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?

I’m ok with them if they behave. On coastal paths owners can be very stupid. What would they do if their exhuberant teenager or puppy raced off down a steep slope? There are so many places where they should be on leads. Our DS is quite nervous around dogs and when they are way ahead of their owners on a path it’s disconcerting.

Go where? Every restaurant and shop in Cornwall is now being put under pressure to let dogs in.

Children and dogs are not comparable, and never will be (no matter how many times people try to compare them). Also it's getting harder and harder to 'go somewhere else' because so many places accept dogs now (partly due to pressure from dog owners in some cases).

Cornwall is particularly bad but yes dogs are becoming a bit of a menace throughout the UK. There was even an advert earlier from RSPCA saying how they were struggling because people bought pups in lockdown and now can't cope.

That was a different part of my post.

Be a dear, admit you're wrong and I'l let you pet my lovely fluffy snot free dogs. Virtually, of course.

I'm going to Cornwall next week and taking the dog. He loved it last year. But my dog doesn't jump at people or bark. He most definitely doesn't yap. Cornwall seems very dog friendly. I wouldn't though expect to walk my dog around St Ives or on its beaches in high season.

I like dogs, I dislike this explosion of dogs and their entitled owners (including my parents). They're so affronted when a restaurant/cafe says no dogs allowed.

Boring! Dogs are way more interesting than most people.

You are exemplifying the issue with some dog owners.

Plenty of places no dogs allowed, go in those.

@SusanandMidge "Go where? Every restaurant and shop in Cornwall is now being put under pressure to let dogs in."

Well somewhere other than Cornwall then! It's a very well known place for people to take dogs because it's dog friendly!

Except they're not

Each to their own, but I wholeheartedly disagree.

I have a DC wii hi I is nervous around dogs. On the coastal path, in a wooded area, a huge dog appeared way ahead of owners. DC yelped a bit (really not that loud) and they told us off. The dog wasn’t totally out of control but neither was it a dog to be left unattended. Honestly, why can’t people understand that not all of us want muddy paw marks on our trs and some are afraid of that kinda stuff too.

I agree. The self entitlement of some dog owners is unbelievable.

Agree, it's awful. My children stepped in 3 separate piles of dog poo when we were on holiday in Cornwall over the summer. That doesn't account for all of the piles we managed to dodge. It's just hideous and unfortunately no better in our home town.

It's a bug bear of ours and I don't know what the answer is!

Animal lovers don't own pets.

You are exemplifying the issue with some dog haters. But I'll forgive you, because I'm the better person here.

That depends where you live. I’m not in Cornwall but I literally don’t know of anywhere I could go locally that doesn’t let dogs in now.

Except you're not.

I don't live in Cornwall, but we do live in a touristy area. I honestly think that there are very few places now which don't allow dogs, whereas a few years ago there were only a few that did. It really is harder to find places that don't allow dogs in some areas. Of course high end hotels are less likely to allow them, but I am referring more to cafe/cheaper hotel places where you might grab a light lunch and not a posh meal out!

I agree with op & we have had a dog. We lost her at Xmas 2022. I like to think we were considerate to non dog owners. We've just come back from a week away on the south coast. Had beautiful weather & was hoping to relax as it would be quieter with the schools being back. Not a chance!
Forced onto the road in traffic due to owners & their dogs hogging the pavements
Sitting down in a place to eat & you get a wet nose sniffing around your legs
And the worst thing is the constant, constant barking & yapping. It kills any hope of relaxing in the sunshine.
To hell with the cost & the impact of flying on the environment, I'm seriously thinking of going abroad next year as holidaying in the UK is losing it's appeal.

@Nevermind202020 how are they not comparable? Some people hate children being allowed into places that were previously considered adult environments, some people hate dogs going places.

I've had more meals ruined in nice restaurants/pubs/cafes due to unruly children than dogs!

Wethers🤣