Relative, dogs and food hygiene?

[HidingHereForTomorrow]

I’m looking for opinions on whether or not I am being squeamish and unreasonable in regards to a relatives behaviour around her dogs, food, plates and her guests.

Relative has five small dogs and we first ate at her house around a year ago, it became apparent that any meal cooked for humans was to be shared with the dogs.. they were actually served first on their own plates before us Hah! I thought this was quite odd and a bit rude but each to their own. At the end of the evening I wanted to help clean up but she said it’s not a concern it will all go in the dishwasher.. which it did. So in went our plates, dogs plates, extra dog bowls for ‘normal dog food’ and everything else in between.

A couple of days later we returned for some more family time and the same routine occurred.. however, this relative does not have matching plate sets.. they are all vintage I think and no two is alike. I found myself eating off one of the plates that I had watched one of her dogs slobbering and chowing down on the other day. It turned my stomach, even though I knew it had been through the dishwasher, I just couldn’t enjoy my meal. So after a few weeks of watching the merry go round of plates and food being served to me and my children and the dogs.. we haven’t eaten there for months.

To the current issue, the relative now runs her own cafe with homemade food.. she is excited about this and wants us to go there to try out all the dishes she has created. I will not go there to eat and she’s beginning to get a bit annoyed. So, AIBU and the dishwasher takes care of everything anyway.. or is it grim? And I suppose the next point is.. how do you reckon paying customers would feel about this?

Ewwww this is gross 🤮. I think paying customers would run and she’d not get a hygiene certificate.

Doesn’t bother me at all people sterilise baby bottles in the dishwasher so I’m sure it’s cleaned the plates.

What does the dog think about having to eat off plates you and those well known ultimate disease spreaders, children have used?

That's disgusting.
No, a dishwasher absolutely does not sterilise everything or kill all bacteria, particularly those found in faeces which is what dogs will have in their saliva from licking their arses.

Yes I thought the brief now is they are part of a family not a pack where the human needs to be too dog

All dogs lick their arses

I can totally understand people who don't have dogs being grossed out by this. What doesn't make sense is saying that you let your dog lick your plates but wouldn't want to eat off a plate that had had food made just for a dog on it. Or that your dog is fine but other dogs aren't.

It's just illogical.

Personally I don't like eating in a home that doesn't have a dishwasher. Nothing is ever properly clean, whether or not they have pets. And that's a logical objection.

I doubt the dog cares one way or another.. do you?

*All dogs lick their arses

I can totally understand people who don't have dogs being grossed out by this. What doesn't make sense is saying that you let your dog lick your plates but wouldn't want to eat off a plate that had had food made just for a dog on it. Or that your dog is fine but other dogs aren't.

It's just illogical.

Personally I don't like eating in a home that doesn't have a dishwasher. Nothing is ever properly clean, whether or not they have pets. And that's a logical objection.*

He can't reach his arse because of his physiology. He's never once got to it, can't bend enough.

I wouldn't have an issue eating off a plate he has eaten off if it had been washed in the dishwasher.

Like I say, I liken it to sharing cutlery with my child. Don't have an issue doing that, wouldn't do it with somebody else's child though. So wouldn't want to eat off a plate somebody else's dog has eaten off. Especially when there's a chance their dog is much more gross than mine

A dishwasher rinse cycle water is 80+ degrees. Plenty hot enough to kill everything.

Fair enough @georgianwindow. With the mention of your MIL's grotty dog, you made it sound like your dog was far too naice to lick its bum

I have never understood the squeamishness around dogs eating off plates, bowls, which are then washed. What do you think you are going to catch?

Oh Christ my dog always pre washes the dishes before the dishwasher goes on, unless there is anything bad for him on there. So far we are still alive! But I can understand why you are concerned if she has a food business, her standards should be higher, I’d be polite but honest about it with her.

No dog here but do wash my cat's bowls alongside ours, and occasionally she'll get to finish something off my plate once I'm done (e.g. if I've had fish or chicken). This doesn't grim me out because she's my darling cat but someone else's dog definitely would. A bit like your own snotty child is just a bit mucky but someone else's is disgusting!

That said, I assume dishwashers are hot enough to clean anything so I'd be much more ok with that than hand washing, and besides, people kiss their pets, don't wash hands immediately after petting them...

Well my dog eats dog food, but I do put all the plates in the dishwasher and he does eat off the same plates as us. I don't have specific dog plates. He's only tiny and doesn't go eating shit or anything like that when we're out etc.

It's revolting.
Does she wash her hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after touching dogs? I very much doubt it.
Dogs eating off human plates is disgusting. Dishwashers don't sterilise plates and there's always a possibility of something being left behind, let alone her handling slimy dog drool plates in a kitchen.

@mamabear715 this is rubbish! Pack theory and dominance theory was disapproved decades ago!
Absolutely nothing wrong with feeding the dogs before people!

Well, despite having had dogs all my life, you all know best about when to feed them. Over & out.

If a plate can hold raw meat then go in the dishwasher and be considered clean after a 60 degree wash then how can a dog licking a plate be considered any more dirty or germ ridden. I really doubt couldn’t get upset about this. I wash all sorts of containers, crockery and cutlery in my dishwasher and would consider it far cleaner than anything washed by hand.

Ummm surely the cafe use the cafe dishwasher which I hope is dog free

You do realize that if you eat out at restaurants, that the dishes you are served on were also used by other people? Does the thought of eating food from plates that have had stranger's germs and spit on then turn your stomach too? Or is it just the dogs?
Maybe if you brought your own plates, or only ate where the food was served on paper plates?

The plates may be sanitised in the dishwasher, but I've worked in places with industrial dishwashing machines and sometimes even they didn't do a pristine perfect job.

Either way, it just feels extra disgusting. It makes me feel her hygiene standards are woeful. Report to the hygiene inspection people.

I would not choose to eat at her café. I'm very picky where I eat, and will not choose anywhere where I think they cook food in someone's home. I understand restaurant kitchens aren't perfect either, but I feel they do adhere to better standards, and certainly aren't supposed to have dogs in the kitchen.

I don't ever go to people's homes if they have dogs. Too dirty.

Agreed!!!

She's a terrible dog owner, but the dishwasher removes germs.

I wouldn’t want to share plates with a dog. Our cats have their own plates which are solely for them however the plates are rinsed and then put in the dishwasher with everything else and that doesn’t bother me one bit.

I doubt you’d be allowed to serve paying customers off the same plates you feed the dog from?

The dog issue aside, she shouldn't be cooking at home to then sell in her cafe, I doubt her kitchen meets required food safety/hygiene standards.

I don’t see how that kitchen and her practices can pass hygiene standards to run a business!