To be annoyed by the number if dogs in local coffeeshops

[Hocuspoc]

I really like dogs - sounds like I am a hypocrite here, but hear me out. I do, really, however...
I go to a local coffeeshop for 20 mins early morning before work and just want to enjoy a cup of coffee. Is it the time of day - don't know, but literally every table has at least one dog sitting still or barking or trying to walk around while the owner/walker is struggling. And this is a small space. I can always smell the animal next to me and not my coffee - there is a distinctive and not a pleasant smell.
Go to another place I hear you say - I try but it is the same in the few local coffee shops with decent coffee.
Once I tried politely asking a lady who joined my table just to steer her 2 huge dogs away from me, as one was waving his tail over my pastry brushing it in process - the looks I got, and also from the neighbouring table.
These places are dog friendly yes, but they are not dog only.
I apologise if I offend anyone here, I know very well they are a part of the family for all of their owners, and dogs actually like me, often try and squeeze in and sit on my feet or just next to me (maybe part of the issue here) and if I was on a bench in the park fine, but I am eating or drinking coffee and the smell is just offensive.
I don't know how other people feel - both dog owners (are you aware that this may be inconvenience for some people) and the rest who don't own...

I have two dogs myself. We sometimes have lunch in a lovely pub but there are now dogs sat on seating and one shook himself by my meal and you could see the loose hair flying around. Just yuck.

I think.its to get more customers in in a difficult trading environment. But as pp have pointed out, hygiene becomes an issue. Tbh I now rarely bother with lunch out, so I guess its a balancing act.

Not to derail but we went on a walk where there are signs everywhere to keep dogs on leads for a specific reason. Cue two young mums carrying a baby with their out of control springer heading excitedly toward the small deer herd. Fgs.

Leave factual, honest and fair Google reviews

I've started doing that.

Owners of cafes are just trying to keep their customers happy, if they realise a large percentage of their customers are unhappy with the current policy they may consider adjusting it.

I genuinely love dogs. I grew up with them and my Mum bred dogs for several years. But enough is enough.

We're currently in the Lake District and they are literally everywhere. We ate in a small Chinese restaurant last night and we're the only ones to not have a dog with us. There is absolutely no need to bring your dog into any restaurant. None.

And don't get me started on people who own a dog in lieu of having an actual personality of their own. They use their dog like a bloody social prop, constantly drawing attention to it whilst shoe horning it into every conversation. Deliberately sitting their dog where it will gain maximum attention, whilst typically causing maximum inconvenience. Said dog is usually wearing some twee bloody sweater or glittery harness.

We've just come back from a small cafe where a couple let their two very large Bernese Mountain dogs sprawl in the doorway. Beautiful dogs but a massive inconvenience. And their owners constantly, constantly drawing everyone's attention to them with a look of beatific obsession on their faces.

They are not your babies. They are not your children. They are not your friends.

Get a bloody life.

I haven’t been back to the Lake District because of the dog situation.

Lots of people that stay in the UK holidays take dogs. Something like 40-50% of lake district visitors take dogs (a shop owner spoke to us about it!)

Obviously if you camp you cant leave a dog, but also Lots of the accommodation in places like the lake district have strict rules about not leaving dogs alone in the properties so if you want to cater to that population then you will likely need to accept dogs. Very few restaurants in the lake district will want 40% of their clientel going to takeaway only

Our dogs wouldn't routinely come out for dinner, but they do everytime we stay somewhere where they can't be left and we eat out.

We are trying to be respectful by not leaving them places that don't want us to, and taking them to places that say they are welcome

It's why in places with high numbers of holiday lets, and walkers accept dogs.

I’d rather a cafe full of dogs over people any day 🐾🐾❤️❤️

If you suffered from breathing difficulties around dogs, you might not feel the same. Not me personally, but DP. DS1 and I 'just' get puffy, watery eyes, an itchy throat and a blocked nose. Which I accept is our problem to deal with. But there are fewer and fewer indoor places we can go. An antihistamine will work for DS and me (if we know to take it in advance) but it does absolutely nothing for DP. As I mentioned upthread there isn't a single coffee shop in our area that doesn't allow dogs. So we're saving money I guess.

I get that.
It was intended to be light hearted. I lost my big 15 year old Labrador on 19th December so the idea of dogs being anywhere is like therapy at this stage x

What annoys me more is people calling them service dogs, when they're assistance dogs.

