Dogs Licking Plates

[Goldengirl123]

We were in a pub and there was a large group of people near us. One of the men didn’t finish his meal so he got the plate and gave it to his dog to finish. One of his mates said that was terrible but he couldn’t see why as the plate would be going in the dishwasher. I was disgusted

There is zero indication it's a problem though. There is no evidence, that I'm aware of, that people who do this get sick more often or anything.

exactly this
My lab sticks his head in the dishwasher and hoovers up any dripping gravy/ketchup/cream etc.
But I wouldn't send him into pot wash in a restaurant. Much to his disappointment. He does hoover up the floor though for any dropped cake or chips.

That’s so disgusting, I wouldn’t want to eat at that pub again.

No.

I find it disgusting. I would also worry about the dog licking a knife (in the dishwasher) and cutting her tongue.

What if those plates in the pub are hand washed? And not very thoroughly, or not rinsed? Horrible!

I think it’s absolutely grim to do in a restaurant.

Not all Labradors are like that!
Our old girl could have been left with a steak on a plate by her nose and would never have dreamed of touching it without permission.

Out next dog was a Viszla. She used to jump up onto the dining table and help herself. 😱

We've had a dog for nineteen years (not the same one, obviously). I don't let my dog lick my face, but when we've finished eating, plates and bowls are fair game. They then get washed in the dishwasher at 65°C. They come out sparkling clean and ready to use again. Nobody has ever been made ill at home in all these nineteen years, so we'll carry on regardless.

Doing a controlled study would be difficult given the number of variables and probably of little value to anyone.

What you can say for sure is that domestic dishwashers don't sterilise during the cleaning cycle, and we all have our preferences whether we prefer to tolerate (or not to tolerate) bacteria that have been in pets mouths on our crockery.

Personally there are a lot of things out there that probably won't kill me, but I don't want to do them either.

I don’t do it-but I really can’t see why not if the plate is going in the dishwasher. I want my plates to be clean whatever’s been on them. What about plates that have been shoved under a sofa or a bd for a week? Or been left in the garden? Do you throw those away? I am very strict about dogs not licking faces though.

What about flies? If a fly lands on a plate do you bin that?

I wouldn’t want to eat from any of these plates. Just wash your plate once you’re done.

Exactly this. A man in America lost both hands and his nose after a dog licked a scratch and he got sepsis from the bacteria. It's grim. I think I'd literally never eat anything off a plate of someone who'd let their dog do this, dishwasher is cleaning it or not.

Motherland Christmas special was brilliant on this.

It’s straight up disrespectful to put a dog’s mouth on somebody else’s plate.

It’s also driving customers away if they find it revolting, so you’re harming the business.

I just think WHY?!

Not very satisfying for the dog either. They’d rather you just gave them a piece of beef.

The fact that flies sometimes land on plates, doesn't make dogs licking plates any less gross. Especially in a restaurant.

Dogs also do this..

Sure, but there's no anecdotal/circumstantial evidence either.

Humans don't live in sterile environments, nor should they.

Fine to not like the idea of it, but there's really nothing concrete to suggest it's harmful.

It shouldn't be permitted in a commercial food business. It is different if the dishes are in a dishwasher at home and all the bacteria stays contained there. Dogs have very different bacteria in the mouth to humans. After they spred it aroubd the plate a food handler then picks up the plate risking airbourne contamination of them which can be passed onto ready to eat food. The plates are very often left on worksurfaces prior to going into the dishwasher risking surface and airbourne contamination of food ready to eat prior to washing. Clients in commercial food premises can have underlying health issues.
There is a reason animals are not permitted into commercial food prep areas and letting them into a pub, which is still a food business outside the kitchen, shouldn't permit them to lick anything used in the service or preparation of food. Why are dog owners becoming so entitled.

Also server’s hands having to touch licked dog plate.

Honestly, we would all find it disgusting for a human to lick plates in a restaurant too.

Is it so hard just have manners in public?

I wouldnt let them do it in a restaurant or in someones home but I dont think its 'disgusting' which is the favourite word of everyone on this site

Its not good manners

But the plate goes in washing up, so its not a hygiene issue

Its not good for the dog, its not good social behaviour.

I do it at home because i know theyre going in the dishwasher and having a KP is occasionally handy for getting "bits" off pre loading.
Wouldnt dream of it elsewhere though.

I’m not saying it’s not gross. It’s just not rational. Perfectly fine not to be rational-as I said I don’t dot. Bur we should acknowledge our irrationality.

And yet so many people leave dirty paper napkins (which they've used to wipe their mouths, hands and sometimes blow their nose in) on the table and plate for servers to handle.

At home but certainly not anywhere else.

The worst type of table to sit at in a cafe/restaurant is always the one where children have just eaten A high chair in a sea of sauce and bits of chip, crayons, colouring stuff and absolute carnage of crumbs, wipes, crayons, opened sachets, smeared food, spilled drinks and wrappers.