Should dogs be allowed in more places?

[Patchworkknitter]

I'm a bit hurt today but I don't know if I'm being completely unreasonable.

A friend and I were trying to arrange to meet up. We had sorted what we were doing and then she changed her mind and wanted to change where we did something which would have added another 90 minutes onto the day.

I couldn't do that as my dog would already have been left all day (with 2 dog walks from a dog walker). Even with the dog walker, he couldn't do another 90 minutes. My friend got a bit cross and said I should just get my parents to look after him but they're already looking after him the day before so it wouldn't be fair. I don't like to ask them too often, a bit like people don't like to look after their children too often.

It just seems we always do child friendly places (I'm not a Mum but I try my best to be understanding of her childcare needs). She says she can't afford any additional childcare to that which she already needs for work but I can't afford additional dog care either (I pay £400 a month and don't have a partner to share any costs).

It got me thinking how restrictive it can be having a dog as a single person. I wouldn't change him for the world but it's incredibly difficult. If it was childcare I feel people would be much more understanding.

If I was a mum I could take my children pretty much everywhere.
As a dog owner, I can no longer go to the cinema, to most pubs, to restaurants, to the theatre, shopping, etc without paying out for extra dog care.

I feel dogs should be allowed in more places, more shops, more cafes, more pubs etc. Aibu?

@Peanutbuttercupisyum just because you can does not mean you should. The rspca recommend four hours at the most.

I’m afraid you’re on a hiding to nothing here, on anti-dog MN, OP.

But FWIW, although we don’t have a dog any more, I always prefer dog friendly cafes and pubs. And I’ve hardly ever encountered one in either of those places that wasn’t perfectly well behaved.

To us anywhere with a friendly mutt or two is so much nicer than one without. Adult dds and Gdcs of 5 and 6 would also share that opinion.

@Okbye

Absolutely fucking not.

It’s disgusting that some establishments that serve food allow dogs. So unhygienic to have a slobbering dog shaking it’s fur everywhere when people just want to enjoy their food 🤬🤮

You're right, it's disgusting that blind people who use guide dogs are allowed in restaurants.

@lazylinguist

So unhygienic to have a slobbering dog shaking it’s fur everywhere when people just want to enjoy their food

I've never seen a visibly slobbering, shaking dog in a pub or café. Dear me - dog owners must be dropping like flies from pestilence and disease, eating in the same room as their dogs every day! Oh wait a minute... various studies have shown that on average pet owners are more healthy.

There is definitely something to this you know. My brother was a really ill always snotty kid and then when we had our staffie, I think my DB was 5, within 6 months his constant running nose had disappeared and he rarely picked up any of the colds doing the rounds. We did used to share everything with the dog on quite a disgusting level though 😂

You clearly don't realise how many thing you can't do with young children like the cinema unless I want to watch a U or PG my 4 year old can't come, I also can't take him to a long meal because he would be bored after an hour and would be a pain for other people, can't take him to some pubs, can't take him shopping for the day because he would be bored and get in peoples way. I could in theory take him some places but I wouldn't because I understand a small child would be annoying to other people.

Mums mostly do child friendly things not because he love them but because that's some places are not appropriate for children. I'd much rather a day of shopping and a nice relaxing meal but I decided to have a child so I go to soft play and cry inside.

You absolutely can not expect everywhere and everyone to accept your dog because you love them.

Also dogs are not on the same level as a human child.

There are numerous dog friendly pubs and hotels find one of the many !

I’d love it if dogs were allowed in more places. I’d far rather have dinner with a dog under the table next to me than some loud, foul mouthed idiot, screaming child or gobby half wit on their mobile.
I find humans far less hygienic than your age pet dog!

In the past month I have been lunged at once and been agressively barked at several times while minding my own business. The dog problem is getting worse and worse.

@Goldbar

Even the most well-behaved dogs can slobber and shed hair. There are places where that is inappropriate, including some restaurants, theatres, museums, swimming-pools, gyms, hospitals and spas. So dogs shouldn't be able to go everywhere. They're not hygienic.

My DSis has a very well-behaved dog and I'm happy to have it in the house when she stays. But I have to cover the furniture with throws and hoover and deep-clean the carpets when they leave and even then I still find odd bits of dog hair everywhere.

