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?

@Bloom15 he's obsessed with me: so anywhere I go he wants to be with me.

Trust me he was made up he could visit the West Country.......the poor cat on the other hand......

I'm sure many have the sense to know when it is and isn't appropriate to bring their dog somewhere. But others just think 'oh dogs are allowed' and that's it
So let's say a pub/restaurant allows dogs. There are 20 tables. 5 are people with dogs. 10 are people without dogs but who like dogs themselves and don't mind or even enjoy these dogs there. Say that 5 people really don't like dogs and wish they were not there and let the dog owners and restaurant owner know.

Who is acting in appropriate? Should the comfort of 5 people take precedence over 15 others + the owner and the staff? Of course not. Yet dog haters seem to believe that the dog owners are the inconsiderate ones!

It would be as if someone who hates loudness decided to go to a restaurant in mid-December that caters for large parties and then expect those parties to remain very quiet because otherwise it's inconsiderate to the person who is noise sensitive!

@vivainsomnia this is very true!

We love Cornwall because it is so dog friendly.

@vivainsomnia but what if out of those 5 dogs in your scenario 4 were just laying under the table and 1 was being allowed to charge around getting in everyone’s way, yapping and stealing food, with no one challenging the owner for fear of getting a mouthful? How can one person’s choice be allowed to disturb the 19 others?

I agree OP. We had a weekend in a seaside town a few months ago and there were sodding dogs everywhere. I love dogs, I really do, and I used to have one but I don't see why they have to be in pubs and restaurants.

but what if out of those 5 dogs in your scenario 4 were just laying under the table and 1 was being allowed to charge around getting in everyone’s way, yapping and stealing food, with no one challenging the owner for fear of getting a mouthful? How can one person’s choice be allowed to disturb the 19 others?

No dogs should be doing the above. Totally unacceptable. There is a responsibility to your customers if you are welcoming dogs.

Exactly I think in that scenario it's up to the owner/ staff to ask the owner to put their dog on a lead and keep it under control. Same as if there was a child bombing around being ignored by their parent where food and hot drinks are being served - it's a health and safety issue if they trip someone, they could get hurt or cause someone else to be hurt. Many places caveat that by saying well behaved dogs welcome leaving that open to the owners discretion which I think is fair.

I'm surprised at the posters saying everywhere is dog friendly. Where I am there are a number of places that say they are dog friendly meaning that dogs are welcome at outdoor tables but dogs aren't allowed inside. Very few actually allow dogs indoors so it would still be easy to find somewhere that doesn't allow dogs at all. Or have an area where they won't be.

Indeed, in this scenario, the staff should intervene. I expect the other 4 dog owners would be annoyed too.

Daisybuttercup12345
YAWN.
So many of these posts. Can't you think of something original to post about?

Why? Dog hating is a tried and tested activity on MN. You can almost classify it as a hobby. Thinking about it... it is a hobby!!

@vivainsomnia actually it seems to be how much they hate children

Or let's say in a shop there's room for about 15 people. But three couples have brought their large dogs in who between them are taking up the room of six people. That means only 3 other customers can fit in because 3 couples didn't have the judgement to realise one of them should stay outside with the dog. Or let's say in a restaurant there are 15 people. 3 want to bring their dogs in, 2 other customers don't mind dogs, and the other 10 find eating around dogs uncomfortable or unhygienic. Should the wants of those 3 people supercede the comfort of everyone else?

Well no, it wouldn't.

Or let's say in a shop there's room for about 15 people. But three couples have brought their large dogs in who between them are taking up the room of six people. That means only 3 other customers can fit in because 3 couples didn't have the judgement to realise one of them should stay outside with the dog. Or let's say in a restaurant there are 15 people. 3 want to bring their dogs in, 2 other customers don't mind dogs, and the other 10 find eating around dogs uncomfortable or unhygienic. Should the wants of those 3 people supercede the comfort of everyone else?

Restaurant are not a democracy catering for the widest amount of people. They are set up and run by their owners who decide the criteria. If they have welcomed dogs, then those dogs are welcome. That is part of the criteria the owners have chosen.

You also choose to go to a resteraunt. You choose a restaurant that aligns with your criteria. You vote with your feet and your money.

