I’ve joined the “why are there dogs everywhere” Club

[BananaBum]

I’ll start things off by saying I have a dog myself and normally scoff at all the people rolling their eyes over dogs in pubs and cafes. Can even forgive younger, less well behaved dogs because they have to learn and be exposed to different situations.

HOWEVER

Today I went to get in a lift in John Lewis with my DC and a woman with a pushchair and TWO massive labradors asked if I wouldn’t mind waiting because one of her dogs were nervous about being crowded.

Why are you in John Lewis then?
Is it really necessary for the dogs to come out with you?
Did they come in the car especially or do you live in town?
how does it all work logistically?

So many questions. And also just a bit annoyed I had to wait for the next lift

We are a weird lot though, we British. A lot of ppl think its ok to stand outside a hotel with a flag terrorising vulnerable asylum seekers. And yet its wrong to take a dim view of an owner whose dog is pissing and shitting and growling and licking everything in a park or shop or whatever. I'm not having a go. I'm simply onserving that we are a funny bunch in this country with weird priorities.

I am fed up of dogs on trains. I was on a super crowded service recently and the only place I could find to sit was next to a woman with a dog that sat on my feet for the whole journey. I didn't mind so much but the dog smell, ugh, when you can't even open the window on the train anymore. There was a couple with a dog nearby on a four seat table, where I couldn't sit because they had bags over the spare seats. When a bolder traveller than me got on later and asked them to move the bags, they said they'd put them there to stop people their dog didn't know sit by them because it was aggressive with strangers and could bite!

I feel sorry for the allergy sufferers and for that reason think that only assistance dogs should be allowed inside shops. That's a human need. Ordinary dogs don't need to be inside shops.

Sadly even being in an indoor environment where dogs or cats have been, but no longer are, triggers asthma attacks and eczema flare ups in my dad.

The only dogs we need to tolerate is guide dogs. Dogs otherwise are not essential to life. Keep you dog at home or in your garden … it would be happier and so would we especially those of us with small children 👍

Or they were trained properly. IDK.

But a dog that nervous is life restricting and a risk to other and I dont know why humans restrict their lives in this way for an animal that isn't even that self aware and doesnt apprecaite the sacrifice..

PTS? My dog is literally having her best life 😅, loads of exercise, walks in the peak district, stimulation, playing, food and naps. She just struggles with being left on her own at home because she had a really hard start in life, which we are working on and is gradually improving.

Your part of the every Tom duck and Harry brigade also 🙄👍

im not standing there working out which dog owner has more rights to be in a human space 😂

I think your dogs are all annoying and wish you’d leave them at home.

You seriously expect someone with a genuine assistance dog to leave it at home?

Do you also object to wheelchairs?

That's funny😂What a pair of t*ers

The dogs in school is concerning. There's all this stuff about improving school attendance but if I'd had to worry about dealing with a large dog at school that could well have been the thing that tipped me into school refusal.

They used to have kennels at Legoland (I'm going back years ago) where you could leave your dog while you went in.

I think some people have lost sight of a dog's needs & role & treat them like people.

i do find it amusing that a colleague, who is staunchly anti-children, has dogs who are so pandered to they are like toddlers who'll never grow up. They can't go out without getting a babysitter, a cough is an emergency vet visit, the dogs get her up in the middle of the night to let them out to toilet & then get her up at 6am for breakfast. Every night. When one passed she claimed paid bereavement leave. Her DH is the boss so she gets away with it!!

Dogs in changing rooms! Ffs just no!

But you cant leave her for an hour as she is too anxious and needs a behaviourist.

You're restricting your life for a dumb animal.

Your post highlights what's wrong - your dog is having the best life. Never mind the humans then.

Yep, this. Plus the term “fur baby” makes me gag 🤢

Although I’ll add, I’m not a dog lover at all and despise the things being anywhere near me.

When I was at school in the late 1970's a couple of the teachers used to sometimes bring their dogs in. It's definitely not a new thing, but I don't remember anyone having an issue with it though. Our art teacher had two Chow Chows and all the girls adored them. My cousin went to a school where the headmistress had an Irish Wolfhound and I was slightly envious of that!

(And fwiw, before I'm told I don't understand allergies, I do. I live with it. I'm asthmatic and allergic to dogs, cats and horses)

Um I don’t !!!

But I do love to see a beautiful well behaviours dog anywhere. It’s not the most appropriate place for dogs or much fun for a dog either.

Make sure you get them to sing Soda Pop as well- nice little ear worm that ;)

I mean what I said, I don’t know how to word it more simply 🤔

It's not appropriate to stop off at a department store with your dog when you've been out somewhere. There are plenty of times when you can't do something you need to do in that moment due to the specific circumstances, such as, realising you need bread or milk for the morning, but your DC are asleep. That's life.

Those people have probably been somewhere else that it's totally inappropriate to take a dog (despite it being allowed) in the first place.

It is appropriate if the shop allows it and your dog isn’t stressed out by going in a shop, That’s life.

I think there is a mid position that most dog owners hold between your “pragmatic” view of dogs and “fur babies, I personallly can’t understand anyone being involved with dogs not seeing them as part of the family dogs are social animals and thrive as part of a family But everyone is different.

I also have a dog with Separation Anxiety. If I leave her alone, she howls/whines. I would feel awful if my neighbours were able to hear it, so I don't leave her alone. This does mean she comes out and about a lot!
The talk of putting a healthy dog to sleep is...grim. If I took my dog to the vet and said hey can you please administer a lethal injection because even though these shops have a dog friendly policy, I would rather kill my dog than risk inconveniencing John Lewis shoppers...they would, rightly, be absolutely horrified.

Why do you assume that’s it’s totally inappropriate to take a dog? Round us many people holiday with their dog. Most shops are dog friendly because people have to take their dog with them.

there are a couple of routes I can only run when it rains. for some reason the idiot owners with out of control dogs don't seem to go walkies when it rains.