To feel if a dog bites a child they should leave the restaurant?

[Bookishworms]

*edit: sorry for typos! Dog not dig

Out for lunch yesterday with kids, a casual family restaurant where dogs are allowed in. We love dogs and were sat in the section with dogs. No dramas.

One terrier on the table behind had barked at the waiter so seemed a but highly strung but had settled down. My son got up to go to the loo and the dog was startled, (i guess by the sound of the chair scrape and movement) and jumped up and bit my son! He hadn’t trod on it or anything just startled.

Settled son, no skin broken, and the owners just seemed to want to pretend it hadn’t happened. I said ‘your dog just bit my child…?!’ They said was he bleeding and oh sorry dog must have been startled. Then went back to their lunch. I was a bit taken aback - I don’t have a dog at the moment but have in the past and if it had bit someone I would have taken the dog out of that situation right away.

Anyways we just went back to our lunch rather than make a fuss as son wasn’t badly injured but then my friend who has a smaller child was pointing out that a snap like that on say, a toddler, or exposed skin, would have been a huge problem and I should have reported it. I don’t want the dog put down or anything but surely there should be consequences for the owners? If their dog gets stressed in places like restaurants they maybe shouldn’t bring the dog?

Maybe I under-reacted.

They should have shown some common decency and taken their fucking animal outside, right away. Lock it in the car. If they had walked to the restaurant, too bad, they can't finish their lunch.

The "oh dear, too bad so sad" reaction is outrageous but typical of entitled dog owners.

The owners sound irresponsible and ignorant of dog behaviour. They should have been alert to early warning signs of stress and removed their dog before it escalated to biting.

I put you are being unreasonable because you absolutely should have reported to the restaurant staff at least.

Exactly - not hygienic or sensible

I seriously doubt your last suggestion.

Small dog vs thick jeans or a boot wouldn’t leave a bite mark 🤷🏻‍♀️

You should have reported the incident to the police. This is a dangerous dog.

Quite
As I said upthread we also need to think about what is best for the dog. To react like that the dog was not happy
If my dog is distressed in an environment I will remove him for his own good as well as anyone elses

Me too.

@Balloonhearts

I’d like the dog taking to the vets and being put to sleep tbh. Horrible thing.

I detest the fact that you can’t go anywhere these days without encountering dogs in restaurants, cafés and pubs. Perhaps I have a sensitive nose, but they almost always smell. Yuk! People never used to expect to take dogs into places where others eat and drink. Now it seems to be the norm. It’s really not necessary, IMHO.

Shown appropriate embarrassment and humility for the disgraceful behaviour of their dog? Which is of course their fault. The fact that blood wasn’t drawn and an A & E visit wasn’t necessary is purely good luck.

How dare they minimise this and callously continue with their meal?

Idiots, selfish, uncaring and stupid too, because one of these days they’re likely to be prosecuted or even sued.

This is disgraceful and a perfect example of how unpredictable animals can be and why they shouldn’t be in food establishments.

I would have informed the restaurant staff immediately and officially registered the incident. I would have got details of the owners and the dog so that I could report the incident to 101. I definitely would not have carried on sitting beside them. I would have expected the staff to ask them to leave as soon as they were aware of what had happened.

You want a life taken, when no one was harmed whatsoever? Wow, what a sane and reasonable reaction.

Yeah, we vote with our feet too.

If a dog had bitten my child, I would've booted it full force in the face.

@Balloonhearts

I do, yes. The dog is clearly volatile and this in combination with it having stupid blase owners means that the next time this happens it could be a whole lot worse and it could do some real harm.

There is a restaurant/cafe near me that allows dogs in certain areas provided that they have ‘paws on floor’. They also state no begging, barking or biting. I just assumed this was to make it 3 ‘b’s but maybe not. They do make dog owners pay up front and according to reports by disgruntled owners on tripadvisor, do throw customers out because their dog barks.

If any of my dogs bit a child in a restaurant they’d have been out of there so fast, their paws wouldn’t touch the ground. I would be horrified and utterly mortified. Dog would be removed immediately, never to return to any kind of public venue and I’d have been checking your child was ok. I love dogs beyond all reason but this is totally unacceptable op.

Dogs in pubs/cafes = yuk

I think probably just kick up a stink and say YOUR DOG JUST BIT MY CHILD repeatedly so everyone in the restaurant is aware. Call the manager over and complain. Say they need to leave. Threaten to call the police. Tell them they shouldn’t be bringing a dog to a restaurant if it’s startled by the sound of a chair moving.

Good points. Through their being bad owners they put not only other people but their own dog at risk.

Yes, much as I love animals, I wouldn’t blame anyone for kicking a dog which had bitten or attacked someone. I bet that would get a reaction from these selfish idiots.

The dog should be put down as it is dangerous or at least it should be muzzled and on a very short lead if it must go out in public.
I would have absolutely gone off on one at the selfish owners and shamed them into leaving with their dangerous dog and I would have reported it to the police.

I am sick of coming across bloody dogs in shops, cafes and garden centres etc.
You bloody selfish dog owners need to realise that the vast majority of people don't want to risk your bloody dog yapping, slobbering and biting them when they are out shopping or eating food.
I was a dog owner and my dog never went anywhere that wasn't to, from or in a field.
As always in this bloody country we have a selfish vocal minority insisting that everyone else has to pander to their whims.

To be fair if it wasn't financially beneficial to allow dogs they wouldn't obviously they make more money allowing them. I actually like dogs being allowed everywhere if they are well-behaved

The toddler was harmed?