Dogs in Greggs

[Globules]

I'm in Greggs getting my free O2 coffee. There's a dog next to the counter.

Surely dogs in open food places shouldn't be allowed?

YABU - of course all dogs can go in these places
YANBU - dogs have no place there

(Awaits the Greggs comments...🤣)

It's a difficult one for shops etc then if they let dogs in if some are well behaved like yours, but you must accept they aren't all like that. How does the shop distinguish? Okay if a dog arrives barking or seemingly distressed maybe one of the staff (who probably are busy enough working) can ask the owner to leave. I guess otherwise a lot of trust has to be placed on the owner.

A couple of months ago I was in Wales and stopped on the coast and happened to go into a pub that by chance was dog friendly, I don't have a dog right now. It was lovely to see walkers with their dogs both inside and out, all calm. Then an unruly dog arrived, wet from the sea and ran riot, bumping into tables and people jumping on funtiture etc. It literally was 30 seconds of mayhem, and people just left, including myself.

All it takes is one 'rogue' animal. I'm sure it won't be long before someone gets hurt. Why take the chance?

If I walk through a park I expect to see dogs and am aware if they come bounding up to me and make allowances. If I sit down for a coffee and sandwich I dont expect to see them and don't on the whole want them near me.

What about people with allergies in these situations, are they obliged to leave as someone has to bring their animal out with them?

The reason that dogs are allowed in more and more places is that people in hospitality, catering and retail would be absolutely stupid to bar the significant subset of the population with dogs during this financial crisis, especially in tourist areas, given that taking a dog on holiday with you is one of the major reasons people choose to stay in the UK.

In my opinion, badly behaved dogs should be asked to leave along side badly behaved children.

Why not? No-one is articulating why. The dogs are not in the food prep area, they are not sitting on tables (hopefully!). Do you go to friends houses with dogs and eat and drink there? What exactly do you think you are going to catch?

A couple of months ago I was in Wales and stopped on the coast and happened to go into a pub that by chance was dog friendly, I don't have a dog right now. It was lovely to see walkers with their dogs both inside and out, all calm. Then an unruly dog arrived, wet from the sea and ran riot, bumping into tables and people jumping on funtiture etc. It literally was 30 seconds of mayhem, and people just left, including myself.

Just 30 seconds? Would you have been as annoyed by a child running amok for 30 seconds?

Neither do the majority of dogs. I've yet to go in a cafe/shop and be pestered by a dog. Children on the other hand.......

It's a difficult one for shops etc then if they let dogs in if some are well behaved like yours, but you must accept they aren't all like that. How does the shop distinguish?
I totally agree with you. I have as much of an issue with bad behaved dogs as those who don't like dogs in general.

My issue is with people who don't like dog who are so negative towards all dogs and their owners and put everyone in the same category.

Those who imply that dog owners who take their dog places are selfish and ignorant because THEY know that every dog would prefer to be home.

My experience is that bad behaved dogs are a real minority and places should have no qualms asking owners to take their dog out just as people with very disturbing children should be told too.

I do feel for people who are allergic or very scared of dogs. My friends daughter has multiple allergies. One is pet hair. If she comes into contact with fabric that has been in contact with pet hair and washed, still still swells up.

I guess that's fairly rare. As long as they aren't barking I don't mind too much. Cafes that promote bring dog friendly with dog food on the menu I go to if a friend suggests, but they are places I'd avoid due to the barking

We went to a cafe near us what is lovely, we go a lot.

Last weekend a lady had an enormous pit breed by a table by the door. No lead. Everyone had to walk past it to get in or out, including waitresses with food. It was bigger than my 7 year old. It was sniffing at everyone and could have knocked the table over if it stood up quickly.

The cafe across the road is just as nice so we went there instead… I’d probably skip a greggs if I was too intimidated to go in.

I find that owners of dogs and owners of kids share many things in common. Both kids and animals are noisy and do unhygienic things. A lot of owners of either lack the ability to prevent them from being a nuisance, a lot overestimate how much other people find them endearing, and a lot tend to respond to complaints with “I don’t care, I’ll do what I like”.

