Dogs everywhere!

[WilmaFlintstone38]

In shops and cafes, barking and making people jump, tripping over them in the street... Seems everyone and their Auntie Flo has a dog nowadays.

Mine is actually called Flo, she doesn’t know auntie Flo though

I love dogs and I love them in cafes and on walks

My first concern is that each dog has a similar carbon footprint to a car and I’m always trying to reduce my carbon footprint! Then some people are starting to want to give them human grade food which makes things worse

My second concern is the industry around them. We want growth for the country, we have shortages of workers especially in care, but so many people now employed in dog grooming and walking when we can’t look after our elderly

But none of this is going to change so I will carry on loving seeing lots of dogs around - except the horrible fighting breeds - put those ones all down for me

I think XLs are making a comeback. So many of them about recently.

Bless you. That wasnt my point, I was making a bit of a joke. The UK is third in cleanliness in the world - but its not clean. It does a lot of damage to the world and that is because of humans. My point was the nonsense of the original quote - banning dogs because of human behaviour, and the incessantness of these 'dogs are awful' posts. You could interchange 'litter' with 'cars', 'bikes' 'children!' whatever it is that happens to annoy you. I have been hit by a bike twice. Once as a pedestrian and once in a stationary car while waiting to pick somone up. I have also been hit by a child on a push scooter! I dont put a post on every other day (or at all) that we should ban bikes or scooters. It's people who control (or don't control) dogs, bikes, cars, children. If you want to actually get rid of that, you have to ban humans. Obviously you can't. What you can do is improve rules and regulations around them. Certain breeds of dog, are in fact, banned. Not because of the dog, but the human behind them. Those dogs can be wonderful in the right trained hands, but sadly the kind of people who are attracted to those breeds are often the kind of people who absolutely shouldn't have them. Hence rules.

But really, these are people problems, not dog problems. Dog ownership has changed beyond all recognition, and that's not the fault of the dogs. They have, like people, become more high maintenance, with more needs.

In part this is down to the rise in designer crossbreeds, that are claimed to be hypoallergenic (which, in truth, no living creature ever can be). Nobody wants the naturally moulting breeds now, thus a high proportion of dogs need regular visits to the groomers to be clipped.

Dog walkers used to be a rarity. Most people walked their own dog or relied on friends and family. Now everyone wants a puppy, even people whose lifestyle is not suited to having one. Dogs are crated and left alone for long periods. Thus we have the rise in dog walkers, doggy daycare and behaviourists.

Social media has a lot to answer for with regard to lifestyle choices, for us and for our dogs. Dogs still want to be dogs. They really don't want or need to walk around shopping centres, or go the groomers every week and come out stinking of cologne. They don't need expensive subscription box foods with a high carbon footprint. They can still be well provided for without all this.

Really, all this is on us, as owners, and it's something we can work on.

In any thread criticising dog owners, I find the immediate comparison to humans really odd. The human race runs the world, that is how it works. Dogs, beavers or tadpoles are not capable of high-level executive function and don’t make decisions about how we live. Of course the human race has messed up a lot and we do some things extremely badly and cause a lot of suffering. But humans are still in charge, not other animals. I can’t believe that even needs saying!

There are plenty of good dog owners and plenty of advantages for people owning dogs. That should be enough as a defence. Making negative comments about humans and children is just silly.

Last week I got tangled up in a dog lead and fell over at the tills in TKMaxx.

I wasn't expecting a small pug to be wandering beside my feet on an extension lead! And I was chatting with the assistant. I came down like a ton of bricks. Obviously I then pretended I was absolutely fine. The young woman holding the lead couldn't have given 2 shits.

The manager had to come over as there was a fall on the floor, and I was so shocked I still apologised. Absolutely raging with myself afterwards.

I have dogs, I love dogs, but you don't take them into shops, especially not on extension leads. In the street or on a walk, even in a pub or cafe i would be alert to the possibility of a dog. But not at a till point in a chain store. And not for my legs to be completely wrapped up in a lead and for the owner to be so clueless and unapologetic.

I have a full arm of heavy bruising, as well as some on my ribs. I wish I'd made a fuss....but these things only tend to come to me after the shock has worn off.

I've got a moulting dog and one that needs grooming. They are 12 & 10 now and we've had the conversation about if we'd have anymore. We've said no as they aren't cheap and we're not getting any younger. I don't regret having them, they are part of the family and I will be heartbroken when they are gone.

They've never been shopping though.

