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)

I live in London and I’d say 95% of restaurants will not allow dogs inside.

Occasionally they will tolerate them on the terrace.

It’s actually really quite difficult to find restaurants that allow dogs inside in my experience.

I have always wanted it to be more like France here in regard to the way dogs are allowed pretty much everywhere, and think we are improving but too slowly and it shouldn’t have taken this long either.

I was in John Lewis last week and was so pleasantly surprised to see a few dogs in there on leads as I had no idea they were allowed in.

I really hope everywhere relaxes their rules, and I’m hoping this will help a lot more dogs in shelters to be rehomed, as so many of them can’t be left for very long periods of time and it would enable people to be with their dog more often.

I agree about shops, cafes and restaurants but dogs have always been allowed in pubs, that’s not a new thing 🤷🏻‍♀️

@satsumaqueen my dog is tiny, weighs 3kg and is tucked into a sling usually. I don't take her shopping and she has been in one restaurant and slept soundly on my lap while I ate. She was taken on that occasion for convenience and I deliberately sought out a dog friendly restaurant.

But I will take her to dog friendly cafes and will seek them out because having the comfort of her with me means I do feel confident enough to go out and meet a friend. This has made a big difference to me, I have checked and I could register her as a service dog, I just haven't done so because I either leave the house with her or my DH so that I'm not alone, but having DDog means I now go out more often and I have been told by my nurse that her patients that have dogs do seem to be healthier physically and mentally because they are more active and able to socialise.

I haven't suggested dogs have more rights than humans, but there are a lot of people like me who have an improved life experience because they have the comfort of an animal with them. Obviously I can't answer for every dog owner that has their dog with them in unexpected places but I have explained why my dog is with me.

Dogs are allowed in pubs very simply because dog owners are a lucrative market landlords can't turn down. Pub survival is a tough game.

A few years ago the push was 'family friendly' for the same reason. Pubs just weren't surviving on the traditional 'down the pub for a pint' clientele. Many diversified into offering food, kids play areas, blah de blah.

The not just allowing dogs in pubs but actively marketing 'dog friendly' is just another evolution of the pub trade to meet whatever the current popular demand is so they have a cat in hell's chance of staying open.

Did you go to the same pub as me op?! I also went for a drink and there must have been 15 dogs (huge dogs too). It was difficult keeping a toddler away from the dogs.

Yawn this again....

I have a dog, sometimes I take him to dog friendly places sometimes he stays at home. Lots of places don't allow dogs, maybe you could check before going if it bothers you this much

This is why I don't go too much to the pub now, fine when dogs are outside but I can't sit for more than 20 mins if there's a dog indoors. To be fair though I often start sneezing in pubs just because there's a dog or horse owner sitting nearby with a jumper on, the animal doesn't even need to be there!

Every cafe and pub in my town allows dogs, and the library, and my office. Thankfully I don’t think the supermarket does. The only places that don’t are the upscale restaurants and bars. I’ve lived here 2 years and the town I lived in previously was the same.

I’d prefer fireworks to either 😂

It's not the dogs that are the problem, it's the owners. If the dogs were trained properly, you wouldn't notice them. There's no reason a well trained dog couldn't sit calmly next to their owner or under a table.

I'd rather have dogs in pubs than children. Most dogs are better behaved. Why people think it is acceptable to let their little brat darling run around tables where others are eating and drinking is beyond me.

And you have to put up with their nonsense about it being “like losing a member of the family” when they die. Then they get another dog about 15 minutes later. So clearly it was replaceable, not like a family member. We didn’t go get ourselves another old lady when my gran died…

Crufts is taking place in most middle class drinking establishments (coffee shops absolutely included) up and down the country.

Brace yourself for Christmas pets.

Countries going to the dogs :)

I don’t mind dogs in pubs/cafes etc. When they sit quietly under tables and mind their own business.
What I don’t like is entitled owners who think everyone wants to love their dog. I was out in a busy city centre at the weekend in a pub when a couple sat at the table next to us with a dog, straight away said ‘I hope you don’t mind dogs’ then proceeded to allow their dog to jump up all over us until I asked them to remove it.
Then the following day in a cafe a woman allowed her dog to continually bark disturbing other people rather than taking the dog out if it couldn’t behave.
The problem is generally the entitled owners rather than the dogs

Personally I’d ban all but service dogs (not including “emotional support animals”, buying a vest off Amazon and saying you need your dog does not a service dog make) being in pubs, cafes, restaurants etc. it’s disgusting, shit for people with allergies, and I have more than once found a dog hair floating in my drink on a dog friendly cafe.

