To wonder why the UK became so dog friendly?

[LancelotsLeftArm]

I have had several dogs in my life but I'm finding recent events in the last 2-3 years baffling.

Local ice cream shop lets dogs in - no longer go there as last time there was a massive dog blocking serving place where DC choose flavours, not sure what breed but size of a Labrador. 2 year Old's face ended up getting licked and knocked over,now DC doesn't feel comfortable around dogs. Always dogs there now but usually not that bad.

Family member has 2 labs that hate each other (no idea why) plus a history of "nipping" each other (?!) and recently they were growling at each other, teeth bared, lips rolling back. Toddler right between them with a toy. Heard the growling, got worse for about about 2mins, decided to tell toddler to move away quietly and calmly. Put myself between toddler and dogs. In law Relative went ape shit , offended. FFS. Decided we're not welcome in future if we don't accept that the dogs would "never harm a child" (like that's a reassurance).

School (primary school) is dog friendly and allowing dogs on leads in playground at pickup times which would NEVER have been accepted in my school. Including larger ones, not terriers etc - more Pointers etc.

Most pubs have always been dog friendly if they aren't busy and see your dog is well behaved.

I have known pub landlords/managers who have barred specific dogs and their owners.

A puppy came into the playground and literally snatched and ate my 2 year old's sandwich which left him in floods of tears. The owner's response "oh yeah when the gate is open he does run in" and then tempted her dog away with treats. No apology at all. I am no dog owner but I am also unconvinced that treats are the best response to bad behaviour...

The thing that winds me up is that not only are more and more places now dog friendly, dog owners like the one above seem to now feel like they don't even have to keep their dogs out of areas which aren't. We have so many parks around us which are dog friendly, the one small one which has signs up saying no dogs, obviously that's where all the dog owners go..

@pharaohrocher might be local differences, all of the NT places near us state dogs only aren’t allowed in houses/properties!

It’s good that yours give you somewhere you can take your child without having to worry though!😁(not being sarcastic although I know it sounds it!)

I love dogs, but DS who has special needs is scared of them. It’s a real pain having them in shops and at school entrances, as he is so scared, it’s difficult to get him past them.

Spiders are everywhere but it doesn't stop people from shrieking when they see one.

I cant imagine that poor dogs particularly enjoy being traipsed about shopping centres. Whoever said it's all about the owner's needs and not the dog's is right. I love dogs. Cant be arsed having one but dont have to because everywhere I go in my town I get cuddles and licks and slobbers from everyone else's! I did recently go to a dog-friendly hotel - didn't realise this until we got there because it was not mentioned on the website. It was FILTHY. Dog hair everywhere. We had a pull down bed in the room for the kids and I couldn't let them sleep in it because it was covered in doghair. The side of the double bed had what looked like dog piss up the side. Then when we tried to sleep, we couldn't because the selfish bastards upstairs had left their dog in an unfamiliar hotel room while they went out on the piss and the poor thing howled and paced the floor all night. Never again.

Older, well behaved dogs in old man pubs that don't sell food- ok, but even then it should be case by case. Dogs in restaurants and cafes- gross. I like dogs but they smell and are dirty. I stopped going to a cafe by me when I watched the waitress pet someone's dog and feed it a treat from her hands and then went to get my plate of food...my DH is a restauranteur (not British) and regularly has to tell people they can't bring their dogs in.. usually Millennials who are OUTRAGED haha.

Phreno yes agree!! We found Edinburgh great for dogs very welcoming in cafes

It doesn’t compare with

parents walking two abreast with buggies, trying to force anyone else off the pavement

children riding scooters or bikes on the pavement

children running around in shops and getting underfoot with people who can’t just leap out of the way.

having a child does not mean you get to act like an arse

i love dogs and have a dog. She comes everywhere with me and is extremely well behaved. It’s wonderful being able to go into a cafe with her, especially when I’m on my own, which is much of the time. It’s a no brainer why cafes and shops now allow dogs. If dogs aren’t allowed, we don’t go in - there are plenty of alternatives. In today’s economy, traders need all the custom they can get. I’ve worked in clothes retail and in my experience children with dirty hands and faces do far more damage to clothes than any dog (I once had to attempt to remove cheesy wotsit crustiness and saliva from a coat 🤢). I would take a dog in a clothes shop over a child anyday.
My child was terrified of dogs (we had to cross roads to avoid them) but we managed to work through it very slowly by walking rescue dogs, culminating in getting our own. They are no longer scared in the slightest. I get that each child is different but if you can work through the fear your child will be much happier.