Dogs are at least cute sometimes.

(Yes, I know that dogs aren’t humans etc etc etc etc. Don’t bother @‘ng me.)

I would not be surprised to see them at the gp or A&E now.

I used to work for an osteopath - left there over 12 years ago so this is not a recent thing.

We had a regular patient who turned up one day with their enormous dog in tow, no idea what breed but it was big.

The patient walked into the waiting room with the dog and then when called in for the consultation took the dog in as well. The consulting rooms weren't very big so I imagine it must have been a bit squashed with 2 people and a large dog in the room.

Thereafter the patient turned up with the dog for every consultation.

Hardly an appropriate place to take a dog and the osteopath wasn't happy but was too afraid of offending a paying customer to say anything.

I have seen dogs with their paws on the counter where sandwiches are being prepped.

There is a crap owner on here who lets her ‘small and cute’ dog sit on train tables which are designed for eating off. Because he likes the view 🙄🙄🙄

Dogs shit outside and then are allowed to sit on cafe furniture.

Whilst you may not ‘catch’ anything, it’s gross and puts many people off their food.

I am lucky though and whilst I have quite a lot of friends, only one has a dog!

If you know dogs are not humans, why bother with the tired cliche of comparing parenting and dog ownership?

No other defence?

That doesn’t give an owner a right to foist their fur baby onto other people’s space though

It does give them a right to enter those spaces where the business owner has agreed dogs are welcome though. The space actually belongs to the business owner, not anyone else. No one needs to enter that space if there's something about it they don't like, screaming kids, smelly adults, dogs, loud music and so on.

People have articulated why. The dogs want attention from them. Not all dogs, but some - and you don't know which ones.

A small dog that sits under its owner's chair and doesn't bark or bother anyone is fine.

A dog that runs around jumping up at people (or getting in the way of the waiting staff), as I said upthread, tries to lick your face or begs for food is a nuisance and shouldn't be there. Or if they bark or whine.

So yes, dogs can enter such spaces if they are leave people alone, or their owners keep them away from them. And if the staff remember to maintain hygiene rules.

Oh and if a friend has a dog I don't go to their house.

My experience is that bad behaved dogs are a real minority and places should have no qualms asking owners to take their dog out just as people with very disturbing children should be told too

But what constitutes badly behaved? The example upthread of a big dog sitting near the door and sniffing everyone who goes past isn't badly behaved. But I would hate it, and I expect a lot of people would - like the pp if a dog was in the way of getting in easily I'd go somewhere else. The issue being there often isn't a dog-free somewhere else.

Dogs enrich our lives in so many ways and even though you snark at the idea of "support animals" they can provide a huge amount of comfort to owners for example with social anxiety. Yes, there are badly behaved dogs, but those have to be dealt with separately. Dogs also should be kept on a lead in public spaces. But apart from that, just leave the dog owners their joy. Why would it bother you if they're sitting calmly on the floor?

If we have to be accepting of dog’s accompanying everyone just so they can be brave enough to buy a pastry, why are dog owners not sympathetic to those with allergies or fears of dogs being able to just go about their business without a dog in the way.

get Uber eats and keep your dog with you.

People with allergies and phobias have to manage them themselves. They are not the responsibility of strangers.

Accepting random dogs in one’s own personal space is not the responsibility of strangers either, yet so many dog owners seem to think it is.

Do you apply that to peanuts in that instance. You have the right to eat them wherever you want. It’s not illegal. But you affect other people. So to do so makes you selfish, entitled and the cause of someone else’s harm.

selfish and entitled.

Other people's allergies are not my responsibility.

Decent dog owners do not let their dogs invade the personal space of other people. However, a cafe (or a Greggs) is not someone's personal space. If the business owner allows dogs, then dog owners are doing nothing wrong by being there.

Accepting random dogs in one’s own personal space is not the responsibility of strangers either, yet so many dog owners seem to think it is.

Shops and cafes aren't your own personal space.

No, but my body is and I don’t want dogs jumping up at me as happened today at the train station.

Luckily I’m not allergic. I just don’t like strange dogs.