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?

We’ve been asked before now by friends if they can stay over, with their dog, en route to their holiday destination. Luckily we were away ourselves but it would have been a hard no from me otherwise. I can’t imagine even asking, I would never in a million years have taken my dog to anyone else’s house.

I would always treat my dogs better than People as in a random stranger... I mean I mostly ignore them.

I don't ignore my dogs, I love treating them, give them cuddles and have fun with them!
The same applies to my family... DC, DH and myself often have fun with the dogs.
So everyone gets lots of fuss and attention!

Even my friends come to my house and give the dogs attention. I sometimes think some only come because of the dogs... I mean a trip to the park and free parking? It's attractive if it's £4.- a pop. (We have a yearly subscription that works out cheaper. )

But given random strangers as in people any type of attention & affetion? Nah - that would be wired!

Why shouldn’t I treat my dogs better than I would treat a random person or even a distant relative I don’t even like?

Having visited Devon and Cornwall a few times this year, I have noticed more dogs around out of the holiday season before or after term time. Not that we were particularly bothered. Lots of loud families on beaches too. Up until now we too have been tied to school holidays only so that's why I noticed. There certainly are many dog free cafes/restaurants in both counties and around here in Hampshire UK. I have never been to a pub that smelled of dogs. Dog friendly UK eateries usually have well behaved dogs in them IME

Totally agree, OP. And they stink.

As for “holiday cottages won’t let dogs be left in the house” - the solution, for those who simply refuse to leave their bloody dogs at home in kennels, is to have some dog-friendly hotels that have facilities where dogs can be left for a few hours under the hotel’s supervision. In Japan, we have some hotels that are like that. They have a doggy daycare/kennelling facility onsite. Given the housing crisis in Cornwall, we should all be moving away from the “Holiday cottage” style of tourism anyway.

Out on the pavements I have no issue with. It's inside shops and cafes that annoy me, these are spaces to be enjoyed by humans. Just seems more people are incapable of leaving their animals at home or outside a shop anymore. I wouldn't frequent a dog friendly cafe or anywhere that sells food.

Well people want to take their dogs on holiday.

Cornwall's main industry is tourism so doubt they would be pleased if people didn't take up self catering holidays

Don't go on holiday to probably the most famously dog friendly tourist destination in the UK... or go out of season perhaps.

Places that depend on the tourist trade will do whatever they need to do to make their money in season, its irritating as it may be, they have to survive!

My post literally said "Hotels." If Cornwall got similar numbers of tourists but more of them stayed in hotels, they'd still get plenty of tourist money, with fewer distorting effects on local property markets.

And tourism is not Cornwall's main industry. Agriculture is a bigger contributer.

I’m a dog lover but the dog population has exploded in the last few years and now I’d avoid somewhere ‘dog friendly’ because some owners don’t supervise their dogs properly!
I have days when I can be a bit unsteady on my feet, some days I look like I’m ambling along when actually I’m walking as fast as I can. Due to this I have been jumped on by numerous uncontrolled, off-lead dogs mostly accompanied by their owner yelling from across the park “he’s friendly, he just likes to say hello to everyone”. Really? Most dogs don’t need to knock me over to do that but apparently yours is allowed because he’s curly and cute. So no, I don’t want to sit in a coffee shop or a restaurant with the curly crew while we discover what else their dog hasn’t been taught (along with reliable recall)!

Yes, they are everywhere! I like dogs, but they really don’t belong in shops and restaurants. When we had a dog someone waited outside shops and when we ate it was fish and chips or we sat outside in the pub garden. We certainly didn’t demand to take them inside. There were dogs in John Lewis the other day. It’s completely over the top.

“he’s friendly, he just likes to say hello to everyone”

Ah the slogan of the entitled dog owner.

My response to that is always “well I am not so get your mutt away from me”. It tends to work and I really don’t care if they think I am rude as the feeling is mutual

And tourism is not Cornwall's main industry. Agriculture is a bigger contributer.

Dear me.

Sweet Jesus Christ.

Not even made it off of the first page before someone compared them to kids 🙄🥱

I’ve always wanted to stay in the Bodmin Jail Hotel. But if there’s dogs in the breakfast room, I’ll give it a miss.