I was pretty shocked when someone told me that "if you buy a special harness and say it's an assistant dog, you can take your dog anywhere!".
The guy thought this was totally fine and saw no issue with the disservice he was doing to actual assistance dogs and the owners who rely on them.

The UK is one of the most dog unfriendly places I have been to. Yes you will always get badly behaved dogs, as you will always get badly behaved children. Do we ban children from places, because of the few that have poor parents, so why should we ban dogs?

why do you have to take your dog to a NT cafe when you can't even enjoy the property or garden?

because many NT places allow dogs

wandereroftheworld.co.uk/national-trust-dog-friendly-directory/

Simply, it's because dog owners make up a large proportion of the population and lots of places have realised they'll make more money if they allow people to bring their dogs in too.

**It doesn’t compare with

parents walking two abreast with buggies, trying to force anyone else off the pavement

children riding scooters or bikes on the pavement

children running around in shops and getting underfoot with people who can’t just leap out of the way.

having a child does not mean you get to act like an arse*

• But this thread is about dogs, not children. Toddlers and very young children absolutely should ride scooters on the pavement ffs.

Kids/babies dont routinely shit in the street, roll in fox shit and eat shit. Also can't remember the last time I saw an article about a baby in a buggy or a child on a scooter mauling another child to death. Dogs and children are different. Don't be daft. We could all list the general things in life that annoy us, but this is a thread about the prevalence of dogs in places thy are traditionally excluded from.

All the ones I've come across allow dogs on the wider estate and cafe areas, but not in the properties or their formal gardens. It's not as great as it sounds as we still have to navigate loads of them before we can make it inside the gardens, and we can't enjoy the cafes.

Not true

heres a random example

Arlington Court and the National Trust Carriage Museum – Dogs on leads are welcome in the garden, museum and wider estate

Where else is a child meant to ride a scooter on the bloody road?!

Why does a dog need to be in every restaurant, clothes shop etc, it’s unnecessary and barely hygienic. I’m sick to death of dog owners giving the excuse of “he/she’s friendly” I couldn’t give a shit if the dogs friendly I don’t want one jumping up at me.

I love dogs. I've got a massive one. I like that lots of pubs/cafes are dog friendly but I don't get why anyone would want to take their dog into John Lewis. I can guarantee if I took mine in the great lummox would break something. He's lovely but he's also stupid.

Some places just don't need to be dog friendly. In our local small town pretty much everywhere is dog friendly. Why would you want dogs in your clothes shop?! I do find it odd.

"This is ridiculous. You have to get your daughter comfortable around dogs because they are everywhere. She has to learn they are not to be feared but respected."

No, this is a ridiculous comment in itself. People's personal space has to be respected. Phobias and fears cannot always be resolved. My own DD was terrified of dogs as a child. Family walks, trips to the park or beach were extremely stressful for her. It was only as she grew taller (age 13/14) that she began to be less afraid. The whole thing was started by a dog rushing at her in a park as a toddler.

I am petrified of dogs. If they’re on a lead or if they hover near their owner I’m ok. But when they’re barking away/sniffing near me I get nervous…means I can’t take my baby out to the park nuch on walks in case there’s unleaded dogs or just dogs wandering in the area on the way.
I find it off-putting having dogs in cafes. Unhygienic and if they jump about it means I feel on edge

Agreed. My 3 year old is the same after being knocked over by one a month or 2 ago. Why is it unacceptable to say keep your dog away from me/my child, yet it’s totally absurd to expect dog owners to stop their pets jumping up all over at people. I don’t get the entitlement

Toddlers and very young children absolutely should ride scooters on the pavement ffs

not if they endanger pedestrians, eg those who are frail or partially sighted or with physical disabilities that mean they can’t dodge out of the way. Everyone should be able to walk safely on a pavement

plus it’s all too easy for a toddler to scoot out into the road. To keep them safe, keep the scooter for a park.

@TrashyPanda:Explain how my 4 year old is supposed to have rode her bike on the road from age 3?