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.

All dogs smell

Not hygienic in in door food places…

I don’t mind if they are outside

Not liking aspects of dog behaviour or their entitled owners doesn't mean someone is phobic. 😆

OP I am in full agreement that it is getting waaay out of hand!

I live in a well known, very nice market town in the North and I’m not sure quite what happened after the pandemic but there seems to have been an explosion in people needing to take their dogs with them no matter what they are doing!

Full disclosure, I’m allergic to dogs, I don’t dislike them, just don’t love them but I feel it’s becoming a bit of a joke

in the last week alone out and about this is what we’ve experienced:

Cafe Nero
quite a small one mind - many non dog owners can no longer bear to even walk in 🤢 it doesn’t smell of food and and coffee like you would expect, it smells of wet dirty dog, they are laid all over the entrance floor around and you cannot even get to counter in a straight line anymore
it rained that day, cue all the dog owners taking the dogs inside wtf
Cue dogs shaking water off their backs as they walk them up the stairs and result was a toddler behind them going flying down on the wet stairs - owner didn’t even glance at the poor child

the salon (beauty hair nails)
owners 3 pugs always tied to the reception desk most of the day as you walk through door (actually felt sorry for them laid under bright lights all day)
sat at nail station and lady next to me having her nails done has 2 labradors with leads wrapped round her arm whilst having nails done and they are laid beneath the chair I’m supposed to sit in
don’t get me started on the smell in there if my appt is in the afternoon
this is a beauty salon 🤢

Joules
A relatively small shop, they have two wooden stools in the doorway, older couple sat on them with 3 large golden doodles laid across the floor
theres about 14 rails in this shop total and we couldn’t look at around 25% of women’s clothing because they just sat there throughout
we were completely bemused as assumed they must have been waiting for someone shopping in there so decided to leave
stood outside and nope! They had seemingly just gone in for a rest with the dogs - nobody else with them

Cornish Bakery Cafe
Stopped going completely, used to be loveky and we loved it
dogs now seemingly sit on the sofas and chairs and share the table and any food with their owners 🤦‍♀️
the place absolutely reeks of smelly dirty dogs 🤢 it’s become a meeting place for feeding dogs it is vile

The Range
Browing Christmas stuff and a young couple come down aisle with 4 dogs two each, clearly excitable and jumping all over whom they clearly could not properly control
how can that be safe with glass everywhere and young aisles, why just why
i left and went to pay and they appeared in queue right behind us pawing at the snacks on shelves where you queue
owners thought it was hilarious and they were being cute 😵‍💫

travel agents
stood with DH looking at holidays, next thing I know I hear a bark and there are two dog leads wrapped around my legs
owner couldn’t have cared less - assumed we’d be overjoyed to have his wet smelly dogs jump all over us 🤢

In the shopping areas small dogs wrapped in blankets and clothing being pushed in prams around town like babies - it’s quite hilarious and getting worse 😂

H&M
Lady around mid 40s, 2 dogs on leads around her wrist and had 2 kids, 1 on small bike and 1 on a scooter who were racing up the aisles
why would anyone think it’s a good idea to shop for clothing in a small store this way

Browns
make up and fragrance counters, owner allows dogs because apparently he has one too 😵‍💫
Dog poos at front of make up counter, lady apologizes and then laughs because it’s apparently funny
poor lady on counter on hands and knees cleaning up dog shit (you know next to the open testers and products for the face 🤢)

Artisan chocolate shop and cafe
went in to buy coffee and a snack
ordered our coffee at the counter and then decided to take out as the stench of dogs that hit us after a few mins was beyond vile 🤢
it’s a shame as the shop is empty most of the week and they are loosing so much money from non dog owners
who wants to pay £12 for coffee and food to sit and smell dogs!?!

