To dislike the increase in dogs in shops/cafes

[amymel2016]

I’ve recently noticed a huge increase in non-service dogs in cafes and shops. I was in Joules earlier today and there were 3 in there, two of which were barking and growling at each other. I was in a cafe last week with 2 in there. Surely it can’t be fun for the dog having to sit under a cramped table?

I’m very allergic to dogs and the smell absolutely sets me on edge. I don’t understand why they are allowed in? I’m not about to walk in with a cat or a rabbit so why dogs? It’s also the attitude of most (sweeping generalisation!) dog owners which annoys me, no, I don’t want to talk to your dog or about your dog. I don’t care if you say he’s friendly I don’t want it anywhere near me.

Goes without saying that service dogs are bloody amazing and they should absolutely be welcome everywhere.

I wish more shops would take dogs. If I take my dog out for the day on my own I would like to be able to go into a supermarket to pick up a sandwich for lunch. It isn’t an option to leave the dog tied up outside these days due to thieving bastards.

Can’t you just take a sandwich with you, or go to one of the hundreds of cafes that allow dogs?

Of course I can and I do because I have to. I would prefer to have the option to pop into the supermarket with my smelly, diseased hound though

Yuck.

Honestly, you're being insufferable.

I do not go to any business serving food if they permit dogs. It’s totally unhygienic. I wouldn’t knowingly patronise any dog-friendly business to be honest. I’m scared of dogs and resent the fact that dog owners assume everyone wants to fawn over their pets. It seems to have become the norm for trendy hairdressers to have the owner’s dog permanently in situ, which I also find bizarre. I’ve not returned to 2 hairdressers for that reason in the past year or so. It’s yet another example of selfish entitlement by certain groups of people.

Are you saying yuck because you disliked my sarcasm, at the people who use those terms or because you thought j was being serious?

I used to be one of those selfish and entitled owners when I was in my early/mid 20s. I used to take them everywhere and even sneak them into shopping centres.

I feel embarrassed about that now. I still love dogs and make a huge fuss of them if they approach me but I've realised that it's fine if other people don't feel that way and I've also realised how unhealthy it is for people to treat dogs like human babies.

We have two labrador dogs - big, hairy, usually muddy and they love everyone.
No way would I inflict them on the unsuspecting general public! 😆😆

I was in a café this morning.

Lots of dogs happily sleeping/sitting/laying under tables at owners' feet not bothering anyone.

Children running up and down the stairs shiriekng...loudly. For longer than a dog's bark.

I know which one I'd rather.

I'm not sorry.

I would take my dog everywhere if I could he is my companion and is never left alone.

How big is your dog?
Might be no bother for you, but just last week I took my children out for a meal and a group with a dog came and sat next to us. My daughter has been attacked by a dog in a park ("we also have children", "he's never behaved like this" and so on, said the dog owner...) in the past, so we had a very uncomfortable rest of the meal. The dog wasn't large but still heavier than her. She was scared of going to the bathroom and I had to hold my small son as well. We're not even allergic. There are literally no child friendly dog free spaces around us. We're happy with friends' dogs but definitely not with random ones.

YANBU. I was in a dog-friendly cafe couple of years back and a tall greyhound-type was being walked past my low coffee table when out popped a long tongue and it snaffled my toastie of the plate. Instead of being totally mortified, the owner said 'Whoops, do you want to order another one and I'll pay for it?'. Nope, I want you to make a serious abject apology in front of everyone, pay for the one I didn't get to eat and then leave, cowering with embarrassment. No more dog cafes for me!

There’s pretty much nowhere in my town that you can’t take dogs now. Dogs in Fenwicks, dogs in the library, dogs in every pub and coffee shop. There’s a great play cafe near me that has loads of toys for children to play with and a really good kids menu, but it’s near a big playing field so you get loads of people taking their dogs in there after walks. Somebody actually had one in a high chair last time we went.

They aren’t allowed in the grounds of DS’s school so instead you have to walk past a load of them right outside the gate, barking and snapping at each other. They’re bloody everywhere.

Not all dogs smell. You've made another sweeping generalisation
Children are also noisy, screaming at nothing or each other, play under tables and runaround hysterically.
Dogs are more likely to be better behaved

I don't mind the odd pub dog but I will not go in a cafe or restaurant if they let in dogs. I just don't like dogs very much

All dogs smell.
You made a sweeping generalisation about children, who are also humans.
Dogs are not 'more likely' to be well behaved, and are animals.
There is no comparision.

That went straight over your head didn't it?
Yes, I made a 'sweeping generalisation' about children to demonstrate how pathetic the sweeping generalisations mae by other posters are (e.g. all dogs smell, all dog owners sayvtheir dog is friendly, etc)
So no, not all dogs smell, not all mothers think their children are the centre of the universe

I do get the impression some people delight in fixating on their hatred eg. of dogs or cats because spouting racist abuse or targeting disabled people is no longer socially acceptable.

They just seem to take such vicious pleasure in the actual hating.

Not wanting dogs everywhere is a perfectly acceptable view.

But there aren’t “plenty of places”. Dogs are allowed everywhere now, almost without exception. That’s the whole point of this thread.

I think some would be upset if they no longer saw dog about as they’ve made hating them their whole personality, here at least.

Can you all start petitions and campaigns in your local areas? Go to the businesses in question (so, alllll pubs, supermarkets, restaurants, shops and cafes local to your house) and talk to the manager, get discussions going on your local fb pages, write to the council. Could use the time you spend on here typing “you smell” to actually try and achieve what you want.

The tide is turning. A couple of cafes/restaurants by me have now banned dogs. One because they had them doing their business and other customers had walked out.

I'm a dog owner. I choose dog free places.

I notice that Costa Coffee now allow dogs.
I was in one yesterday and although I do love dogs and generally wouldn’t mind being near one at all, there was a big stocky bulldog type dog (not sure of breed, looked like an XL bully to be honest) in there and it was jumping up on the fabric sofas slobbering. Getting giddy whenever anyone walked past and jumping up.

I did think that was a bit much. Sometimes when they’re
just sat calmly under the table I don’t even notice but that made me think it’s not a great idea.

I’m not sure they should be allowed inside all (especially smaller and cramped) cafes but they seem to be allowed anywhere now. Even seen them walking round the shopping mall. I do wonder where they do their business when walking round an indoor mall??

It’s ridiculous the sheer number of dogs permitted in shops and restaurants.

People are anthropomorphising animals - evidently many people are soft in the head.

The ‘happiest’ dogs I see are gun dogs, out in the field - doing what they are bred to do.