the bacteria in dog-owners' houses and how some of it may be beneficial.

None of these are from 'dog sites'.

Could you provide some evidence that allowing dogs on the floor on pubs is bad for you?

"Could you provide some evidence that allowing dogs on the floor on pubs is bad for you?"

Unfortunately I don't want to post a picture of myself on MN but when I can hardly breath, my face is so swollen that I'm hardly recognisable and it takes days to go down, I'd say that's a good reason.

My son has scar on his lip from when he was 3 and a "friendly dog" jumped up it him. His lip bled and the owner was looking at me like I was being unnecessary worried. The scar is still there 10 years later..

These are the most common viruses and bacteria harmful to humans that can be transmitted from dogs. This doesn't include parasites like worms etc and allergies

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5319273/

Dogs are a major reservoir for zoonotic infections. Dogs transmit several viral and bacterial diseases to humans. Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted to human by infected saliva, aerosols, contaminated urine or feces and direct contact with the dog. Viral infections such as rabies and norovirus and bacterial infections including Pasteurella, Salmonella, Brucella, Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter, Capnocytophaga, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Coxiella burnetii, Leptospira, Staphylococcus intermedius and Methicillin resistance staphylococcus aureus are the most common viral and bacterial zoonotic infections transmitted to humans by dogs

..and this. Again from a science/medical journal

Dog Parasite Causing Cancer-Like Growths In Humans Is On The Rise In North America
www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/dog-parasite-causes-cancerlike-growths-in-humans-and-is-on-the-rise-in-north-america/

Unfortunately I don't want to post a picture of myself on MN but when I can hardly breath, my face is so swollen that I'm hardly recognisable and it takes days to go down, I'd say that's a good reason.

My sympathies. I was addressing Flaxmeadow wrt the suggestion that having a dog in a pub where people are eating is inherently bad for people's health from a hygiene point of view (rather than an allergy point of view).

Flaxmeadow, I don't dispute that there are viruses and pathogens can be passed from dogs to humans. Just as they can be passed from humans to humans. And many bacteria are harmless or beneficial. I do dispute the idea that having dogs in a pub or restaurant is going to make people ill. Otherwise why aren't dog owners routinely riddled with illness? In fact, the articles I was looking at seemed to agree that pet owners were less ill and went to the doctor's less frequently.

I do dispute the idea that having dogs in a pub or restaurant is going to make people ill. Otherwise why aren't dog owners routinely riddled with illness? In fact, the articles I was looking at seemed to agree that pet owners were less ill and went to the doctor's less frequently.

The articles you linked were not from medical or science journals.

This is from my previous post. How dogs transmit viruses and bacteria to humans.
...diseases can be transmitted to human by infected saliva, aerosols, contaminated urine or feces and direct contact with the dog

Also there has been a rise in children having worms recently. Maybe not a coincidence that dog ownership has increased during lockdowns too. That dogs have to be wormed at least every 3 months tells you just how susceptible they are to these parasites.

If people want to take these risks in their own home, that's up to them, but our parks, playing fields are constantly being contaminated with dog shit, diarrhoea and piss and how much of this shit contains worm eggs is anyones guess

Otherwise why aren't dog owners routinely riddled with illness?

Maybe many are but love fur baby so much that they are willing to overlook it.

Im sure some dog owners are responsible and take measures to protect others, but increasingly there are bonkers people out there that for exmaple, when a dog kills a child, they actually want the dog/or dogs, to be saved and rehabilitated. You see this madness in social media news post comments. At one time it would have been totally unacceptable to even say it in private, never mind say it in public but they actually feel sorry for the dog. This is the insanity of where we're at now, it's becoming like a cult of dog worship for some, as if a dog has the same rights as humans, and it's dangerous.

@Flaxmeadow

Otherwise why aren't dog owners routinely riddled with illness?

Maybe many are but love fur baby so much that they are willing to overlook it.

Im sure some dog owners are responsible and take measures to protect others, but increasingly there are bonkers people out there that for exmaple, when a dog kills a child, they actually want the dog/or dogs, to be saved and rehabilitated. You see this madness in social media news post comments. At one time it would have been totally unacceptable to even say it in private, never mind say it in public but they actually feel sorry for the dog. This is the insanity of where we're at now, it's becoming like a cult of dog worship for some, as if a dog has the same rights as humans, and it's dangerous.

Oh don't be daft. You think that 'many' dog owners are riddled with illness?

I do try and ignore your batshit posts on dogs threads but you always say something completely ridiculous to draw me in

You think that 'many' dog owners are riddled with illness?

That wasn't what said though was it? I said, in reply to someone else, maybe many are.

You said maybe many are. Like you think that that could possibly be the bloody case. So yes. You did.

Like you think that that could possibly be the bloody case.

Maybe they are, maybe they're not. Who knows

I'm sure if you'd asked most people 2 years ago, maybe the whole world will be at the mercy of a virus from a bat in a cave in China, then they'd have probably said that was 'batshit crazy' too. But here we are

Maybe many are but love fur baby so much that they are willing to overlook it.

Oh for goodness' sake! Yes, I'm sure people are constantly coming down with dog-related viruses and infections and sadly thinking 'Ah well, that's the cost of having a fur baby'. What utter and complete nonsense!

What are these dog-related illnesses I'm supposed to have had, anyway? I haven't had a stomach bug in about a decade (which was before I had a dog). Had Covid, but I'm 99% sure where I got that from! Aside from that, I've had nothing but colds. If I'm likely to catch anything, it will probably be in the classrooms I teach in!

but increasingly there are bonkers people out there that for exmaple, when a dog kills a child, they actually want the dog/or dogs, to be saved and rehabilitated.

There are, and always have been, bonkers people about, who have insane views about all kinds of things. There is nothing remotely new about that. However, they are able to air their bonkers views more widely these days because of social media, and they feel safer in expressing those views because they are hidden behind a computer screen. Extrapolating from this that we have reached some kind of dog entitlement crisis is ridiculous. The lunatic fur-baby worshippers are a small minority. And I expect they are probably idiotic in other ways too.

I do try and ignore your batshit posts on dogs threads but you always say something completely ridiculous to draw me in

Ahh - this is a regular occurrence then. Ok. Maybe I'll stop wasting my breath and go and walk the toxic germ bomb dog then.

@lazylinguist

I do try and ignore your batshit posts on dogs threads but you always say something completely ridiculous to draw me in

Ahh - this is a regular occurrence then. Ok. Maybe I'll stop wasting my breath and go and walk the toxic germ bomb dog then.

They never fail!

My daughter will run into traffic to avoid dogs, she's terrified of them, so it doesn't matter how friendly the dog is, keep it on a lead please