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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
ForeverAintEnough3 · 05/07/2021 13:42

@JediGnot Great! Problem solved

ForeverAintEnough3 · 05/07/2021 13:43

@PattyPan

It’s always difficult to quantify counterfactuals though isn’t it? Maybe if they went from no dogs to dog friendly they can measure change in profits but if they have been dog friendly for a long time it’s difficult to know how much more they would make if they were no dogs. I guess I could email the place we were going to go to but that would be a bit weird.

@ForeverAintEnough3 yes, I am now going to look for a new place that will be animal free. Fortunately I found out with enough time to book somewhere else rather than having to turn around once we got there Smile

Great! Enjoy your weekend.
PattyPan · 05/07/2021 13:43

@SerialRelocator

I have a dog and I love a dog-friendly restaurant. Any holiday and/relocation is assessed against availability of dog friendly places. I will, however, go out of my way to avoid eateries with lots of kids. The noise, the chaos... No thanks.
At least children don’t smell quite as bad Grin
Scottishskifun · 05/07/2021 13:45

@JediGnot

LST

"There may be more none dog owners but most of them don't mind dogs"

It is attitudes like yours that make me determined to challenge dog owners at every opportunity - you lot have no idea how much I detest being reminded that dogs exist, let alone being within 50 metres of them

😂 How bloody ridiculous!

If you hate dogs that much just attend places where there isn't any it's not exactly hard is it?! 🤷‍♂️
Many NT places don't allow them, same with castles or gardens.

Personally if you "challenged" me with my dog I would tell you to go get a life and go elsewhere if your so bothered by it!

vivainsomnia · 05/07/2021 13:46

At least children don’t smell quite as bad
Until the one right next to your table decides to do a poo in its nappy!

TheFoundations · 05/07/2021 13:47

@PattyPan

If they do, good for them. There are more non-dog owners than dog owners though. I wanted to support the hospitality industry but not enough to outweigh my desire to not eat around animals.
I think it's not just about dog owners, it's about people who are happy to have dogs around. They are by far in the majority.

But it is better for people who don't like them to know where not to go, otherwise you get these ridiculous things like the PP who said they were poised to kick a sentient being as hard as possible in the head. I don't want my dog around people like that.

PattyPan · 05/07/2021 13:48

Rather nappy smell than wet dog to be honest!

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 05/07/2021 13:48

I wouldnt mind eating somewhere with dogs.
I would mind eating somewhere where dogs were jumping up at waiters, that's a massive health and safety hazard when carrying hot food

Lockheart · 05/07/2021 13:49

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Quotes deleted post.

TheFoundations · 05/07/2021 13:50

@JediGnot

What is your actual challenge to dog owners?

'I challenge you not to have a dog, because I don't like dogs'?

'I challenge you not to bring your dog here, to this place where dogs are allowed'?

Don't you end up looking a bit daft?

ForeverAintEnough3 · 05/07/2021 13:52

[quote TheFoundations]@JediGnot

What is your actual challenge to dog owners?

'I challenge you not to have a dog, because I don't like dogs'?

'I challenge you not to bring your dog here, to this place where dogs are allowed'?

Don't you end up looking a bit daft?[/quote]
😂😂😂

JediGnot · 05/07/2021 13:52

[quote Lockheart]@JediGnot oh dear, I didn't realise having to share your space with someone blind who has a guide dog would constitute 'third class service'.

I must tell my friend she has to stay indoors and never sully a restaurant again with her (and her dogs) presence.[/quote]
It would only be second class service - guide dogs tend to be very well behaved. I am willing to put up with second class service if in doing so it means blind people can visit restaurants. HTH.

TheWagesOfSin · 05/07/2021 13:53

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

LST · 05/07/2021 13:54

@JediGnot

LST

"There may be more none dog owners but most of them don't mind dogs"

It is attitudes like yours that make me determined to challenge dog owners at every opportunity - you lot have no idea how much I detest being reminded that dogs exist, let alone being within 50 metres of them

Haha ok. What would you challenge me about? Just having my dog with me in a place he is allowed to be?
JediGnot · 05/07/2021 13:55

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ForeverAintEnough3 · 05/07/2021 13:56

It would only be second class service - guide dogs tend to be very well behaved. I am willing to put up with second class service if in doing so it means blind people can visit restaurants

Just… Wow. Second class service to eat dinner in the same place as a blind person. Jesus Christ.

JediGnot · 05/07/2021 13:57

"Haha ok. What would you challenge me about? Just having my dog with me in a place he is allowed to be?"

I'd remind you how many people absolutely detest dogs and remind you that you to keep it under control. Tell you to put in on a lead when you clearly haven't got the thing under control, that sort of thing.

JediGnot · 05/07/2021 13:57

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

LST · 05/07/2021 13:58

@JediGnot I am not entitled in the slightest. My dog is under my control. Never off lead if he needs to be on a lead and never in places that don't allow him. I pick up after him and have trained him not to be a nuisance.

Scottishskifun · 05/07/2021 13:59

@JediGnot so let me get this straight you detest dogs within 50m of you but would actively walk up to a dog owner to tell them this?
Your also asking for a dog bite if you kick a dog and the police would do very little about it if you did so completely unprevoked. In fact you are more likely to be arrested for animal cruelty!

As said get a life and just go to places without dogs if you're so bothered it's not hard!

ForeverAintEnough3 · 05/07/2021 14:02

@JediGnot

"Haha ok. What would you challenge me about? Just having my dog with me in a place he is allowed to be?"

I'd remind you how many people absolutely detest dogs and remind you that you to keep it under control. Tell you to put in on a lead when you clearly haven't got the thing under control, that sort of thing.

To be fair if some crackpot came up to me last week when I was in a beer garden happily enjoying a beer and my dog was sleeping at my feet tied to the picnic table and starting ranting that ‘some people detest dogs’ and ‘keep your dog on a lead’ while my dog was on the lead I’d think you had some serious issues!!!! I’d probably ask the pub to ask you to leave for harassing me in public when I was minding my own business. You sound completely unhinged.
TheFoundations · 05/07/2021 14:03

@JediGnot

If you told me you didn't like dogs and would like me to keep mine away from you, I would respect that. Your challenges are dead funny though. Loads of drama, insults, even threats of violence. For people doing something they are explicitly told they are allowed to do.

I might try this. 'How dare you have that hairstyle in my presence?! It is an affront to humankind and you should be removed from the planet forthwith! Also, I might attack you if you look at me using your eyes, which also ought to be banned from this pub. Careful, I might do a violence!'

TheFoundations · 05/07/2021 14:04

I agree, @ForeverAintEnough3

If anybody comes up to me when I'm minding my own business and sticking to the rules, and says they're ready to attack my dog, I'd be talking to the staff about it.

lazylinguist · 05/07/2021 14:07

I'd remind you how many people absolutely detest dogs and remind you that you to keep it under control. Tell you to put in on a lead when you clearly haven't got the thing under control, that sort of thing.

Uh huh. So if I had my dog in a dog-friendly pub, on a lead, fully under control, right by my table, not allowing him to approach anyone (which he wouldn't want to anyway), would you still feel the need to come and 'challenge' me by saying "Do you realise some people hate dogs?" And 'remind' me to do something I was clearly already doing? Because my response would be "This pub welcomes dogs. Have you considered going to one that doesn't?"

lockdownalli · 05/07/2021 14:08

I would much rather be surrounded by other people's dogs than other people's children.

As everyone has said - it's up to the restaurant. I would expect to research thoroughly if I was that against seeing dogs somewhere - although in your case it does sound like the restaurant had incorrect info on their website, so for that reason YANBU

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