Dogs Everywhere

[SusanandMidge]

I don't live in the UK but am just back from a holiday in Cornwall. We were shocked at the amount of dogs allowed everywhere. They were in every restaurant, cafe, pub and hotel. Two or three people with dogs would all go into a small shop, blocking the aisles for everyone else. In Port Isaac on a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon the whole harbour and uphill area was disrupted by loud and continuous barking. Dogs were running around off leash on every beach. People were clogging the narrow pavements with two or three dogs on leads, wheeling dogs around in prams and buggies, stopping outside holiday cottages for ages chatting while their dogs barked, yapped and howled and ruined the peace for the people inside.

We were genuinely wondering if the next time we came back there would be dog and owner spaces in supermarket carparks and an expectation that you should stand up on public transport to let people with dogs sit down.

AIBU to think England has gone a bit mad when it comes to dogs?

Of course some people are bothered by dogs.

I contest the reality of constant howling, yapping, and barking - that's never been my experience in my entire life in even the busiest dog-heavy parks.

Nope. My friend and I did comment on whether the next step would be special spaces for dog owners in supermarkets. Prompted by the presence of dogs everywhere, including in restaurants, tiny shops and hotels; the many dog owners who thought it was okay to let their dogs take over the harbour and whine, bark and yowl for ages in front of on street holiday homes, jump up on people in shops etc.

But you carry on defending your position,

I absolutely love dogs and have a really old dog who I’ve had since a pup and is my best pal.
But it is starting to piss me off when I go into a normal shop like John Lewis and there’s someone with a poor little dog having to potter around after its owner. Leave your dog at home, it’s no fun whatsoever for a dog to walk around shops.

Excessive yapping/barking is commonplace where I live currently - much of it is caused by lazy owners leaving their dogs in the garden 'to play' for hours at a time and not exercising them properly (no walks or very short walks). That is kind of a separate issue from the whole 'dogs everywhere thing', but also a symptom of poor dog ownership skills. Just because you haven't ever experienced the reality of annoying barking does not mean it doesn't exist. Again, as said before, the odd barking is fine, but this is more than 'the odd bark'!

Your wasting your time. Flickersy is determined that if she hasn't experienced something, then nobody has. Possibly because she has a noisy dog and is totally oblivious to the nuisance he is to other people.

There are still some cafes who don't let dogs in. My favourite cafe has always allowed dogs but in the covered outside bit. Cafes that go out of their way to sell their dog friendly ways are hell holes, like soft play, unless your in that demographic I avoid. Dogs barking and lunging at each other. Owners saying to other owners "my dog is scared of dogs" while the other owner insists they are just being friendly. How do the owners enjoy it?

Dogs in shops I don't care about either way but I hardly go to the shops now. I guess that's the issue. No one goes to any real life places now. They have to cater to everyone and I guess in return cater to no one.

Of course annoying barking exists. When I was on holiday there was a dog on one of the boats kicking off a bit. It was annoying.

What it was not was a) constant, b) everywhere, or c) commonplace, or otherwise inescapable as the OP seems keen to emphasise.

This

I do think many are also frustrated by it - but on MN most seem to adore all dogs so you won’t get too much support!

I don't own any animals.

You carry on with your tall tales. The rest of British society (dogs or no dogs) will carry on rubbing along quite happily as it currently does.

Sure you don't. Any you carry on dismissing any experience that doesn't fit with your preferred narrative.

Good night.

Caffe Nero, my local town, a couple of Saturdays ago.

Couple of small fluffy dogs, don’t know the breeds, sitting on chairs by the window yapping and howling at everyone walking past. It’s on the main shopping street so it was pretty much constant.

That’s not fair on everyone else who wanted to use the cafe. They would have lost quite a bit of business from the number of people coming in and walking straight out again.

Are you unable to comprehend that others may have different experiences to you?

So true, that’s something else I witnessed whilst on a recent holiday in Cornwall! Dogs barking and lunging at each other and growling etc! It does make me wonder how the owners enjoy it, especially if their dog is prone to lunging at other dogs!
But us non owners are supposed to be ok with all the noise and dogs almost fighting on the streets on top of having to dodge the 100s of dogs and dog shit covered pavements while we are trying to enjoy our holiday!

Did anyone say anything to the owners? Or to the cafe staff? I think people are afraid of challenging rude dog owners, presumably because they tend to react very defensively about their babies.

When they claim to have those experiences in the same places in a very similar timeline and then claim that those same experiences are commonplace throughout the UK and a widespread problem, then yes I will question it as surely if it's that bad we'd all have had the same experience, no?

Otherwise it's not that much of a problem. One person having a bad day does not a societal issue make.

Animal lovers don't own pets

Even when there are thousands up for adoption? 🤨

Horses in fields? Dogs that are doted on? Cats that can roam freely?

Well ok

I would prefer staying at home with my dogs, than take them places where there are loads of people.

Are you deliberately ignoring other posts with similar experiences of entitled dog owners, albeit not all in the same location? One person not experiencing any issue also doesn't mean said issue isn't there.....

I don't live in the UK but am just back from a holiday in Cornwall. We were shocked at the amount of dogs allowed everywhere.

Dogs are in charge down here now, yep, they are bloody everywhere!!

Don't bite. I think PP is one of those militant vegan types. You wont win.

When we had dogs (one at a time) we made sure to spend time with the dog both and home and outside the home - playing indoors, in the garden, long walks (on an more extendable lead if in the woods etc but shorter lead in busier areas en route). They were trained not to toilet just anywhere. When we had to go out and do things like shopping and so on, sometimes another family member would be at home or otherwise they slept happily tired from earlier activity. I honestly think people trying to include dogs in everything does not make a happier dog at all, dogs who know their routine and don't go everywhere with you are just as happy (well ours were).

I know of two country house hotels where separate dining rooms are provided for dog owners and their dogs. One will also provide a free breakfast sausage on request for the dog.

Many Brits prefer dogs to children. Even my children prefer dogs.

No one said anything to the owners I don’t think - they didn’t look particularly approachable tbh.

Not sure about the cafe staff. Tends to be staffed mainly by young people (I think sixth form / college students with a weekend job) on a Saturday morning, so don’t know if they could / would feel comfortable challenging the owners either.

All declining civilizations stop having children. It'll be hilarious for future historians of the fall of western civilization to try to understand why this one replaced the children with dogs. I wonder if the Romans did something similar with pets at about this stage of the decline. They probably did.