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Original poster

Dogs in Restaurants

916 replies

IDontGetOutMuch · 04/07/2021 20:05

Took my mum out to lunch today. It was a nice enough place-£25 per head.
Have expectations changed with regard to dogs in restaurants? There were four other tables in our section and three had a dog with them.
Two of them barked at least three times during the meal. One jumped up at a waitress carrying puddings to another table, paws on her apron. One jumped up at the table wanting to be fed. One was petted by another waitress who then went straight to a table to take orders without washing hands. One was lying in the way so that I had to ask the owner to move it to allow my mother to get through with her Walker.
We had a dog when I was a child. He never went to a restaurant. What about people with allergies?
Is it okay that they do? Do I need to get over myself? I tried to compare to children. I expect my children to cause no disturbance to others at a restaurant and to stay at the table. We expected this even when they were little and actually rarely went to restaurants anyway.

OP posts:
TheFoundations · 05/07/2021 11:45

@LST I stand corrected. Their policy is no dogs, but they seem happy for some branches to ignore that, which makes you wonder why they bother having the policy in the first place!

Xiaoxiong · 05/07/2021 11:49

ranty is your operating assumption that cafes are always suitable for your dog unless there is a specific no-dog policy?

I'm not saying that's wrong, it's just a definite shift in recent years. I've had dogs all my life but I would only take my dogs to a cafe or restaurant that actively invited dogs in. If I wasn't sure, my default would be that dogs aren't allowed.

LST · 05/07/2021 11:49

[quote TheFoundations]@LST I stand corrected. Their policy is no dogs, but they seem happy for some branches to ignore that, which makes you wonder why they bother having the policy in the first place![/quote]
I had no idea of the policy! But I noticed the sign when I was stood outside Specsavers the other week.

lazylinguist · 05/07/2021 11:50

Not just guinea pigs @FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop. I consider my Kawasaki motorcycle to be a family member. It's just a matter of opinion after all. If I take it to restaurants it sits next to the table not bothering anyone so where's the harm? Likewise my yukka plant, which gets lonely if left in the house all day.

If the restaurant says 'motorbikes and yucca plants welcome', feel free. I absolutely agree - where's the harm (as long as there's room). I can't imagine how I'd be harmed by a stationary motorbike or a yucca plant. And if you want to consider inanimate objects part of your family, who am I to object? I mean... it's a bit unusual (compared with considering a pet part of the family), but it takes all sorts!

RightOnTheEdge · 05/07/2021 11:51

I work in a pub/restaurant and dogs are totally banned even in the garden because they make some people uncomfortable and some people are allergic.
It always surprises me how stroppy and entitled dog people can be.
People can get quite angry that they can't bring their dogs in.

There is a dog friendly cafe nearby who will give your dog a sausage and I used to like going there because I don't have a dog but I like them.
The last time I went though I had a dog hair in my food and my dd had one floating in her drink and that has really put me off now and I've never been back.

TheWagesOfSin · 05/07/2021 11:52

Speaking of specsavers, there was a woman complaining on the local FB page the other day about dogs not being allowed in there. Confused

Agree that there does now seem to be an assumption that you take your pet with you everywhere.

ForeverAintEnough3 · 05/07/2021 11:54

@Xiaoxiong

ranty is your operating assumption that cafes are always suitable for your dog unless there is a specific no-dog policy?

I'm not saying that's wrong, it's just a definite shift in recent years. I've had dogs all my life but I would only take my dogs to a cafe or restaurant that actively invited dogs in. If I wasn't sure, my default would be that dogs aren't allowed.

I would ask if it’s dog friendly? If you weren’t sure why not just ask instead of assuming that dogs aren’t allowed? I wasn’t sure if my local cafe was dog friendly so I asked, they were. I now go with my dog.

How would a specific cafe not be suitable for a dog too? Do you mean if they’re very small?

