AIBU to expect a dog-free area in a restaurant?

[Diorling]

Hi,

I recently met up with my family for lunch at Bills at Clark’s Village in Somerset. It’s not an area I know, but looked to be good for a meet up. it was a lovely sunny warm day and folks were out enjoying their shopping. It was a great atmosphere.

It was pretty empty in Bills as we were early. The waiters were lovely and showed us to a table, and we were busy looking through the menu when I smelt a fairly unpleasant smell. I looked up, and a family were being sat at the next table. The smell was coming from their dog, which was being sat right next to me, rather than on the other side where there was an empty table. It wasn’t a dog that sat nicely on the floor and went to sleep either - it kept on trying to move towards me and the family.

Now I like dogs, grew up with them, and have had my own, but one of the children was attacked at the park by a random one once ( it ran up to him), and he is now terrified by dogs. The dog kept edging towards him, and he kept trying to shrink away along the long bench seat as far as he could. Not only that, but frankly the smell was appalling.

i spoke quietly to the waiter, explained the issue, and he moved us to another table in the opposite corner. It’s a large restaurant, so problem sorted. Except it wasn’t. Within 5 minutes they had shown another family to the table next to us - despite most of the spaces still being empty. They too had a dog, but this time it was lifted onto the seat (and later laps of the family). Again it was right next to us. Whilst I love dogs I don’t expect to have their nose by my elbow and frankly don’t think it’s very hygienic.

I complained to the restaurant but they explained they were dog friendly, and even had a dog menu (‘Bone Appetit’).

Now that’s fine - if I had known it. But as I pointed out, there were no signs anywhere to that effect, nothing on entering - and apparently no dog free area for those who prefer not to eat near dogs. Obviously we won’t go there again (a pity, as staff are lovely and the food was good - if you have dogs, and are round there, it’s a great place to go.)

But for the rest of us, I just don’t like dogs around when I eat out - and if they have to be there, then surely their place is sleeping quietly on the floor?

AIBU?

cross-post :)

I would love to see an adult-only area too. Then everyone would be happy.

Money.

The same reason why so many restaurants are now allowing dogs.

John Lewis does allow pets. It is outrageous - shop staff are retail staff, not cleaners. I think it's outrageous that they allow in dogs and expect the staff to deal with the resulting "waste".

But last weekend I was in a cafe with my mum and a woman came in with her dog which had assistance dog on the lead. It was not an assistance dog, she had to drag it across the floor into the cafe, an assistance dog just would not behave like that. That cafe allows dogs anyway but I bet she tries to take it into supermarkets and the like.

They also require dogs to be on a lead, on the floor and close to the owner at all times. Not sure it’s expecting too much think they’d enforce the rules they have created. Doesn’t sound like OP would have had a problem with a dog behaving nicely and sitting under the owner’s table, it was the continuous moving towards her child, and being up by her elbow when they had it on a seat (also against Bill’s own rules).

Yes and that also means a dog-friendly area isn't the entire solution as people with well behaved dogs will have to put up with the annoying ones. And just because you have a dog of your own doesn't mean you want someone else's jumping up at you.

We went to a pub recently, asked about dogs , explained I have an allergy, and were told they seldom had any in there.
Yet within half an hour we saw 5, several wandering around off lead and barking. I heard another couple complaining about the noise and barking.
we ate up and hurried out. Luckily I always carry an inhaler but still felt breathless for several hours. Obviously we won’t go back.

Unfortunately it’s possible to openly buy leads/ harness with ‘assistance dog’ on them. I’ve had a falling out with a friend who has bought them for both her dogs, despite them being her pets and not assistance dogs at all (and not trained at all tbh) and she admits she uses the leads/ harness so she can take her ‘fur babies’ everywhere with her. I think it’s wrong, as it may lead to issues for genuine assistance dogs.

Humans don't rub wet slathery mouths and noses on you. Or lick their own arses

Speak for yourself 😒

Before I sit on a restaurant seat I will have wiped my arse. The dog won’t. I won’t slobber everywhere or bark. I also don’t stink or shed.

That’s a good point actually, thanks

It is wrong, its outrageous. Some people are so entitled and just have complete blind spots about their pets (and children often).

