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

I love dogs. I work with animals. I still can't stand this trend of dogs everywhere. Dogs in shops - why? Department stores are hot, noisy, bright, overstimulating places for animals. I don't want to buy something that a dog has brushed up against, snuffled on or peed on. Your dog isn't enjoying themself, your dog would rather be in a park. Stop being so selfish.

It's because people cannot be arsed to socialise or train dogs properly, which includes teaching them to be comfortable being left. This country has gone nuts. You got a dog, bloody put in the work at the start.

Dogs in country pubs - fine, dogs in cafes at country parks - fine. Dogs in department stores, cinemas, night clubs, expensive restaurants, or kids playgrounds - no. So sick of having to put myself in the firing line asking people not to take their dog into kids playgrounds. Just stop it.

So sick of saving hard earned money for a nice meal out then ending up sitting next to a dog that won't sit under the correct table. At a restaurant recently the server kept stopping to stroke a dog then carried on setting tables with the cutlery age was holding. Yuck.

Dogs on trains are fine, but not under a table for 4 people where you are then limiting where all the other 3 people can put their belongings or feet. That's selfish. Stop it.

Basically, just stop being so bloody selfish and entitled. And think about whether your dog actually wants to be there. Because I see so many stressed dogs daily due to them being put in situations where they aren't comfortable. Because they are dogs and not people!

I needed this rant, thank you.

Well you can roll your eyes at me then as I just got one last week for my 12yo dog who has arthritis and is struggling a bit these days. We can now set off walking and when her limping gets too bad I pop her in the buggy. Roll your eyes away.

Overall I think a lot of people would benefit from minding their own business and worrying about themselves more and less about what others are doing.

how does it affect anyone else if a dog is in a pushchair 🤷‍♀️. I mean I’d much rather my dog wasn’t in pain and limping but here we are. She still wants to go out.

Not a coffee shop. Not inside. A country pub GARDEN. Where I know he will appropriately behave and we can sit away from other people. Not a place I know he won’t like it. Which is the point - she shouldn’t have her dog somewhere it can’t cope and expect others to deal with it. I know it’s not that deep but it is annoying. And reading the rest of the thread has really made me thing about how dog ownership has really changed.

and again this complex is really somewhere you have to go out of your way for that specific purpose

She would have almost definitely tripped over a dog if it wandered near her in a shop.

why would a dog wander near her in a shop? Any dogs I have seen in shops have been on short leads. I’d have thought she has more chance of tripping up over an errant toddler, there seems to be plenty of them charging about.

When dogs increased in value people started stealing them.

But having said that, it means people should stop buying 'needy' breeds of dogs that cannot cope with being alone, but instead buy more emotionally stable breeds of dogs that are fine being left at home, then train them to be left at home, and then leave them at home instead of taking them bloody everywhere.

Ok, so you know your dog will behave in a pub garden. Though I’m sure it still might have scared someone who was fearful of dogs. Or some half blind granny might have tripped up over it.

I know my dog can behave in John Lewis. So no difference.

I have t seen it either tbh just discussing. From the sounds of other replies on this thread it’s something that could happen. I also agree with what you say about toddlers but sadly they are more difficult to leave at home.

My dogs hated going into towns. So we didn't take them into towns.
Saw one being taken into the loos at a motorway services last weekend. Can't imagine how loud hand dryers must be to them, so cruel.

Great so you won’t be asking anyone to not get in the lift on your dogs behalf and we can agree that was silly. Thanks

cats are definitely a nuisance to me when they come into my garden on a night time and poo in my garden. or when they sneak in, won’t leave and i can’t let my dog into my garden 🙄

Ok so a solo driver on a hot day doing a long journey needs to quickly stop and use the loo. Surely it’s safer to take a dog to a service station toilet then leave in a potentially too hot car? If it was cool enough I’d leave my dog in the car, but if it was warm I wouldn’t. Plus there’s the risk of the window being smashed and the dog stolen.

Never had to take my dog in a service station but I’ve seen signs up saying the service station is dog friendly and to bring dogs inside rather than leave in the car.

We were having a family lunch in a country pub dining room, a couple came in with 2 dogs, sat at the next table and one of the dogs promptly threw up all over the floor. They didn't seem remotely bothered about the effect on anyone else though they did clear it up.
Not the best lunchtime accompaniment.

Couldn't it be tied up outside and given a bowl of water?

Yes, I’d previously agreed with you that that wasn’t on 👍

It could well get stolen. I wouldn’t leave my dog tied up outside the village shop never mind a motorway service station.

To be fair, that could easily happen with a toddler though. It's not specific to dogs.

What planet are you on? It's not 1952 ffs! Google dog theft.

I am aware of the year, thank you.
How rude.
I find it hard to believe that teams of dog thieves are ready to snatch any mongrel pooch left unsupervised for 10 minutes.

I won't insult your intelligence - not my style, but I'm sure you can work out the difference between a toddler and a dog, and their relative places in society.

Seriously? Have you a valuable dog?
I see them tied up outside shops and cafes where I live. Perhaps it's a low canine crime area. I'll look up the stats.

You'd be surprised how many dogs are stolen, including mongrels/crossbreeds.

I apologise for seeming rude though.

I have dogs, I love dogs. But I’m baffled by this obsession of taking dogs everywhere. I don’t want dogs everywhere when I’m in shops etc. garden of country pub is fine, but I’ve had meals out ruined by dogs being a nuisance.

Apology accepted. I'm just looking at the stats for stolen dogs. Low in my area, just perusing nationally.

Toddlers and dogs aren't equivalents. And I can't actually remember a toddler throwing up in the middle of a public dining room, but if one did, it would be there because it needed to be with its parent/ carer. The puking dog didn't have that need.

So, approx 4 dogs per day get stolen in the UK, mostly spaniels and other specific breeds.
In my area it's 2.8 per day.