Missillusioned · 05/07/2021 11:54

@thefoundations why should someone have to leave in the middle of a meal that they will have to pay for because someone has brought a dog in? People wearing perfume are people and as such you can't reasonably forsee that, but a dog has no reason to be in a restaurant.

These days I do check before I book that the place isn't dog friendly, but a couple of years ago it just wasn't so much of a thing, so unexpected. This wasn't a country pub in the daytime, where such things might be more usual.

LST · 05/07/2021 11:57

[quote Missillusioned]@thefoundations why should someone have to leave in the middle of a meal that they will have to pay for because someone has brought a dog in? People wearing perfume are people and as such you can't reasonably forsee that, but a dog has no reason to be in a restaurant.

These days I do check before I book that the place isn't dog friendly, but a couple of years ago it just wasn't so much of a thing, so unexpected. This wasn't a country pub in the daytime, where such things might be more usual.[/quote]
Why would you need to leave if someone had a dog with them and they were no where near you?

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 05/07/2021 11:59

Why would you need to leave if someone had a dog with them and they were no where near you?

Allergies
Phobias

To name but two.

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 05/07/2021 12:00

I'm a teacher and my school have just had a consultation on making it a dog friendly workplace. I think I'm the only person against it and the only one who bothered to remind the Deputy Head that some pupils have allergies

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 05/07/2021 12:01

@lazylinguist

Not just guinea pigs @FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop. I consider my Kawasaki motorcycle to be a family member. It's just a matter of opinion after all. If I take it to restaurants it sits next to the table not bothering anyone so where's the harm? Likewise my yukka plant, which gets lonely if left in the house all day.

If the restaurant says 'motorbikes and yucca plants welcome', feel free. I absolutely agree - where's the harm (as long as there's room). I can't imagine how I'd be harmed by a stationary motorbike or a yucca plant. And if you want to consider inanimate objects part of your family, who am I to object? I mean... it's a bit unusual (compared with considering a pet part of the family), but it takes all sorts!

Well house plants and motorbikes don't bite, or bring allergies, people seem to be forgetting that not everyone's dog "sits nicely under the table" (it does make me laugh that on MN everyone's dog is super well behaved Grin

MaMelon · 05/07/2021 12:02

People can get quite angry that they can't bring their dogs in

I had a very angry dog owner venting her frustration at me after I posted a link to a beautiful garden I’d visited on a relevant Facebook page. One of the best things about it was the utter peace as a result of no dogs barking, as well as the lack of dogs jumping up etc. I imagine from the garden’s POV no dogs = no poo or wee to pick up or to destroy the grass. A dog free cafe as well - bliss.
This dog owner was very disgruntled - she wanted to visit, she couldn’t leave her dog at home, and she absolutely believed the garden should facilitate her visit by allowing dogs. It’s the assumption that dogs should be allowed as standard.

rantymcrantface66 · 05/07/2021 12:02

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

Why would you need to leave if someone had a dog with them and they were no where near you?

Allergies
Phobias

To name but two.

Why would you visit a dog friendly venue with allergies or phobias? Simply ask if it's a problem before you decide to dine there
LST · 05/07/2021 12:04

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop if the dog doesn't behave it shouldn't be there. Full stop. There was a couple with 2 dead annoying yappy dogs sitting outside a pub we visited with our own dog a few weeks ago. They just wouldn't shut up.

ForeverAintEnough3 · 05/07/2021 12:05

@rantymcrantface66 apparently these posters couldn’t possibly just call and ask when making a reservation for somewhere. All dogs should be banned to save them the inconvenience of a phone call or 5 minute Google and so they can go out to eat wherever they like instead of now having to find a restaurant that meets their needs as some are now dog friendly.

lazylinguist · 05/07/2021 12:05

My (small, rural) village school is dog-friendly. The Head's two (unbelievably quiet and well-behaved) dogs are usually on the premises. The school has other animals too - chickens, guinea pigs and a turkey!