If the resteraunt does not fulfil your wants or makes you feel uncomfortable. Don't go there. Vote with your feet.

If dogs are badly behaved in a restaurant, then like badly behaved humans, the restaurant has a responsibility ( and a choice )to its other paying customers to deal with the situation.

Restaurant = restaurant/cafe/pub

@sunglassesonthetablesunglassesonthetable

It's already been said on here but some restaurant etc owners don't want to let dogs in, but a polite refusal has resulted in negative reviews online.

So they're letting dogs in because they've been bullied into it by dog owners

*It's already been said on here but some restaurant etc owners don't want to let dogs in, but a polite refusal has resulted in negative reviews online.

So they're letting dogs in because they've been bullied into it by dog owners*

Yes I read that.

Not some restaurants, that is how one restaurant owner, just one, in a County full of eating places, described their situation. It's a report of an anecdote.

And to be honest that sounds very far fetched to me.

I'm from Cornwall and the Summer trade is everything. Owners do whatever makes their business successful. Everywhere is so crowded these days that a decent place is always busy, regardless.

Have you been?

So they're letting dogs in because they've been bullied into it by dog owners
Utterly ridiculous statement. If so many people were desperate for more restaurants catering for non dog places, then it would make business sense to refuse dogs and a negative post would actually be welcome by the majority who don't want dogs there anyway so would turn into positive advertising.

Dogs dislikers (I won't say haters), we do get it that you don't like the level of dogs around. It must indeed be frustrating to see them everywhere when you don't like them. It must feel that your needs are ignored.

However, it IS the reality of the current society trend. There is nothing that you or any other dog disliker can do about it. You need to accept it and plan your life, holiday etc....accordingly. For a start, do research on places that are known to be dog friendly and avoid them.

You keep going on about consideration, but consideration doesn't apply solely to the sheer number of dogs around. That's for you to learn to live with.

To expect individual dogs not to come to you and be in your personal space, yes, that is indeed the consideration that you can expect.

I’m in my 50s and can remember a time when only guide dogs were allowed indoors in any public area. What did dog owners do then?

I’m in my 50s and can remember a time when only guide dogs were allowed indoors in any public area. What did dog owners do then?

I never take my dog to indoor places and it's never been a problem. We're always at the beach if dogs are allowed.

I suppose dog owners now have different habits if they see " dogs welcome" or they seek out places where dogs are allowed. It's a different culture. Just as dogs used to roam free in in the day.

Where I live there is a chain of cafes with a Dog on its logo precisely for people to take dogs. Not everyone in there has dogs though.

My dog wouldn't be able to relax in that situation, so I don't take him.

Train their dogs properly, like some owners do now?

I think well trained dogs go to indoor places ,where they are welcome, as well as the badly trained ones.

I agree.
My point was really in relation to some people who claim their pet gets anxiety when it's actually either the owner who has anxiety leaving them for a short time or that the owner hasn't trained the pet properly/sought advice to deal with anxiety. Of course there might be a few pets who are anxious, no matter how much work an owner does, but then taking them into a cafe/shop full of potential other people/dogs/noises/smells might not be the best idea either.

It would make my dog anxious to be in that situation I agree.

But going to dog welcoming cafes seems to be a whole culture shift and expectation, generally.

@vivainsomnia others may have different experiences, but my overall experience (locally and hearing people from other areas accounts) is that the question of whether to be 'dog friendly' has shifted in emphasis - what might have been 'should we allow dogs?' has morphed into 'why shouldn't we allow dogs?'. There is more and more of a cultural expectation that dogs should be allowed in cafes, and to a lesser extent imho, shops too. This is driven both by responsible and less responsible dog owners - the first category definitely present less of any issue (though will still be an issue to some. e.g. those with allergies) than the second. Also, there is the question of accepting that while a place might be dog friendly, if there are already 3 in there and space is limited, is it really a good time to add a 4th? Of course that's hard to 'police' but does prove that there should always be other considerations as well as it just saying 'dogs welcome'.

Of course that's hard to 'police' but does prove that there should always be other considerations as well as it just saying 'dogs welcome'.

And this is where the owners of any establishment need to step in. They set the criteria.

Equally people who do not want to be around dogs, need to drive their opinion in the same way. They have a voice too, as we see on here.