Really don't like dogs being in virtually every cafe now

[Wishididntseemsogrumpy]

I know another one, and yes this is quite trivial really.

Last week we went to a gorgeous new cafe, sat down, and within a minute I realised a large dog had appeared and was licking dds outstretched hand (she was delighted of course) then we had to get up and go and wash before eating, only to see the dog licking her hands again. Argh. Then it turned around and was wagging it's tail into me (I'm unfortunately allergic to fur and would rather not have to have fur on my clothes) - we werent even that close to the other table. It's just so annoying and I know I can ask it's owners to keep it away from us but seems a bit cruel to the dog and I jolly well shouldn't have to, they should be keeping an eye themselves without me having to have an awkward chat. Manners are meant to make everyone feel comfortable and not force people into seeming unreasonable because they don't want to get involved with the animal.

Then this afternoon, different cafe, on my own this time and got the fright of my life when all of a sudden a dog snarled and snapped at a child a few tables away, who of course screamed and was very distressed, someone could have had a heart attack!

I am going to have to be more mindful of places which don't have dogs in future I think.

And I imagine I am probably going to be told I am being unreasonable. I just want a coffee in peace without slobbering or snarling dogs

The only time I've ever seen a dog wandering around the pub was when it lived there. It was 20-odd years ago, and the bar was an absolute dive, but it still drew a good crowd on weekends because people went there to see the dog.

I can't remember the name of the bar, but the dog was called Charlie, and he was the goodest boy.

God, do you put your bag on the floor?

Where people have walked? In shoes?

Those shoes have previously walked on pavements covered in spit, chewing gum, those nose blowing things that grim men do in the street, cigarette ends, pigeon and other bird shit, rat wee, pollution.
AI reckons pavements have more germs than dog's bums.

When you pick your bag up, do you put it on your lap to get your purse/phone out? Or put it on the car seat next to you on the way home? Then on the table/kitchen worktop/your carpet when you get home.

Was in a pub a while ago. A couple had a large dog on a fairly long lead. It tried to lunge at people passing and the owners couldn't control it but didn't seem bothered.
Then someone in a wheelchair came in and the dog started growling, snapping and barking at the wheelchair. The occupant was clearly frightened and upset but STILL they didn't seem bothered. They left when the landlord asked them to sit elsewhere.
People are more important than dogs and if dog owners can't accept that, then they should not be allowed to take dogs into social environments.

I don’t put my bag on tables. Floors, yes. We don’t have carpets. My bag stays on the footwell of the car.

I am averse to dog bodily fluids including saliva. I also don’t want a human nuzzling my bag with their mouth, thanks. But they don’t tend to do that.

I don’t like dogs’ bums myself. But I guess we are all different.

So you put your bag on the floor at home? I imagine you're a shoes off household. Do you not worry about that when you walk around indoors? The transferred germs must be really grim.

The people who seem most obsessed with looking at dog's bums long enough to notice dirty bum crumbs on here are the people who profess to not like dogs. Strange that.

My comment was about a dog nuzzling my bag. You brought up dogs’ bottoms for some reason in response. I am not sure who is more obsessed!

I was quoting the AI search I did. AI must be the most obsessed.

I don’t like dogs coming up to me and being in cafés. I have posted quite a lot here. But I have not mentioned dogs’ bottoms once! Do I get a point for that?!

Reminds me of the outdoor shoes off/on indoors thread but we won’t go there again…

Ten points 😀

🐕🏅

Best in show.

The cafe I was in yesterday had a spaniel mooching around the place while the owner was working on her laptop. The pub I was in on Sunday had a lab just wondering about hoovering up crumbs under tables while the owners enjoyed a pint. Both were fairly harmless but if you were not a fan of dogs you would be a bit annoyed. Appreciate its ancedotal but it is pretty common where I live (SW London)

But if someone wasn't a fan of dogs then they wouldn't have been in a dog friendly cafe or pub. There are lots of dog free venues in SW London they could choose from.

In my experience, even in rural pubs, to see dogs is common, to see them 'mooching around' .......nope, I've never seen it and I live on dog friendly Exmoor and travel the country widely.

'Dog friendly' does not mean said dogs have free reign to wander about and possibly upset/piss off other patrons. There is still the expectation that the dog will be supervised and under control. Its crazy that your first thought is that the solution to an annoying dog in a pub/cafe/etc is for the people objecting to crap doggy behaviour is go and find another venue rather then perhaps the owners actually keeping their pet on a lead and under control.

You might not like the answer, but it's a simple one that would eradicate any potential cause for concern. The choice in SW London is vast.

As I say I never see dogs wandering about in cafes and pubs despite living in a rural, dog-friendly tourist area and traveling extensively in the UK (including London) and eating out regularly. Most dogs are kept under control and well behaved as of course they should be.

I also can’t say I’ve seen dogs wandering around in cafes/pubs, I’ve only heard about it on here. There are sometimes some that can easily be tripped over, which is annoying, but they’re under the owner’s control, not roaming around the place.

Or the really really simple answer is to just control your dog so that everyone can enjoy the venue? Maybe it is a SW London 'thing' as it has access to plenty of large parks/river so dog ownership is very high. Many venues have water bowls and dog snacks avaliable which is great. I just think some people need to be a bit more switched on to the fact not everyone for whatever reason is going to enamoured with your dog sniffing around their table or want to pet it. A little bit of consideration perhaps!

As I said in my previous post "Most dogs are kept under control and well behaved as of course they should be."

I don’t mind dogs in cafes as long as they are placed where you don’t trip over them.

I don’t have a dog or want to look after one but I rather like a friendly pooch in a cafe.

So really, for all your funny little quips, ‘hilarious’ lengthy satires on other people’s posts (yes I’ve been paying attention), your contribution now comes back to ‘the problem doesn’t really exist’. So actually, despite being a vocal presence on the thread, it turns out you’re in the wrong place. Maybe leave it for those who do experience the problem.

That’s how I feel about it. And as long as they’re lying down quietly and not barking.

If you've been paying attention you'll see I've engaged on lots of levels through this long thread. Photos, conversation and ideas.

I've posted up several long lists of dog free venues and it is true that if people who don't want to be around dogs chose those places then they could avoid the problem to some considerable extent. There are millions of dog free venues in the UK. There are options for both dog owners and people who don't want to be around dogs. Tolerence being one of the options.

I've also said dogs should be under control in public places and that's what I see where I live (a very dog friendly, tourist spot) and in my travels around the Britain. I didn't say the problem doesn't exist - I said I didn't see it. I thought you were paying attention????

Add in a bit of humour and I honestly don't know what more you expect from a discussion site really.

This is good news for me - really keen to holiday in Cornwall, but after a dog-infested holiday in the Lakes District I vowed never again to spend my money in dog-obsessed holiday areas. Once CCC bring this law in, I'm there.