I imagine if there were a child with a major allergy, the dogs wouldn't be brought in. When my ds started at the school 7 years ago he was the only child in his class that didn't have a dog.

lazylinguist · 05/07/2021 12:07

This dog owner was very disgruntled - she wanted to visit, she couldn’t leave her dog at home, and she absolutely believed the garden should facilitate her visit by allowing dogs. It’s the assumption that dogs should be allowed as standard.

I agree that's ridiculous. If dogs aren't allowed, then tough luck, you can't bring them!

LST · 05/07/2021 12:09

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

Why would you need to leave if someone had a dog with them and they were no where near you?

Allergies
Phobias

To name but two.

But the person with the allergy or fear have chosen to go to a dog friendly place?
TheFoundations · 05/07/2021 12:10

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

I'm a teacher and my school have just had a consultation on making it a dog friendly workplace. I think I'm the only person against it and the only one who bothered to remind the Deputy Head that some pupils have allergies
Does that fact that you were the only one against it tell you anything?

People with allergies need to look after themselves, rather than expect the world to behave as if everyone has their allergy with them. Otherwise peanuts would not be allowed to exist any more, or trees. Same with phobias.

There seems to be a view that people who don't like/can't be around dogs don't have to be responsible for themselves.

The fact is, dogs are a part of human life. Regardless of whether you like it or not.

PattyPan · 05/07/2021 12:15

Unless a place specifically advertises as dog friendly how are you supposed to know that there will be dogs there? It seems to be that people are increasingly turning up everywhere with their dogs. The default should be that they are not allowed inside unless it is a place specifically (and obviously) aimed at people who want to bring dogs.
People are anthropomorphising their dogs much more than they used to as well which is probably linked to it.
Dogs are not more important than people’s allergies and phobias ffs.
Christ people with dogs are tiresome

LST · 05/07/2021 12:16

@PattyPan

Unless a place specifically advertises as dog friendly how are you supposed to know that there will be dogs there? It seems to be that people are increasingly turning up everywhere with their dogs. The default should be that they are not allowed inside unless it is a place specifically (and obviously) aimed at people who want to bring dogs. People are anthropomorphising their dogs much more than they used to as well which is probably linked to it. Dogs are not more important than people’s allergies and phobias ffs. Christ people with dogs are tiresome
It's up to the owner surely. I assume most pubs allow dogs now. I'd ring and ask if I was booking to see if they allowed dogs if yes I'd find somewhere else.
MaMelon · 05/07/2021 12:16

People with allergies need to look after themselves, rather than expect the world to behave as if everyone has their allergy with them

And yet we have nut free schools.

TheFoundations · 05/07/2021 12:17

Well house plants and motorbikes don't bite, or bring allergies, people seem to be forgetting that not everyone's dog "sits nicely under the table" (it does make me laugh that on MN everyone's dog is super well behaved

You're missing the point that nobody with a bothersome dog is going to post on a thread like this one and say so. It's a self-filtering mechanism. It's not that no MN posters have naughty dogs. There's plenty of 'What can I do about my dog's troublesome behaviour' threads in the dog bit of the forum.

When's the last time you heard of a dog in a pub biting someone? For me, it's never. I have never heard of that happening. Not in my own life, and not in the news.

vivainsomnia · 05/07/2021 12:17

I certainly never assume dogs are allowed everywhere, in the opposite. When we did our research, we expected places accepting dogs to be an exception, not the majority as we pleasantly found out.

Well house plants and motorbikes don't bite, or bring allergies, people seem to be forgetting that not everyone's dog "sits nicely under the table" (it does make me laugh that on MN everyone's dog is super well behaved
But why assume all dogs to fall under that category. Mine has never bitten, not even snapped at anyone or anything. She doesn't shed so hypoallergenic. She is extremely well behaved and will seat nicely in our lap or the floor.

I would fully support any establishment asking owners to leave if their dog caused issues.

Dog allergies to the point of causing discomfort just being in the sane room, let alone in proximity outside is extremely rare. Those people would be as much at risk walking in the street or going anywhere public.