As for people who compare dogs to children - you need therapy and the love and respect of a human

I am so quite indifferent to dogs don’t mind them bit it’s got ridiculous now so many people have them. We were having a family brunch and two customers dogs were barking at each other and trying to have a fight. Felt like we were eating in flipping Battersea dogs home 🙄🙄

YANBU Op.

I will admit that I am a dog hater and I am also allergic so my views are skewed but people used to just leave them at home. Now people seem to be expect to be able to take them everywhere. It’s shops that really drive me insane.

To be honest I can get over the odd dog in a pub but when you end up with about 10 of them quite frankly it just isn’t safe! They are animals at the end of the day and no matter how well behaved you think your mutt is you cannot guarantee how it will respond to situations and the impact of this on other people.

Totally agree 👍
If we were all considerate it wouldn’t be a problem.
We take our dogs to pubs/cafes. But we always find a table with a quiet corner for them to lie down, so no risk of getting trodden on or getting in people’s way. They have a mat to lie on and they just snuggle down to rest (with of course lots of tasty treats to reward them for being so good). We absolutely do not let them inconvenience anyone at all.
It’s incredibly frustrating when silly people allow their dogs to run up to them and annoy them, or allow their kids to run up and start grabbing them/screaming in their faces!
Let’s just assume that no one else has come to the pub/cafe wanting to be bothered by someone else’s dogs/kids/husbands 😃 and it’ll be a lot easier to muddle along together.

YABU

Dogs have been allowed in pubs since forever around here.

I agree if they don't behave then no, they shouldn't be there. But a well behaved one is no problem at all.

@Tara336 see you’ve completely missed the point I was making and taken it personally which is what too many people do. I wasn’t asking you to justify why you take your dog out, I’m sure your dog is very well behaved, but the reality is the majority of dogs aren’t and the majority of owners aren’t responsible.

I was simply saying that you take your dog out because it’s a comfort and makes you feel confident, but there will be other people sitting near you who feel uncomfortable that your dog is there. Dog owners often seem to forget that their wants, needs and sense of entitlement do not surpass someone elses.

We have to learn to live with each other but it’s becoming increasingly difficult for people who don’t like or are allergic to dogs to be able to exist comfortably as the majority of places around the country seem to allow dogs in.

There should be dog free spaces in my opinion, shops and supermarkets should be dog free permanently as dogs (apart from service animals) do not need to be walking around M&S while their owners buys bananas. They also don’t need to be in clothes shops or DIY shops. Anywhere serving food should be dog free, unless it has enough space to be able to seperate a dog free area like they used to before smoking was banned. That way the people who want to take their dogs out to dinner can do so, but everyone else who doesn’t feel comfortable with it, can also enjoy a meal in peace.

What if they were all dressed similar to this? Would that be better?

I love taking my dogs to local cafes that allow dogs.My dogs are well behaved and just lie under the table.
I don't think dogs should be allowed on tte chair or table , bus seats.My son had brittle asthma and was once hospitalised due to being near a dog blanket in a friend's car.Mine are non shedding .
I try to be aware of other people's reaction to dogs, scared children Muslims who believe dogs are dirty etc
Lots of older people love to talk to you about your dogs they are a conversation opener and to some people it may be thier only conversation of the day, We live in a busy society we're often people don't exchange pleasantries, if people live on thier own thier dog could be thier only companion for weeks upon end
The friend I meet once a month loves are see my two dogs .I don't tend to use cafes that don't allow dogs even when I not with the dogs as I don't feel they support my lifestyle choice.
After covid my dogs became very clingy again and anxious when left alone.I can now leave them again for up to 4 hours.It was a pain as I couldn't leave the house unless someone else was in. I understand that some dogs purchased during covid haven't been socialised properly which could cause issues
I wouldn't dream of taking my dogs shopping I always enjoy having them with me on social occasions and enjoy thier company, the warmth and affection they give me.
I don't particularly like places with children running around, the area I live in has recently become gentrified, lots of people moving down from London. I once had small children and toddlers so I realise my children must have been equally annoying at times

I think fair enough in a country pub where dog walkers go to walk them but we were in a busy city centre place - it didn’t feel right that dogs were in there. Plus it was quite noisy with not great acoustics which was probably aggravating them.

Dogs have always been allowed in most pubs near me as people walk to them and take their dogs, so they are set up for dogs and muddy boots.

However I tend to stay outside with my dog as she is big and the pubs are old and tiny. She is very good but takes up a lot of space.

YABU and I think you shouldn’t be allowed in pubs.