To think that dogs shouldn't be in toilets?

[LittlePearDrop]

I'm currently camping.

There's signs on the toilet / shower block door clearly indicating "No Dogs". Not small signs. Very obvious.

Went for a shower first thing this morning and a woman brought a dog into the toilet next to me. It poked its head under the gap and had a sniff. I just ignored it.

Took my daughter an hour later and whilst I'm waiting for her, another woman brings another dog in. This time, thinking maybe she has missed the sign, I said, very politely and calmly "Oh it's no dogs in here".

She immediately became defensive, saying there's no one else to look after him (there's a fence outside she could have tied him to) and that he would "cry" if left outside. Errm, so what? Dogs whine. It's not the end of the world.

AIBU to think that if the signs say "no dogs" then it means "no dogs" and not, "Well ok your dog can come in because it might whine if left alone for a minute"?

Why do you think the rules don't apply to you?

Didn't take long for the dog-obsessed to start drawing ridiculous comparison with children and people on planes. Humans and animals are not the same, you would have thought that was obvious but clearly not.

What it boils down to is that you have no right to inflict your animal on anyone else. Keep it to yourself. Keep it out of shared, public spaces like bathrooms. It is your JOB and responsibility as an owner to make sure that your animal has no impact on anyone else.

I don't think they are all inadequate. Some are just plain lazy, could put in the work with the human relationships but don't want to.

I have trained my dog to be on his own for more than a few minutes. I cannot train or control what other humans might do to him if he is tied up alone outside a toilet. (Thinking more of a long walk, nowhere to hide for a wild wee scenario. Or long car journey, service station loo break, too hot to stay in car. He goes to my ex when I take DD camping)

I have also trained him to be very well behaved in any public setting.

The thing is it’s also a campsite loo. I thought people camped because they were all about connecting with nature. You’re sleeping in a tent; how much more basic is having a dog snout under your cubicle door. I’d be more worried about the ticks creeping under your knicker elastic as you lie under canvas.
I might be a little more sympathetic if this about minge-spotting dogs in the loos at Claridges. That might detract from the outing …

Personally, I'd take the bear.

Gosh, my dog was a great comfort to me during my marriage break up and the loss of my dad. He cheered my mum up when nothing else made her smile after losing her husband of 56 years. He sat by my son when he had mental health issues. If that makes me lazy and inadequate then I’d rather be that than nasty and judgmental like some on this thread.

Why don't the dogs just bite the would-be abductors?

Dunno. The last dog I asked wouldn’t comment.

If that was a serious question, I’m not really sure what your point is. Dogs can and do bite if stressed and people can and do abduct dogs.

Lock them in car, or leave them with whoever you are camping with. It’s not fair to inflict a dog on other people who maybe frightened, or have allergies.
I have dogs, why can other dog owners not grasp this ?

My dog would let you remove everyone of his teeth before he bit you

Likewise mine. She’d happily trot off with anyone who stroked her, and if she felt threatened she’d roll over and show them her belly. She could be abducted in seconds.

I had to sneak my dog into the loo at the services last summer - it was 36c+ outside, no shade for the car and we were on the way for 7hrs drive to my DB's to care for my DN during a family emergency.

I couldn't leave the dog in the car, the heat would kill her. Tying her up outside a services is liable to get her stolen plus it's still boiling. I couldn't hang on to my pee for the entire journey and I doubt anyone would have been happy if I'd peed behind a road sign....

I completely understand an aversion to large aggressive dogs - or even small aggressive ones. I don’t think some should be allowed to be bred/owned, let alone taken in public. But the dogs that get people wound up seem to be the perfectly nice family dogs, and even more particularly the prissy pampered pooch. It’s as if the haters secretly envy the salon visits and being carried about in a basket with everyone saying “ who’s a pretty girl.” 🤔

If a doggo poked his head under my cubicle door unexpectedly I'd be like "Omg hiiiiiii"

Agreed. I went to a pizza restaurant in Wales that was sort of open air but not. We were sat at a table next yo a group of people with a dog. I like dogs but my 6 year old is terrified of them

You buy shit, you get shit. Stay in a proper hotel or villa if you don't like sharing a bog.

I've never had to do this (had a camper when younger, now married and my dog has passed). If I did I'd do as PP suggested and slip a teen a couple of quid to watch her with the promise of a couple more when I came out.

After my sister's dog was stolen after she popped very quickly into a shop there's no way I'd risk it. He was a staffie so we were so scared he'd been taken for foghy bait - thankfully it was a happy ending after several nerve-racking days. I had to use the same shop very occasionally and started paying the lovely homeless guy always sat outside in the same way as suggested - he adored her and she him.

I personally would have no issue with a dog in the toilet, but I can see why some people do and would try to respect that!

Yeah my dog would totally try to look at your minge..

Back to sensible-land though...

Tying dogs up outside places is a huge no-no.

Big risk of theft.

Big risk that someone claims the dog has frightened/bitten them, which you cannot really refute since you were not there, the dog was unattended.

Big risk someone lets their kids mither your dog and upset them - even the calmest of dogs can lose their ability to handle being without their owner for a few minutes if subjected to a child winding them up/boinking them on the head with something/kicking them/throwing things at them (not supposition, all things I have seen children doing to tied up dogs over the years).

Leaving the dog in a crate/car/tent - not always appropriate depending on the weather/dog/facilities available.

DP has on occasion, when travelling alone with a dog, had to take them into the loo at service stations. Too hot to leave in the car, not safe to leave tied up outside. I don't really see what other choice he has there.

Camping - mm, less clear cut, presumably if its too hot in a crate in the tent for the dog when you're not there, it's still too hot when you are there. So this is more likely the humans failure to prepare... ie they don't have a crate/didn't crate train their dog and so do not have somewhere safe to leave the dog.

Not ideal, but once in that situation not sure what people are meant to do. On balance I'd rather they broke a rule about dogs in the toilets, than risk a dog getting loose on a campsite whilst unattended in a tent, or being left to over-heat in a car.

And if someone approaches it/provokes it and it bites them? I wouldn't leave my dog unattended. I haven't had to take her into the toilet because I'm always with my husband on the campsite or I can leave her in the camper van but I've seen people do it once or twice. What harm can it do?

Good idea😂😂

Not ideal, but once in that situation not sure what people are meant to do. On balance I'd rather they broke a rule about dogs in the toilets, than risk a dog getting loose on a campsite whilst unattended in a tent, or being left to over-heat in a car.

Would you feel the same way if you were the parent dealing with a phobic child, though? Probably not.

Ultimately, dog owners can't just do whatever they like and sod the consequences. If they have a dog who can't be left, then they shouldn't be camping alone with said dog.

It makes sense though, if on holidays with your dog and need to go to the toilet where do you put your dog? Totally get it, and what they’re there for a minute or two? It doesn’t really impact people that much, does it?

Sorry … I can’t resist editing your post to say:

“if you don’t like sharing a bog with a dog.”

Look … no.

Sniff … yes.