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?

Dog ownership is a more serious undertaking in Germany as dogs legally have to be registered with the town hall and have to be insured for damage they might do to third parties. Dogs tend to be on leads unless impeccably trained. I've never had a dog jump all over me or my kids in Germany, they are always called to heel if off lead when we walk in the forest which is also where dogs are walked - but it happens every time we try to go to the beach in England.

Perhaps if there were the same legal responsibilities put on UK dog owners, there would be the same privileges, because the responsibility to register your dog and be insured for any damage it might cause might well be linked to better average standard of training and behaviour...

I think you are being a bit precious about how long you leave your dog. Going out to the movies is fine! Also, you can't take young kids to the theatre / nice restaurants.

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.

The difference is the human owner of the dog requires it's presence to be able to be there. Disability is a protected characteristic and disabled people have the same right to enjoy public spaces as you do. Your allergy or fear does not trump the owners right as a person to be there.

Your choice to get a dog?
For people with allergies, they are getting harder to avoid as it is.

I think some dog owners are incredibly selfish when it comes to their pets.
I don't think most people mind dogs in general, but dogs being present everywhere is a bit much, especially if it's the fur baby badly trained type like the running up to people jumping and licking type.

I can admire dogs from afar, but am severely allergic. I cannot spend more than a few seconds in a closed room with one without medication (which I would happily take for an assistance dog). a dog licking my hand could lend me in hospital.

@Patchworkknitter

I'm guessing I'm not going to get any understanding here.

Thank you.

You're not going to get understanding many cases because it's a stupid argument. No we shouldn't allow shitting, barking, smelly (i.e. all) dogs everywhere just because you choose to live hours for any entertainment!

Yabu, as a dog owner there are already loads of places dogs are allowed in, especially in beer garden season (although you may need to sit under a brolly)

However I also think your friend is being unreasonable, as she shouldn't expect you to cater only to her needs. Just tell her you need to meet somewhere dog friendly, take a coffee to a park or something even?

@vivainsomnia that’s not the point, dogs do not have the same rights as children whether you think they are just as important or not. They are not comparable because they are not on the same level, people trump dogs I’m afraid whether you think it’s a fur baby or not and should be allowed everywhere doesn’t matter. It’s laughable to even compare. One is a pet, another is a person, not sure why some folk don’t get that. 😂

For what it's worth, I didn't say I wanted to take my dog to the cinema or theatre. There were examples of places I could no longer go

Where is it you do want them to be able to go then? We can already take dogs to many pubs and cafes, some restaurants, holiday cottages, b&b's, campsites,shops, even many posh 5* hotels allow them. They are allowed on public transport. There are loads of dog and kid friendly outdoor places to go such as country parks. These things are all suitable for dogs in that they are an environment that most dogs will enjoy being with their humans. The things that there aren't dog friendly versions of such as indoor swimming pools, cinemas, theatres etc aren't pleasant or suitable environments for dogs therefore is no demand and no reason to provide. Zoos and animal parks aren't suitable as the dogs could scare or hurt the animals. They are however accessible to service dogs who have been trained and desensitised specifically to do the job. I say the same here as I did on an anti dog post a while ago. Lots of people were disgusted dogs were allowed in pubs and I strongly disagreed with them. There is a balance and it's important that there is one. There are both dog friendly and non dog friendly places. Everyone is provided for. I'm glad I can take my dog lots of places as she prefers to be with us, she'd rather be sitting quietly at our feet in the pub than home alone but equally she's fine for a few hours if I want to go to the cinema every now and then. She'd rather be home alone than be at the cinema even if it was an option to take her. I'm also glad there are non dog friendly places for those who dislike, fear or are allergic to dogs.

