Taking a child scared of dogs into a dog friendly coffee shop

[KimberleyClark]

DH and went to a local dog friendly coffee shop this afternoon with our neighbour’s two dogs, a golden retriever and a terrier cross who are staying with us for a few days while their owner is away. At a nearby table there was a father with his little girl of five or six who was obviously very scared of the dogs, who are both sweet natured and were just minding their own business and not wandering about or anything. When we got up to leave the little girl ran away into a corner. I suppose he might have been trying to acclimatise her, but if he was he wasn’t going the right way about it, having a chat with us, asking the dogs’ names etc might have been better. AIBU to think that if you know your child is that scared of dogs,a dog friendly cafe is not the best place to take them?

Ah, the vicious snark of the unhinged, over entitled dog owner.

You’d think so judging by the comment on here, but when you hear of so many non dog friendly becoming dog friendly cafes because their business was struggling as they didn’t have enough footfall, it seems that the people crying out for dog free places only use them so infrequently it’s just not financially viable for the cafes.

Must dash, am meeting my friend for a long walk with our dogs and then we’re off for a smashing brunch just near the park.

I guess it's nice you have something to do with yourself, not sure why you think anybody else would care - but yay for you I guess 😂

And nah, I have heard of no cafes letting dogs in because business was failing - your source seems to be "trust me bro" 😅😂

🤣 in response to someone implying dog owners can’t make friends.

No, she said "in lieu of" actual companionship. She did not say or imply you cannot make friends but that you choose dogs over humans. 😂

Saw a huge St Bernard in a cafe once, dripping it's thick, gloopy slobber everywhere, then one of the ladies behind the serving counter goes to say hello to it. 😲 😷 🤢 Yuk.

There are plenty of dog free cafes, restaurants, shops etc. In fact far more dog free than dog friendly. Are they all making a fortune? I somehow doubt it.

Some very inane and pathetic comments on this thread

Dog owners view dog friendly cafes as a valuable resource and make the effort to use them regularly, which is why they are busy and profitable.

YANBU at all, you were considerate and the dogs were perfectly well-behaved. If a child is genuinely that fearful, a dog-friendly café isn’t the best place to start.

Not surprising the thread’s been derailed, putting ‘dog-friendly’ and ‘café’ together on MN is like ringing the dinner bell for the entitled dog-hater choir! 🛎️

😂🍿

I have no problem whatsoever with well behaved dogs and dog owners in eating establishments. I don't have a dog and have never had a dog, but I like them well enough and always like to have a little chat with the good ones.

I not sure I get why dog owners feel that they must take their dogs everywhere they go. Are they not able to let them stay safely at home when the owners go shopping and dining etc.? I feel so sorry for some dogs when you see them out and about and you just know they would be so much happier away from all the noise and unfamiliar people and other dogs. I especially hate it in big crowds and poor dogs are confronted and surrounded with peoples legs and feet. Pick the dog up for gods sake!

The little girl may have been scared but none of us know their story.

That is true-there are several cafes here which have dog friendly and dog free zones inside. The dog friendly areas are always busy - often have to wait/queue to get a seat, whereas the dog free area is often half empty.
(Of course that might have something to do with the fact that the dog free area tends to contain the entitled parents and their screaming kids brigade, so maybe not so difficult to understand lol)

Nah. I'm afraid your source is also "trust me bro" 😂

Neither OP nor anyone here said “dogs = humans”, that’s such a classic anti-dog line! No one’s asking for access everywhere or exclusive café rights. Dog owners here are going where dogs are welcome and happily share the space. Having a dog is an active choice, and so is making a café dog-friendly. If some want dog-free zones, start your own café, don’t sabotage dog-friendly places behind the business owners’ backs!

Who said anything about sabotage?

😂😂 cheers!

My source is all these posters on here saying that there are no dog friendly cafes in their area…. Must be a reason for that (I have two in our local town - the other six are all dog friendly. Yay for me and my dog owning friends!!! 🤭).

In the past, there have been comments on here where someone suggested leaving reviews for cafes that allow dogs saying that they had loads of dog hair in their food or something like that. Even if they have never been there.

A friend recommended a pub to me a few years ago that was in a convenient location to meet family.
It was in a semi rural area and by the time we'd ordered our food, there must have been about 8 dogs in there yapping and barking, it was chaos, you could barely have a conversation.
I didn't object to the dogs in general but it was unbelievably noisy and not a relaxing meal, we won't go back.

Mutts are everywhere, the poor kid won't be able to avoid them sadly.

I’m referring to the sneaky, underhanded attempts by some to ban dog owners and their pups from dog-friendly cafés without the owners’ consent or knowledge. Then accusing those who have every right to be there of being unhinged. It’s quite ironic and shows a lot of entitlement.

You’ve got no idea if they’re scared of dogs. My DC are wary of strange dogs, and might behave the same way. Yet we have an English mastiff at home and their family all have dogs they’re familiar and happy with too.

This might have been an unusual reaction. My children need to be acclimatised to dogs and know to ask - so maybe they thought you might approach them.

I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. The only people that can ban someone from a cafe is the cafe owner.

What does any of this have to do with me?

For those who complain that there are bloody dogs everywhere these days, that is not my experience. We often find it very difficult to find a cafe that welcomes dogs - and even fewer restaurants. Surely there should be room for some eateries to allow dogs in - there are plenty of others that won't admit dogs that people can choose.

Having said that, I don't think it was fair to take children to a dog friendly establishment if they are frightened of dogs. Very unkind to the child and awkward for the dog owner.