I like dogs, but there are loads the buggers!
The ones I really don't like are short-haired breeds whose anuses and/or tackle are always on display 🤢

If I'm honest, I don't approve of dogs in shops or cafes (apart from medical assistance dogs, that goes without saying). I've never taken my dogs to town or into shops because I know they'd hate the slippery floors, noise, strong smells. It's just an alien environment for most dogs. But taking them everywhere seems to be the modern way.

I wouldn’t take my dog to a shop either. What’s the point? I can’t hate dogs though, just because some human’s takes their dogs shopping. Every dog problem is caused by humans.

You expect a dog to use a toilet? Dogs are toilet trained, they are trained to toilet outside. Occasionally they may have an accident, like children or adults can.

Some kids will grow up to be a scourge on society.

I really don't understand why you have to take your dog with you when you go shoe shopping though.

In a shoe shop the other day and a woman trying on loads of shoes whilst trying to hold on to the lead, customers and staff fussing dog, woman balancing on one leg, shoe half on half off trying to stop dog wandering off.Dog barking,, woman shouting for it to come back. It was mayhem really - can't people just leave their dogs at home while they pop to the shops.

What did dogs use to do in the 1970s (my era 😁) when they weren't allowed in shops. Surely they stayed at home on their own and survived their owner's shopping trip.

Dogs aren't allowed in shops in our village. I dont think I've ever seen a dog in a shop apart from Pets At Home.

I do shop online a lot though so that might be why.

I've not seen one in our local B&Q which I use quite a bit.

Some of it is because rules are tightening up elsewhere

Now days you'd never leave a dog outside a shop for example or in a car which is what we frequently did when I was younger.We also left them at home for far longer than we should, often kicked out into the garden even towards the early 00's. Now days I'd never leave a dog shut out in a garden for a day

In the 60s My mums dog would be outside roaming when she was a kid!

Personally the main times my dogs end up in shops etc is when we are on holiday because 90% of the time we can't leave them in the accommodation. Anyone camping, in a haven type caravan park, hotel or most holiday accommodation get told they can't leave them alone in the room! I'm not sure if that's a newer rule or just better followed but again I don't remember having that issue with our dog in the 90s

I have taken my dog into shops before because sometimes we go on day trips to other towns/cities and I won’t leave him home all day or we are away for the weekend and so can’t leave him in the hotel on his own.

Most of the time me or DH will stay outside with him whilst the other person comes in but if the shop obviously allows dogs then he will often come in.

Blame the shop if you like not the owners, they clearly want the custom and don’t mind, so….

I love dogs. I have no problem with your dog being in a place he/she is permitted. None at all. It’s not for my dog, he can’t handle crowds, but they’re all different. Whatever owners do with their dogs is no reason for anyone to hate dogs.

"This thread's still going?"

So sorry this happened to you. What if you had banged your head? I don't enjoy going shopping as much now as I am somewhat spatially unaware anyway but extendable leads are a real nuisance

Sorry @Onleemoi I wasn’t particularly aiming my comment at you, just a general moan about the general consensus over the dog in shops thing.

Oh my word! What a beautiful boy/girl. That tongue, that face! 😍

A lady a few streets away has so many dogs when she tries to walk them together she ends up in a knotted mess. It is funny to watch. She always has to come back later to retrieve a shoe or a lead and collar that came free.

Then there is stinky dog I don’t know what its owner feeds it but every morning outside the school gates it does its deed and you can smell it from a far. The children run by holding their noses. So again mildly amusing I guess.

The dog that tried to chase the cars poor owner but again amusing to watch as it takes the lady a good half an hour to get down a 5 minute stretch as every time a car comes the dog sits in wait to lunge and bark at the car while the owner gives it her best to become a rock.

I won’t buy from the bottom two shelf’s in shops where they allow dogs and won’t eat out in establishments that allow dogs other than guide dogs.

I love dogs but I'm allergic and it's a pain when I'm sitting in a cafe or restaurant and suddenly start breaking out in hives, snotting everywhere and eyes bright red and streaming. I make a really attractive lunch date.

My second concern is the industry around them. We want growth for the country, we have shortages of workers especially in care, but so many people now employed in dog grooming and walking when we can’t look after our elderly

This is such a weird argument. Dog groomers and walkers are not taking potential staff from care homes. People don't want to work in care because of the working conditions and pay.
A lot of groomers and walkers are self employed and have chosen that line of work as they love dogs. I know a dog walker who has ASD and would absolutely not be able to work in a care home. She chose walking as she likes to be active, loves animals, and hates people 😆

I almost skipped this, thinking it was just another dramatic, boring anti-dog thread but then the beautiful dog pics came in and completely stole the show. Huge thanks to everyone for sharing, you’ve saved this thread from the usual doom and gloom 🥰