I also don't think the friend was unreasonable as the day was already planned to not include the dog and the Walker already arranged. If the original arrangement had been dog friendly I'd think differently An extra 90 minutes (I assume 45 minutes either side) really won't hurt if the dog is walked in the morning, visited twice by the dog walker then has their human home all evening for walks and company that's not very long in between visits and walks to be alone especially as they will sleep after the walks. Sounds like OP does ok anyway with 2 days out in a row one with parents looking after dog and one with dog walker (something I as a dog owner could never afford but was aware of this when I got her)

I'm not sure about allowing dogs into more places but I'm with a couple of other posters - I'd like more places to be adult-only! Lots of posters talking here about how disruptive, noisy, uncontrolled and (sometimes) smelly dogs are; same applies to a fair amount of kids. I realise that y'all had them just to support me in my old age and everything, so sorry that I'm uncharitably suggesting they also be banned from Starbucks.

I'm another that would like places to be adult only

@AudacityBaby

I'm not sure about allowing dogs into more places but I'm with a couple of other posters - I'd like more places to be adult-only! Lots of posters talking here about how disruptive, noisy, uncontrolled and (sometimes) smelly dogs are; same applies to a fair amount of kids. I realise that y'all had them just to support me in my old age and everything, so sorry that I'm uncharitably suggesting they also be banned from Starbucks.

Everyone should be banned from StarSucks; why anyone would prefer them to an independent coffee shop serving freshly baked goods and coffee / tea that doesn't taste like dishwasher is beyond me.

@EffOrf

I'm another that would like places to be adult only

And plenty of them do exist.

Definitely not.

@ichundich I used Starbucks because I figured it'd be easier to make my point without people being confused by what on earth my [Name of Local Coffee Shop] is.

List of adult-only places for day to day recreation please? I don't count an adults-only resort in the Bahamas, obviously.

Hey op stop moddycoddling your dog its part of a dogs life been left alone he will survive so long as he gets attention when your there.

Fwiw I would take a hundred dogs around me over kids any day.

that’s not the point, dogs do not have the same rights as children whether you think they are just as important or not. They are not comparable because they are not on the same level, people trump dogs I’m afraid whether you think it’s a fur baby or not and should be allowed everywhere doesn’t matter. It’s laughable to even compare. One is a pet, another is a person, not sure why some folk don’t get that
That same old rubbish again. Why such a pathetic need to compare? Because it's you who is comparing and feeling the need to place a hierarchy. Why make it that's it's one of the other? How about respecting that both have rights and both matter, differently to different people?

If it matters to OP that she doesn't want to leave her dog, because clearly her dog doesn't deal well with being left alone, indeed because some breeds don't fare well alone, who are you to decide that this is wrong?

If you read my post again, I do say that I don't think there should be more places allowing dogs because I think there are enough, OP just needs to find which there are, but of course, you'll read only what what you want to read because you just can't accept the notion that for some people, their dog do mean a lot to them and making sure they are happy is a big part of their lives. You might not understand it, which is fine, there is just no need to belittle it.

No

It seems that most on here don't even approve of dogs being walked in a park, never mind anywhere else.
It's such a shame our society is so anti dog.
I went to Frinton On Sea recently and there were dogs running around on the beach playfully chasing the seagulls, it was a rare and beautiful sight.
Our society has changed into a bunch of misery guts regarding dogs.

Our society has changed into a bunch of misery guts regarding dogs

Has it heck. People don’t hate dogs, they’re just fed up of the whole fur baby thing where dogs are now everywhere to an extent they weren’t in years gone by.

@Moonface123

It seems that most on here don't even approve of dogs being walked in a park, never mind anywhere else. It's such a shame our society is so anti dog. I went to Frinton On Sea recently and there were dogs running around on the beach playfully chasing the seagulls, it was a rare and beautiful sight. Our society has changed into a bunch of misery guts regarding dogs.

MN world and the real world are very different places. Find this in regard to everything on here not just dogs

I like dogs but can't deal with the hair and poo etc and owning them is completely different to liking them..

Nope there are enough places for them to go, I say that as a dog owner. I love my dogs but they are definitely not my fur babies