It’s becoming a joke these days wherever we go
People really should be able to go and eat/drink somewhere decent without is smelling of unwashed dogs 🤢

Well done to M&S, Dunelm and Tesco though as they don’t allow them in store at all 🙌 That’s where most of our custom goes now because it’s becoming silly - saw someone trying to take their dog into Dunelm this morning and she came through entrance the young assistant advised her no dogs can enter the store
Cue look of absolute disbelief on her face and rudeness and swearing to the young girl who told her, it was completely unnecessary- Just cannot believe the entitlement of SOME dog owners 🤦‍♀️

we have no issue with dogs, it’s the bad owners but honestly when it comes to food consumption and other retail when cleanliness and safety should be high it is so so wrong
I completely understand it’s to not lose the custom of dog owners but at what point do they realise they are losing the non dog owner customers because if it because when out, I see how many others feel the way we do about it

People who have dogs and think their dear dogs and super clean homes don’t smell 😵‍💫
Oh they really really do whether they like to believe it or not 😂

Its obviously not popular to say these things but it’s what a lot think so I wholeheartedly agree with you OP

As does mine, except I do the coffee at home and she doesn't have a soft bed.

I'm not a dog hater, I just generally don't like the idea of dressing them up and treating them like a substitute baby, I think it's demeaning to them.

We have a dog but I do not think they should be allowed in shops except for guide dogs.

Im not bothered about dog smell, most people smell and people with loads of perfume on makes me feel sick. I can also smell cooked meat on people who eat it so I don’t feel that I can be against dogs because of smell when many humans to me are worse. We all experience smell differently so I m happy to deal with it.

However
As you say, people have allergies and many people are scared of dogs. My son used to be very anxious. Most people don’t even think to put masks on their dogs to alleviate the concerned.

So YANBU at all !

Some people are treating them as pseudo children.

It's all very gross, unhygienic and unfair to those with allergies.

For allergy reasons alone, "dog friendly" places should be forced by law to advertise the fact.

Nothing wrong with leaving pooches at home. We used to do it all the time during the 90s and 00s.

How would you know? The cafes near me don't have signs saying 'dogs welcome' or 'no dogs'. I've only found out they're dog friendly when I've noticed the big dog under the table next to me.

😂

I understand why people don’t like it and I’d generally only take a dog to somewhere where you can sit outside.
however I can’t stand the smell of perfume. Gives me a migraine so at least dog smell is natural. There are lots of smells people don’t like so I don’t see why we should be subjected to artificial chemical
smells but couldn’t possible smell a dog.
also not ALL dogs smell. Non shedding breeds tend to be much lower odor. I have a very sensitive nose and have spent a lot of time investigating which dog breeds smell and which don’t 😂

No shit. I was replying to the posts just previous where one poster mentioned a woman with an "extreme fear" of dogs, and someone else wondered how "people who are really afraid of dogs cope with them being in shops and cafes."

If people have a phobia, I urge them to seek help. Life doesn't have to be like that.

All dogs smell.
All odors are chemical based, because pretty much everything in the world is chemical based.

@PotholesAnonymous

Whereabouts are you going? Lake District is a very big place.

Or dog owners could stop taking their animals everywhere and expecting others to adapt to them. 🫣

I'm touring about so all suggestions welcome!

I'm not afraid of dogs - except pitbulls and XLs - but it should be expected that shops and cafes are safe spaces away from dogs that aren't guide dogs.

Outside, sure but not indoors. We don't need non assistance dogs inside.

Hey 👍 I agree with you on this thread…..😁

This might be a bit out there but saying “Hello, do you allow dogs in here?” before ordering might work?

Shouldn't that be the expectation though?

I think it's fair to assume still that most places wouldn't.

But, if what you say is true and there are dogs in every place you go, why do you keep assuming otherwise?

Most places don't allow dogs inside.

So not sure what some posters are getting their tits in a tangle about

@PotholesAnonymous

Place names would help. I'm not exaggerating when I say it is a very big place and I don't want to suggest places that will be miles out of your way.

I’m fine with dogs that are the size of a money spider or even those as large as my hand.

Agreed. MIL sometimes wants to bring her dogs to the cafe for lunch and they're so annoying and yappy and she spends most time seeing to them and trying to get them to quiet down. It irritates me , but I'm not a dog lover !🤣

This is a really original subject for a Mumsnet thread; one so rarely considered.