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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be alarmed that more and more places are allowing dogs?

640 replies

wheelings · 26/04/2023 12:12

Just went to Wilko recently who had a sign up saying all dogs welcome. Went to a bistro and they allowed dogs too. Had lunch listening to small yappy dogs.

Since when did it become acceptable to allow dogs into shops and food places?

OP posts:
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6
Missingmyusername · 26/04/2023 13:07

DewinDwl · 26/04/2023 12:24

Dangerous, unhygienic animals with entitled owners. YANBU.

That’s a terrible way to label children. 🤣Accurate but damning!

A dog owners money is as good as yours. Businesses can see that and will capitalise on it where they can.

Suck it up buttercups.

Thesharkradar · 26/04/2023 13:08

LaLoba · 26/04/2023 13:04

I wonder how many people (including the cafe owners) were irritated by your child wandering around dropping food? Personally I see it as my responsibility to train my dog to drop on command, and wouldn’t take him to a cafe, but I wouldn’t appreciate a toddler bimbling around dropping food on the floor, and would consider her a trip hazard. Perhaps controlling your child will lead to less confrontation?

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Human children come before dogs
Children are the next generation, they grow up, contribute to society
Your dog is a useless shitting nuisance

Trinityloop · 26/04/2023 13:09

I assure you poorly behaved dogs are more frustrating for other dog owners than they are for non dog owners.

If I take my dog in a pub he's perfectly settled, but if there's a dog barking, mooching around, my dog is disturbed and I have to deal with it

If I'm at the park and he's nicely pottering with me then an off lead nuisance for us is a nightmare.

The same with the weeing indoor issues. My dog hasn't weed indoors in years, but I have to be aware that he will think about wee ontop of other wee so in the marks example above, I'd be really annoyed that I had to deal with moving my dog on because someone else didn't control theirs.

Saschka · 26/04/2023 13:10

Wiennetta · 26/04/2023 13:00

Also this. I’ve never seen dogs going to the loo in a cafe or tripping up a waiter.

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Oh I have! There is a pub near Box Hill in Surrey which a) does food, and b) is full of dogs. I saw a waiter trip over a dog on an extendable lead (owners sitting at one table ignoring the dog, which had wandered over on its leash to a different table to beg food). Waiter tripped over the lead while carrying about 4 mains. It was spectacular, food went everywhere.

BarbedButterfly · 26/04/2023 13:10

From my own experience a colleague whose husband owns a cafe found trade increased a lot when they allowed dogs. Most nearby now do the same. I do sympathise even though I love dogs. It must be hard for people with allergies now.

eatdrinkandbemerry · 26/04/2023 13:10

Yanbu its gross

StressedToTheMaxxx · 26/04/2023 13:10

I would love more adult human places to be honest! No kids, no dogs. Bliss!

BarrelOfOtters · 26/04/2023 13:11

We've got a small dog who is pretty well behaved. But I have to admit DH's tolerance levels for her behaviour are different to mine. If she barks I'd take her out immediately - DH might not....She's the light of his life and can do no wrong.

But anyway I love seeing a dog in a pub or cafe or shop and love the fact they are more dog friendly now.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 26/04/2023 13:11

aliloandabanana · 26/04/2023 13:07

What puzzles me is that shops and cafes must have had a reason for not letting in dogs previously, so what has changed? Surely it was for hygiene and food safety reasons that they weren't allowed in places where people were eating. I don't mind dogs but I don't understand why they need to be in shops and restaurants.

I don't own a business but I do run one. The business owner didn't want dogs in originally because he was worried they would damage the furnishings, make a mess or smell. After years of people asking to bring dogs and losing business because of not being dog friendly we finally allowed it one day per week with hefty fines for any damage.
Building is deep cleaned that evening.

gogohmm · 26/04/2023 13:13

All of my life dogs have been legally allowed in pubs and cafes. It's good business, they wouldn't allow them if it wasn't.

Plenty don't though, you have a choice. Wetherspoons and Costa coffee, premier inns and supermarkets all ban dogs.

Squamata · 26/04/2023 13:14

The thing about a free market is, people can choose to run pubs, cafes and restaurants how they like and then they succeed or fail based on how popular that approach is.

So vote with your feet if you don't like it.

Tlolljs · 26/04/2023 13:14

I’ve never understood why you would take your dog shopping. I’m pretty sure the dog would rather be either running about or asleep somewhere. Behaving like a dog.
Can’t imagine a dog wanting to go to Wilco or marks and Spencer’s.

lightinthebox · 26/04/2023 13:15

I love that dogs are allowed in more places now. If it encourages people to walk into city centers as opposed to driving then that's a great thing.

I'd rather see people walking around with their dogs than driving huge cars to city/town centers.

Macaroni46 · 26/04/2023 13:15

DriedFlowersLiveForever · 26/04/2023 12:29

We get it, lots of people don't like dogs on mn.
Real life is like a different world 🙄

Actually lots of people are not so keen on digs IRL too!

Wiennetta · 26/04/2023 13:16

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 26/04/2023 13:05

I never said I had any hygiene concerns Confused

I was saying that yes there are two camps of people here but that the non-dog lovers shouldn't automatically trump the dog-lovers and ultimately, it's down to the business.

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@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea sorry! My comment was to @Chasingadvice who you quoted.