Plenty, if not most, hospitals allow certain dogs in.

@Okbye

Absolutely fucking not.

It’s disgusting that some establishments that serve food allow dogs. So unhygienic to have a slobbering dog shaking it’s fur everywhere when people just want to enjoy their food 🤬🤮

Baseless fury. Hygiene standards are very closely monitored in eating establishments, and many allow dogs. Those who disallow them do it for preference, not because it's against the hygiene standards. Dogs are not allowed in food prep areas - they are allowed in eating areas.

Clearly you know better, though...

@LemonRoses. I don't know a single hospital in this country that allows dogs other than assistance or therapy animals.

God no. I hate dogs in places that serve food and can't understand how they're now allowed in shops.

Dogs are not children. You have a dog not a child. Your dog can be left alone. You cannot leave a child alone. It is against the law and if you did and it came to any harm you would be locked up.

Either train the dog so you can have a social life or accept the ramifications of having a dog has on your social life.

Children are far more restrictive than children.
A dog can be left for a short while allowing you to go to the supermarket.
You can't leave a small child alone for any length of time.

I totally agree with you. On holiday in a very dog friendly part of the UK with our dog and she’s been involved in pretty much everything. There’s been no trouble at all, just a lot of sleeping dogs under tables, dogs on beaches running into the sea with their families and dogs meeting other dogs nicely. There’s been no poos under pub tables put it that way!

This is Mumsnet though, full of pious dog haters who can’t live and let live.

@Patchworkknitter

Ok I'm out. Thank you.

You're not though are you, you're trapped at home because you treat your dog like a human.

Chidren are far more restrictive than dogs typo

Restaurants in Europe allow dogs in dining areas...

@cjpark I SO agree with this! Kids are so much more unhygienic and unpleasant than dogs

I have absolutely no idea why people constantly compare dogs to children. They are not kids. They can not be compared. It’s just crackers.

@Viviennemary, sorry you sound like you are on a mission to eradicate dogs from public space. I don't think you have a snowball's chance in a furnace.

Dogs should be able to be left alone for several hours.
I have owned dogs- A good run of several hours at 6pm, a large meal and a drink and there wouldn;t be a peep from my dogs apart from some snoring- giving the whole evening to go out for dnner, cinema, the pub.
You can't leave a child alone. Most dogs are happy if exercised, watered and fed.

@Blossomtoes

Of course there is a difference

There isn’t. If you have a dog allergy or phobia it doesn’t magically disappear if the dog is an assistance animal. A dog is a dog.

I’m terrified of dogs to the point I have panic attacks but I’m fine around assistance dogs so yeah they do magically stop being dogs to some of us.

@XingMing

Restaurants in Europe allow dogs in dining areas...

And?

@GSD20

We have just been to the lakes and took our very well behaved dog (trained therapy and obedience dog) He sat under the table as we ate and we spent most of the holiday walking. It was camping so no hotels etc. Ours was on lead the whole time and approached nobody without them asking to touch him first. We also didn’t take him anywhere indoors because he’s too big to avoid him touching things.

However, I was quite shocked at how many badly behaved and untrained dogs were around and how unbothered the owners were.
We saw some very aggressive ones in public places, had a chihuahua launch for our dogs face, saw some filthy ones in shops and lots of off lead ones running up to our dog/children and shoving their noses in our faces when it wasn’t wanted.
I also had to listen to some of them barking constantly and another couple breaking their own necks on flexi leads to run at other dogs in the town centre.

As a dog lover I can 100% understand why some people hate dogs in public as by the end I was sick to death of them! Owners need to be responsible enough to judge whether their dog would actually be okay in that type of environment and whether it’s behaviour will effect someone else. Clearly some owners are unable to do this!

I would think a normal well trained dog should be able to be left alone for 5 hours or so while we go out to eat or go to the cinema so it wouldn’t even cross my mind to take it!

I think the whole "getting a dog" craze is getting out of hand.

Folk are getting dogs but not taking proper responsibility for them. They need training and to be under control. People are treating them like toys.

In a town, a dog's value is purely social; in rural areas,they work

Not true. Both town and country have dogs as guard dogs, security. Many ‘country dogs’ are just pets - handbag sized and decorative. Sheepdogs are rare and confined to farms.