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 bizarre so-called logic. It's the potential presence of dog shit in a food establishment at all that is the issue. If you have no problem with the idea of dog shit residue on a cafe floor, and the potential smell from it while you're eating, you knock yourself out. Some of us don't like that kind of thing, but hey what does that matter so long as doggy gets to go everywhere, eh?

And before you try to say it doesn't happen, I've experienced it and I strongly doubt I'm the only one who has.

I’ve never seen a dog have a shit in a cafe. Shit residue is more likely to be brought in on a persons shoes rather than a dog’s bum.

Its not data specifically about restaurants but there's lots and lots of data available from things like caravan sites, air bnb, booking.com and holiday cottage sites of the millions of dog bookings and high percentages of bookings on each including dogs.

A huge portion of those won't allow people to leave their dogs in the tent/cottage so if you want those people to eat in then yes you will need to allow them to bring dogs.

I worked in a dog friendly restaurant and know my area is famous for dog friendly beaches, and having lots of camping etc so yes it makes sense locally to us not to exclude a big portion of tourism trade.

Again

The biggest portion are probably ambivalent. These people could go absolutely anywhere including big chain competitors which are cheaper

There's a portion that want to bring their dogs. These people have a much more limited choice so can be good to capture

A portion that would prefer dog free but will come any way.

And a portion that will boycott. It depends on how well served this market is. Locally this market still has sufficient choice that an extra dog free cafe is likely to not benefit from them as much, and be surviving on the ambivalent

I have dogs and obviously visit a big selection of non dog restaurants but that's often in a planned way, so if you are somewhere relying on passing trade then its dangerous to send customers back home and hope they come back.

Its also sometimes a seasonal thing. In the half terms, summer holidays there is a noticeable boost of tourists without dogs where you could probably easily survive. However in term times, out of the sunny periods its noticeable that its dog people that come back again, and that if you want to stay open in tourist areas in the wet and wind then you'll find its people with dogs who are still caravaning, out walking etc

Yanbu. I hope it gets put to sleep. That’s why the owner fled, because he doesn’t want that to happen. Just shows how selfish some dog owners are.

I hope your granddaughter is ok.

Splendid post and so true

I suspect this is true for most people

I have a dog and go to a mix of dog friendly and non. Considering that 40% of households own a dog, even in dog friendly places its unusual to see 50% of tables with dogs so presumably lots of people aren't taking them

I don't have any strong thoughts about places that don't allow dogs, but realistically if we are out with our dog then we are much more likely to walk on to a dog friendly place, then we are to drive home, drop off dog and come back again that day or a later date. Im not boycotting them or anything just logistically you have to be a pretty stand out restaurant, cafe etc for me to do that.

Oh c'mon.

There's always one...

Don't even waste your time trying to reason with that poster 😂

I don't mind dogs in cafés etc if they're quiet and well behaved. But if they're NOT quiet and well behaved, they have no place there, same rule should apply to feral, noisy kids!

https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/52853-where-is-it-acceptable-to-bring-dogs-and-children

’Almost half of Britons say they “love” dogs (46%), with a further 26% saying they like them. Only 10% hold a negative opinion of canines, while another 16% are neutral on ‘man’s best friend’.’

‘Of the 12 locations we asked about, dogs are most welcome in pubs that do not serve meals. Overall, 82% of people think dogs should be allowed in at least a portion of such venues, including 57% who think they should be allowed in the majority or entirety of the premises.’

‘Almost three quarters of the public (72%) think dogs should likewise be allowed in coffee shops, but they are split between the 38% who think dogs should be allowed throughout or in most of the space versus the 34% who think they should be restricted to a certain section.’

Indeed. I liken it to smoking. My mother complained to establishments all the time about smoking. I like to credit her with being part of the movement that helped ban it in indoor buildings - these were the days where people could smoke on planes and in the cinema, as well as in restaurants - restaurants would 'divide' the restaurant in half and have smokers on one side, but of course the stench would waft over. I am hopeful the same will happen to dogs in cafes.

People are chastised and even bullied if they say they don't like dogs. So when you are asked face to face, people are reluctant to state that they don't like dogs. When I have spoken up about not liking dogs, I often get a response of relief and people say they don't like them either but go along with it soas to not upset people.

Probably not to the standard I would clean a table (or anything) for myself if I knew it had been licked by a dog. Not judging anyone else but dog slobber or dog hair isn't for me.

I don’t think the dog lovers “drag” their dogs anywhere. Such emotive language.

Do you eat directly off the table, or from a plate or cup?

If you read this thread, dog lovers have been called all sorts, including gormless.

I don’t the the dog haters are in anyway perfect and are certainly chastising and bullying others, albeit hiding behind a screen.

Then I'm sure cafes and businesses won't mind making recompense when something goes wrong.

I don't like to use a table that a dog has slobbered over. That's my preference. I doubt I'd get ill or anything but I don't like the thought of it.

I don't like to use a table that a dog has slobbered over. That's my preference. I doubt I'd get ill or anything but I don't like the thought of it.

So first businesses only accept dogs as a vendetta against people who don’t like them and now people only say they like dogs as they’re bullied if they don’t? Lots of leaping to conclusions.

I know it's crazy to think we put up with smokers indoors, we were probably told then to find a non smoking place to go.

No, dog owners (and I'm one of them) need to keep their dogs in outdoor areas.

Yes yes we know they're currently allowed indoors in some establishments but like smoking the more that complain the more we can stop it.

I can assure you we exist in the big wide world as well as on mumsnet.

There’s no way I’d touch your dog.

The common thread is the mental twists and turns people will do in order to be the victims.

That, the name calling, cheap digs and being adamant their wants are the only ones that matter.