PaperSheet · 26/04/2023 13:17

I don't mind quiet dogs that just stay under their table. But in many cases they don't. I've seen 2 small dogs barking like mad at each other and owners hanging on to them while trying to drink coffee. I've had a small puppy sniffing round under my table/ my legs etc. Not on a lead and owner not paying any attention as just chatting with her friend. I just want to eat in peace without a dog under my table and sniffing and the risk of it peeing everywhere. If it was under her table not moving it wouldn't have bothered me. I've had a dog on a long lead come right up to my table and try and take food off our plates. When I lifted the plates up and looked at the owners they were laughing saying oh he's so greedy, but not making any attempt to pull him away. These are the issues people have. Just keep your dog under your table and most (not all obviously) won't have a huge issue. I've seen dogs on long leads in shops so you can't get past as it spans across the whole aisle. I don't want to bothered by anything (including pets, children, random adults whatever) while I'm eating in a cafe. I don't want to do an obstacle course round leads and dogs playing while I'm shopping. If everyone just kept their pets close to them and were aware of what they were doing any stopped them bothering people/ getting in the way MOST people wouldn't be as bothered by them being there.

Kolakalia · 26/04/2023 13:17

I wouldn't frequent somewhere that allowed dogs so I guess they're okay with alienating some customers because they'll win over others. Their right as a business of course, just not for me.

Most people don't mind a poodle or a little bichon frise or a lab... bit tricky when people start bringing in XL Bullies and Dobermans/Rottweilers. I'm sure they'll change their tune then when that inevitably happens.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 26/04/2023 13:17

Wiennetta · 26/04/2023 13:16

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea sorry! My comment was to @Chasingadvice who you quoted.

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That makes way more sense Grin

WCRoulade · 26/04/2023 13:18

7Worfs · 26/04/2023 12:16

It’s ill-thought because once it’s allowed it can get out of hand very easily.

No one would mind one small dog sleeping under a table, but what about 5-10 dogs milling about/yapping/tripping up a waiter/getting sick on the floor?

Allowing children in pubs and cafes is ill thought out because it's fine if it's one toddler sleeping but easily gets out of hand with 5-10 kids running about

Trinityloop · 26/04/2023 13:18

aliloandabanana · 26/04/2023 13:07

What puzzles me is that shops and cafes must have had a reason for not letting in dogs previously, so what has changed? Surely it was for hygiene and food safety reasons that they weren't allowed in places where people were eating. I don't mind dogs but I don't understand why they need to be in shops and restaurants.

Because sometimes it's easier

Dog owners make up a large portion of people that holiday in the UK. You can't leave your dog in many types of accommodation eg tents and many hotels /holiday let's have rules against leaving dogs. Thus if you want to go for a meal on those holidays or a shop, the dogs probably coming with

Many times it's just easier, if on my dog walk I walk past a shop then it's handy to pop in or a restaurant. I'm unlikely to go home, drop my dog off and come back. I'm more likely to drive to bigger shops. If you want to catch passing trade, and are in a place where that trade has dogs then it makes sense

Previously people left them in boots, or tied up outside but now dog theft is high, people don't do that

Sometimes it's also to reduce alone time for the dog. If my dog has been left while I'm at work, then I wouldn't leave them again that day to go out for dinner.

I don't always take my dog, and have more meals without them but sometimes I do take them because it's easier. I don't begrudge places that don't allow dogs but I'm just less likely to visit them.

Wiennetta · 26/04/2023 13:19

Tlolljs · 26/04/2023 13:14

I’ve never understood why you would take your dog shopping. I’m pretty sure the dog would rather be either running about or asleep somewhere. Behaving like a dog.
Can’t imagine a dog wanting to go to Wilco or marks and Spencer’s.

@Tlolljs well I don’t think it’s necessarily that dog walkers are out just to go to Wilko. It’s often that you’re out walking the dog and will pop into a shop rather than have to make a separate trip, which you would if you couldn’t take the dog in (or just not go, and not spend the money). I take my dog into dog friendly shops on the way to/from a walk in the park.

Shufflebumnessie · 26/04/2023 13:19

Our local shopping centre (indoor mall) introduced a dog-friendly policy earlier this year. I hate it. There are constantly dogs barking at each other and the noise echoes around the place, most of the dogs in there seem to be poorly (or, not at all!) trained and spend most of their time straining to get off the lead or jumping up at people who walk past.
I don't want to sit in a café and have a strange dog nosing at my table (which is what happened last time). My son is really scared of dogs (after an incident with an aggressive, untrained dog that got in to our garden when he was younger) & he no longer wants to go to the shopping centre as he's worried about all the dogs there.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 26/04/2023 13:19

Tlolljs · 26/04/2023 13:14

I’ve never understood why you would take your dog shopping. I’m pretty sure the dog would rather be either running about or asleep somewhere. Behaving like a dog.
Can’t imagine a dog wanting to go to Wilco or marks and Spencer’s.

Perhaps they've been out for a walk and stopped off on the way home? Perhaps they've just picked them up from the poodle parlour and it's too hot to leave them in the car? Perhaps they're visiting someone overnight and brought their dog with them and don't want to leave them alone in a strange house?

Loads of reasons.

EmpressSoleil · 26/04/2023 13:19

I don't like dogs but then I don't like going out much either! So problem solved. I just wouldn't go to any food establishment that allows dogs. I don't shop on the high street anymore so it doesn't really make a difference to me.

DidyouNO · 26/04/2023 13:20

It's disgusting. I have a three year old who has severe complex needs and cannot be in an environment with dogs in. People shrug and say 'I'd rather be with dogs than kids' but humans aren't deathly allergic to other humans. My son is deathly allergic to dogs. I've witnessed several dog fights/disagreement because dogs fight over food. It must be awful for the animals. It's warm, sometimes too warm for a fur coated animal in a cafe and smells nice but I'd imagine confusing, then there are other dogs in a confined space. It's just horrible.