As I mentioned I love dogs and have had a couple of my own. In fact one of mine did give me a disease, bad enough to put me in hospital. She didn’t mean to, and was still really a puppy, but as she jumped up as I came in, she scratched me with her claw. it was only a tiny scratch tbh. Despite cleaning the wound at the time, the scratch became infected. I was young then so it’s quite some time ago, but it was pretty unpleasant at the time.
I suspect she had been digging in the garden ( her favourite hobby at the time) and something was in her claw from that.

That's disgusting. I avoid anywhere that allows dogs inside.

With most restaurants, yes, I think you should be able to enjoy your meal away from dogs, even if they don’t ban non-service animals. However, one that markets itself as dog-friendly to the point that they have a dog menu is different. That is a place you are going to encounter many dogs. Part of the establishment ethos is people bringing their dogs. You just happened to stumble into the wrong place. It would be like me a person with asthma walking into a perfume shop. It doesn’t matter if the signage wasn’t great, the end result is that I’m the one who needs to leave.

I was also surprised that John Lewis allowed dogs, and i saw 2 dogs in tesco recently (1 was a trainee guidedog, so fair enough. The other was in a dog pushchair, and had some kind of harness , possibly emotional support dog, it was asleep so i dont think it was an assistance dog)

My sister works in a shop which allows dogs. They have had dogs wee or shit on the floor more than once. I think its unreasonable for retail staff or cleaning staff to have to deal with that.
1 shop local to me has a sign outside saying no dogs in the shop because a member of staff has a phobia.

the dog was off lead and came up behind me and licked my hand while I was eating. Dogs are frequently off lead in restaurants in my experience. I repeatedly have to ask dog owners to keep their dogs under control.

I'm in my sixties and live in a really dog friendly part of the world. For decades we've had dogs in our local pubs and cafes. I also travel Britain quite widely and eat out often. I cannot remember ever seeing a dog off lead in a restaurant.

@dizzydizzydizzy
'emotional support dog'!?
Aka 'a dog'... I mean, isnt that what most pets are for?
Claiming that your dog is special & should be allowed everywhere is just more entitled bs from dog people.

My husband is disabled, uses a mobility scooter or wheelchair, we also take our dog out and about. Between the 2 its a lot of restrictions. It's either disabled friendly or dog friendly but often not both, I had a family friend suggest I got our dog an assistance dog vest so we could get into attractions etc that currently only allow assistance dogs. UMM..no! She is overall well behaved but certainly not against occasionally pulling towards something or a random woof! I'm totally honest she is a pet.

Most shops and restaurants in outlet centres are dog friendly e.g. bicester, Ashford. I assume Clark's Village is the same. They usually have paw print stickers at the entrance to show this

However dogs are not allowed on chairs at Bill's! https://bills-website.co.uk/faq/are-you-dog-friendly/

i’m in outer London and go to restaurants and cafes in the day time, rarely evenings. and the issues I have described are a regular incidence. When I say ‘Regular’ i mean there is usually a dog in every establishment and about 4 times out of 5 they are either not on the lead or on an unlocked extending lead - and the owners are either not paying attention to what their pet is doing or they must think that everyone wants their animal to join their meal. I have to speak to the owner to ask them to keep their dog under control. They almost never automatically call their dog back. I am polite to them and never had any complaints but some of them grab their dog, keep an eye on it for 10 minutes and then forget and the dog is running around again. Gahh! This last happened on Tuesday in my local cafe.

I went to a new to me pub/café. A huge, furry and dog-smelly Alsatian came over from a nearby table and laid at my feet. I dutifully gave the dog a brief back rub. Exchanged some pleasantries with the owner. And then I saw my hands. My palms were almost black and smelt of dog. I had to go and wash my hands before I touch anything at all and I didn't even finish my drink and left.
If that is not unhygienic in an eating establishment then I don't know what is!

This really isn't the case here in rural Somerset.

So in London do people walk along the pavement with their dog on a lead and the moment they get into a restaurant let the dog off lead and encourage Fido to have a scamper about? Seems bizarre. I spend quite a bit of time in London and see fewer dogs there and none in restaurants.

Almost black? Had the dog been down a coal mine?