To think dogs shouldn't be in pubs?

[Orangesinthebag]

Yesterday I went to the pub for an afternoon NY Eve drink and couldn't believe the number of people who brought their dog (sometimes two dogs!) with them.

Why is this such a thing now? Can't dogs be left alone any more?
A couple of the dogs were growling at each other and owners were having to drag them apart.
It happens all the time these days - pubs, cafes, restaurants, shops but only a few years ago it would have been so weird and only guide dogs were allowed into places, especially places serving food.

I love dogs but I know several people who are scared of them & find it difficult to have to encounter them everywhere these days.

Is it unreasonable to think dogs should be kept at home?

(Sorry could add a poll for some reason)

15 barking dogs in a pub and the owner didn’t say anything! Wow big pub,v tolerant owner! 🤔Not sure I believe you.

You're being ridiculous saying they should be banned. Pubs and dogs go together - you go for a dog walk then pop in for a pint.

However, I agree that people should be controlling their dogs in pubs, and there are far too many dog owners who tie the dog to the table leg and basically ignore it/let it misbehave while they drink and chat. People need to train their dogs to settle properly.

Ok don’t 🤷‍♀️

I agree. It just seems that everywhere needs to be dog (and sorry but also child) friendly these days. Went to a little cafe on Tuesday, four huge dogs blocking the route to the counter, barking, muddy paws. Grim.

I don’t mind dogs in pubs so much, I have an allergy to dog hair but provided the dog isn’t directly next to me, luckily I’m not too badly affected. I don’t really like dogs around food, so I am less keen on them in actual restaurants or cafes though when humans are there exclusively to eat whereas in pubs it’s a choice to eat or not.

But I agree there seems to be far more in pubs recently - we went to a suburban food serving pub last night and there were five, including my MILs.

I think since Covid and the dire warnings dogs shouldn’t be left home alone once restrictions lifted, people feel more inclined to bring them everywhere. I don’t see it’s of much benefit for the dog to be there while you tuck into your pub grub. On the contrary, it was really busy and noisy, and my MILs pooch was quivering with nerves. A country walk and pint situation I can totally buy into.

The dogs v kids scenario last night had the dogs winning paws down though, as four of them you wouldn’t have know they were there and one was sitting quietly with his owner by the bar and loving the pats and attention. A family with kids on the other hand had a high pitched screaming brat amongst the party, who ran about constantly and nearly took out a waitress carrying a tray with pots of tea on it. Admittedly my niece was also a child in the pub and behaved beautifully.

My MIL could be included in the entitled dog owner crew. We had an invitation to go to my parents then on to a restaurant. Neither wanted the dog there but she turned up with it anyway and seemed astonished no one budged to accommodate it. The restaurant was a small noisy one so the dog would have hated it, and I’m sure it didn’t especially like sitting in the car in December either. The next time we had a similar invitation she got a dog sitter and I was a bit incredulous it couldn’t have survived a couple of hours alone.

It does mean whenever we go out with her we have to go to exclusively dog friendly places though. So mainly the local pub tbh. Good job it’s a decent one.

A fully grown/mature dog has the intelligence of approx a 2 yr old child. Probably where people get the comparison from.

Dogs do tend to be on leads though, and made to lie under a chair or table.

Last time I was in a restaurant, some gross kid (guess 3? 4yo?) wandering about actually ran up and stuck their fingers in our food that was being delivered to our table from the waitress trolley. Waitress bless her could only say "oh no no sweetheart etc"
kid ran back over to his parents table who watched the whole thing and didn't bat an eyelid.

Meanwhile my dog was on her lead, laying down, half asleep watching the world go by from under my chair.

I don’t mind in pubs so much but I don’t like browsing shops and constantly tripping over people’s dogs - especially in small shops. So annoying and happened constantly in Brighton with me recently.

That’s revolting I would have demanded fresh food after that.
Some people behave disgustingly in pubs, I’ve had a drunk guy come up and help himself to the plate of nachos my friend and I were sharing and I have also seen a dog owner allow their dog to urinate on the floor.

People just need to stop being so disgusting and entitled. If you, your dog, your child can’t keep your fingers out of others food, can’t sit quietly without screeching or barking, cant be trusted not to urinate or defecate on the floor and can’t be trusted not to be aggressive to other pub goers then you shouldn’t be there.