I'm a dog owner and I take my dogs to dog friendly pubs, cafes, restaurants etc when the visit coincides with our walks. Wouldn't purposely take them if I didn't need to.

But I try and be as considerate as I can. I'll choose the most out of the way table. And if its a small place I'd not choose to sit in with them. Even more so if there's lots of other dogs there. I also do not allow my dogs to approach other people or encroach into their space. They sit or lay right next to us, or under the table.

But they are dog friendly places, so I still think YABU.

Not quite the same as what happened with you, but this thread is pretty much OP moaning that she sat in a dog friendly bit of a restaurant area and a dog was there. Ruined her holiday apparently. Her entitlement is off the scale.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4931678-dogs-in-restaurants?page=1

I really hate it. I’ve tried to go with the flow but I peaked recently, I went for dinner in a restaurant we’ve visited for years, and there were four dogs. One had a really shrill bark, and it was just too much. Also watching the waitress pet one, and then serve food was just a bit grim. In our local cafe, some people have lap dogs up to the table.

It’s not really avoidable anymore. It’s clearly a good business decision, and my turn now as a non owner to stay away. We were just talking about how much we spent last year eating out and on coffees so it’s actually great leverage to change that habit.

I wish it would go back to how it was. Dogs STINK. I am sorry, but they do. Obviously many owners are nose-blind or simply love their dog so much that they can't tell. But I have stopped going to any eating place that permits dogs because they make the whole place smell dank.

Same. I took my children a few years ago, and they said they wouldn't return because of the dog problem.

The problem is, I don't think cafe/restaurant owners know how much custom they are losing.

I do avoid anywhere that advertises itself as welcoming dogs, but how do the eateries know, unless I email them and tell them. Maybe we all should. Or maybe, with enough threads on MN, cafes might start banning dogs.

More dogs than people is my idea of heaven.

I never go in child friendly/breast feeding places if I can help it.

Yes the new generation of dog owners are clueless often, but the same can be said for parents of small children.

And I happen to prefer a warm and hairy being to a screeching potato with a plastic sack of urine and faeces strapped to its rear end.

We used to live opposite a green space and about five minutes walk from fields and dog walks. The green was not intended to be walked across or games played on, but that didn’t seem to apply to dog walkers, who regularly allowed their dogs to relieve themselves, both on the green and on the paths and gardens bordering it.

We were in a garden centre that welcomes dogs. A couple of women walked down the central aisle with a dog, who peed on the floor. So no moving it to a better place or outside. The women ignored it and carried on to another part of the centre. I mentioned it to a staff member, who said it happens often.

So sick of people saying they prefer dogs over children. Good for you but parents can't leave their young children. It's not a 'gotcha'.

And people who genuinely care more for animals over other humans must have issues . Not being able to make connections with other humans needs looking into.

I never go in child friendly/breast feeding places if I can help it.

As breastfeeding is (rightfully) allowed anywhere a baby can legally be, I assume you don’t go to places other than your own home or the dodgier end of pubs much?

If someone is happy with having a dog, and prefers dogs to humans, then so what? They are hurting no one. My relationships with my fellow human does not suffer because I have a dog. I struggle to make connections with other humans because I am ND, and that does not need looking at, thank you very much. I am happy with my dog, and the very few people I have in my life.

It really isn't entitled behaviour to take your dog somewhere your dog is permitted to be. And the business owner will weigh up the benefits of being dog friendly or not. Dog owners must spend money.

If you have allergies which are so severe, presumably you'd be well experienced in contacting different establishments to check that dogs aren't allowed?

Look at the dog dislikers on here. Joyless, pompous, entitled, unfunny. I don’t hate all people by any stretch, but people who don’t like dogs are usually a certain type.

I had a week away on holiday recently and saw two dogs in the entire week. Bliss!

And I like dogs, but I don't like dogs everywhere all the time, and those you bark and bark and bark cause me a huge amount of upset. The knees don't seem to be able to hear them, even when they are at their feet 😡

WTF autocorrect. The OWNERS not knees

I like dogs too but not everywhere. I saw one (not an assistance dog) in a food shop and asked a member of staff whether it should be there. She said it shouldn't, but they didn't mind as long as the owner carried it!