I’ve always wanted to stay in the Bodmin Jail Hotel. But if there’s dogs in the breakfast room, I’ll give it a miss.

Good idea to do the research if you're dog avoidant.

I live in Cornwall, and certainly not every beach is dog friendly, neither is every hotel, restaurant, cafe or pub. In fact, between April and October (or July and Aug in some places), the majority of Cornwall beaches have dog bans or restrictions, allowing people who don’t like dogs to go to the beach without them there. If you don’t like dogs on the beach, there’s plenty of guides on the internet telling you which Cornish beaches are dog free in the summer months - and, they tend to be the more popular and easily accessible beaches. I’m a dog lover, and I have a dog, so I know fully well the restrictions on them within Cornwall. Also, there is a vast difference in the overall behaviour of dogs around the holiday times.

The thing that bugs me about these posts is that it’s actually the owners that are to blame. It is very very easy to stop your dog approaching others, barking, begging at the table etc, but people don’t want to take the time and effort it requires to train their dog. My personal view is that dogs can go to restaurants etc, but they sit outside in their own dog friendly section and don’t go into the main inside bit. Therefore, those that don’t like dogs have an area free of them, and those that do like dogs have the option to bring them with them on days out. I have gone to a few of the Hub Boxes many times after a long walk with my dog, and sit outside even though they’re allowed inside as I appreciate not everyone likes dogs near food, and not everyone knows that my dog won’t approach anyone or beg for food.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is, stop tarring all dogs/dog owners with the same brush. It’s a bit like me saying all moms drive badly on the school rush, or all women can’t park. It’s just a generalised statement which isn’t helpful.

@sunglassesonthetableIm not “dog avoidant” (is that an attempt to make me sound an arsehole?) I don’t even dislike dogs. I just don’t think they should be everywhere. And I definitely don’t think they should be in the breakfast room of a reasonably upmarket hotel. Even if it states it’s dog friendly.

I wonder if hotels that advertise as “dog friendly” realise that it puts off as many people as it attracts?

They 👏 Are 👏Not 👏 Comparable 👏 to 👏 children 👏

How many more times must dog owners make this comparison?

Last I checked, my kids don't jump up at random strangers, piss along the pavements every few steps when we walk somewhere, squat and take a crap on the pavement when we walk somewhere, they aren't capable of mauling a child (or dog, if you insist on making an equally ridiculous comparison), most people don't have a crippling fear of being attacked by them and I don't let them irritate others and then insult people when they don't love my little darlings as much as I do.

It's really not that hard to see that they are two completely bloody different things.
Your disgusting little fur babies (🤢) are in no way the same as my child.

Jeeeesus. I can feel my blood pressure rising.
Same bloody argument every dog thread.

I live in Cornwall, and certainly not every beach is dog friendly, neither is every hotel, restaurant, cafe or pub. In fact, between April and October (or July and Aug in some places), the majority of Cornwall beaches have dog bans or restrictions, allowing people who don’t like dogs to go to the beach without them there. If you don’t like dogs on the beach, there’s plenty of guides on the internet telling you which Cornish beaches are dog free in the summer months - and, they tend to be the more popular and easily accessible beaches.

This 👏🏼

There are so many sweeping generalisations in this thread.

Along with this⬇️

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

There are dogs free places everywhere. Beaches, hotels, restaurants, cafés and therefore options for those who don't want to be around dogs.

This thread makes it clear though that some people think ALL places should be dog free for some reason.

Yet they moan that it's dog owners who are entitled.....

*not “dog avoidant” (is that an attempt to make me sound an arsehole?) I don’t even dislike dogs. I just don’t think they should be everywhere. And I definitely don’t think they should be in the breakfast room of a reasonably upmarket hotel. Even if it states it’s dog friendly.

I wonder if hotels that advertise as “dog friendly” realise that it puts off as many people as it attracts?*

Not at all! That's very defensive.

Trying to find a word that sums up people who don't want to be around dogs in these circumstances, totally fair enough,and it's not fair to say dog haters at all. You come up with one.

@BitOutOfPractice