Like I said, it’s the few grumpy dogs that spoil it for everyone xx Well behaved dogs and kids should be welcome everywhere, unruly kids and dogs should just stay at home. It an argument no one will win x

I agree x

My sister owns the village pub. Puppies are encouraged from the outset so she can cuddle them to bits, and they get used to the being there.

My own dog is a townie, but becomes quite the country gent when visiting and sits quietly after his walk under a chair.

It's not the dogs, it's the owners!

It's mostly the odour I can't stand. One of SIL's dogs has the worst breath I have ever come across. SIL is aware of it and the dog has been checked over, diet altered etc, to no avail. Obviously it's not the dog's fault, but it makes me feel nauseous. There is a general dog smell in the house too, which MIL tries to disguise and asks if it's noticeable all the time (they aren't her dogs, but SIL and dogs live with her.) So If I walk into a pub and I smell dogs, I'm straight out of there. If they are in coffee shops, I'm not exactly over the moon, but the smell of coffee blocks out any other odours, so I can ignore them (unless they're sitting on the furniture😬)

When I was a kid we weren't allowed in pubs. We would left in the car when my parents went to the pub. They'd bring us half a shandy and a bag of crisps. Dogs were allowed in the pub though

This. Seems lots of dogs have social anxiety now and cannot be left for a moment unattended.

I visited a pub for a meal and dogs with people on next table were really annoying.

Dogs in shops is now a thing. Walking through clothing hanging up and around shopping centre. It seems some owners are unable to function without them, with them at all times.

Dog owner here and would never take my dog into a shop. I was in a small charity shop recently and someone thought it a suitable place for a German shepherd!!!

What is it with the weirdos on these threads that try to make comparisons between dogs to human children?!

So bizarre.

Interesting. My local charity shop actively encourages dogs, and there’s a big jar of treats on the counter.

My dog considers it a great visit, and chooses soft toys from the display so he can take them home and slowly rip them to pieces.

I think there are some business managers who love dogs and prefer them as customers to those who prefer to avoid dogs. There are also business managers who have found that being dog inclusive is more profitable than banning them, even if they lose some anti dog customers.

I know. Dogs are way better.

I can't seem to find a pub, restaurant or café these days that isn't full of stinking wet badly behaved dogs ! Their inconsiderate owners oblivious to their hounds wet snotty noses and dirty paws negative impact on the enjoyment of other peoples food and drink consumption. These sad people that desperately needed company during covid, had no clue, interest, or discipline, to train these flipping dogs, which are now so numerous, establishments have had to take them in, or face financial ruin. These idiots can't leave them for five f ing minutes, as they will piss, shit and chew on everything in sight, as they have zero dogs training skills. I just hope the catering industry will wake up and realise they are about to loose all the long standing valuable customers they used to have, that might not come back, when high vets bills and a return to working in the office have long put pay to this dog fad. Why have one, when you can have 3 ! and wreck everyone else's evening ! Call yourself a dog lover ? leave the poor thing at home, don't torture it with food smells in a restaurants, leaving everyone else trying to eat while looking at its arse hole.

@Trumpisnowpresidentwhatanightmare completely agree - I like to hope that it will reach critical mass where businesses realise that it is overwhelming and impractical to have dining establishments as petting zoos and the rules will start to change - we can only hope! Don’t even get me started on dogs in JohnLewis!

Dogs should not be anywhere in human society except the home of the people who have chosen to have a dog, their own privately owned land, or designated dog walking areas. There is no reason other humans in buildings or parks or public areas designed for humans should be impacted by your choice of pet and have to deal with the excretions, smell, aggressive or unwanted behaviour etc or a random animal you happen to have decided to adopt. It is nothing to do with the rest of human society and not their problem.

Nobody turns up to shops or restaurants or cafés or parks designed for humans with their hamster or cat or rabbit or gerbil or rats or tarantula or parrot and expects others to accommodate this because the owner happens to find its smell/ excertions/ saliva/ unwelcome advances to others adorable. It is a mystery why dog owners are unique in thinking other people should have their pet forced onto them in human public spaces, sheer entitlement.

Dogs > kids in pubs

And how do you feel about cats that roam freely?