AIBU to want cafes to be dog free after grandchild was bitten?

[OhSoTrue]

What to do? Took my 12 year old gc into a cafe for lunch today, and a dog
snapped her ankle as we walked by. It drew blood. No idea why it picked on her.
She did nothing beyond walking in the door.

The dog owner 'fled the scene' as it were. Made a hasty exit while he had the chance and everyone was looking at the injury.

Wouldn't it just be better if we kept dogs out of what really should be an exclusively human area?

The argument that "they are allowed here so suck it up" is wearing thin.
We are all very fed up of your dogs in human spaces. The vast majority of us would prefer a dog free space.

What do they do about kids, weeing, being sick or wiping sticky or snotty fingers everywhere ?

Where do you live?

Im not a fan. Dog owner and huge dog lover here but they really shouldnt be in most shops and cafes, its not fair to people who are scared/allergic and its not fair for the dogs.
Only dogs that should be in this environment are service dogs.

I’m a fan of business and dog owners making their own rules and decisions. Far be it for me to think I can dictate who does what.

Internet shouting and being rude doesn’t change the fact that all dogs smell.

it’s just a fact. You might not be able to smell it. Or you might think your dog smells nice.

but they still smell and that smell is unpleasant to many

why are you eating your food off the floor?

do you remove your shoes before you go into the cafe?

I live in Spain. Dogs are as welcome as children. They go everywhere. Even high end restaurants. I can't remember a single time our dogs haven't accompanied us. What happened to your granddaughter is awful , but that could easily have happened outdoors too. That dog needs muzzling outdoors. That's poor ownership. But most dogs are fine as are most peoples

I see more dogs in cafes lately, it's the cafe owners'/managements decision whether or not to have dogs on the premises, but I do object to owners putting their dogs on the chairs and seats, when they could leave them on the floor. Someone with a dog allergy could sit in the same seat where a dog has just been, and go into an anaphylactic shock, and I think it would be the cafe owners fault rather than the dog owners, for allowing it to happen.

Agree. The third party/public liability insurance for cafe owners allowing dogs should be higher.

Timmies is in the UK now. Sorted.

I’m sure if there were any stats to support that insurance companies would have already been all over it. They’re not exactly renowned for showing restraint in collecting premiums. It probably wouldn’t be their responsibility anyway, there’s a reason why dog insurance contains public liability cover. Ours is £1 million per dog.

Kids generally don’t do that in shops. I’ve never seen it.

Well, I have.

They also "shoplift" if their parents don't watch them !

It’s not just that. If the dog sheds hair, drools or is otherwise messy on the seat I won’t sit there. I’d tell the cafe owner that too if they showed me to a table where a dog owner had let its dog sit on the seat and I’d seen it get up to leave.

Shows the kind of places you go to then. 100% hand on heart never seen that, the most might be a child wiping its hand somewhere but most parents aren’t twats and stop their child from doing that. Even the more feral parents.

Dd projectile vomited half the length of ikea once while I was sprinting for the exit with her in my arms. 🙈😆

Basically, I love dogs - I don't like children one bit.

To me this is the real problem - it isn't dogs in cafes, it's dogs with a history of biting anywhere in public without a muzzle
I have a dog and a couple of years ago would never have taken him into a cafe - he was so excitable he would have wanted to say hello to everyone and it would have been impossible to control him and eat a meal. Last week we went for a pub lunch and he sat calmly - most people didn't know he was there, just the server and a guy on the table next to us who came over to stroke him
The problem is rarely the dog, its the owners

Held to account for what?

You are legally expected to control your dog in public. As an owner. Some dogs due to breed are bound to be more aggressive or bite-y, see pp re dachshunds.

Oh your child! 🤣

😮

I like kids - I couldn't eat a whole one though....

You don't think dog teeth can pierce clothing?

And 99% of my footwear doesn't cover my ankle!

I'm not fussed either way regarding dogs in cafes, as long as they are well behaved like most are. But reactive or barky dogs shouldn't be taken in and all dogs should be on a very short lead.

I do think in the end customers decide. We have 2 cafes almost next to each other local to us, one allows dogs and the other doesn't. The one that doesn't is superior in quality but the dog friendly one is much busier.

Shows the kind of places you go to then

Do you have a problem with Tescos ?

Some kids help themselves to sweets and eat them on the way around the shops. Then when they get to the check-out the staff have to ask the parent to pay and the check-out operator has to scan an empty wrapper !