Should I have said something?

If I had been there I would have definitely said something to the woman and informed the staff too. It is not acceptable behaviour anywhere but especially in a public cafe. My grandmother had several dogs , but the rule was quite clear. No dog was fed from the table, definitely never given crockery used by humans and they were given anything extra in their own dog bowl. that way they never bothered anyone at a table and you knew what was safe and correct. In fact I would be tempted to actually pick up the things used and drop them on the floor so that they broke and it would attract the staff attention too and would be quite happy to explain why. Disgraceful behaviour. If she chooses to be so unhygenic as to allow that in her own house that is her choice but not anywhere else ( I would definitely not want to eat at her house!)

Kate1949.agree.
But I always prefer animals to humans anyway

We have 2 dogs, both well trained and obedient - BUT, we wouldn’t dream of taking them to an eating establishment. We want to enjoy the moment without looking after the dogs!

That's disgusting and maybe I'm confrontational but I would have said something to the dog owner and the cafe owners servers

I’ve had a prescription dispensed by a pharmacist with two large cold sores! She also put her finger very near her nose.
I washed my hands immediately when home, and again when removing medicines from bag and wiping the medicines with antibacterial gel! Two days later …. guess what! Yes - cold sores appeared on my mouth! 😮. Ugh!

Alverstone25

Not your place to say anything..

What people allow their dogs to do in their own home is their business but in a cafe definitely not okay

Quite.

Why do I come across as entitled Freya?

So anyone who disagrees with you is making silly noises DrWatson.

No, they just have a different viewpoint.

And, if the dishwashers are so effective, why do some utensils, glasses, cups, sometimes still have remnants of food, lipstick etc on them?

Dogs are animals. They are not babies, (nor fur babies!) and they should have their own bowls for food.

As Germanshepherdsmum and Caravansera (almost a Santana album?!) have said, people are just making silly noises on this topic. Cafes have dishwashers that wash at extremely high temps, with some tough detergent, you'd have more chance of being infected by a HUMAN's mucky paws when you touch a table, or chair, or (even more likely) go to the loo and get some transferred germs from a surface you haven't considered as a possible threat.

BlueBelle

*Without putting too finer point on it, we don’t know where anyone’s tongue has been before they start drinking from a cup or glass and putting cutlery in their mouth*
Chances are its not been up their bum Caravansara

But it might have been up someone else's! (Sorry, just couldn't resist lowering the tone!)

Not your place to say anything..

What people allow their dogs to do in their own home is their business but in a cafe definitely not okay

Loathing dogs as I do I would never return to that cafe though I doubt I'd have gone there in the first place. What the OP describes is absolutely disgusting.

Why do people make so much unnecessary fuss about this? The plates and crockery will be washed at high temperatures in a commercial dishwasher. I’d be more worried about human contamination than dog contamination if anything.

People find all sorts of things offensive that others don’t and vice versa. Feeling offended by something that doesn’t actually harm one is an emotional choice.
Infection, or the possibility of it, really is the issue here, I think rather than people’s disgust at something they wouldn’t do.
The woman and her dog did not harm anyone.

I know a couple who let their dog do the same & lick their ice creams etc etc. They think she's a human. They've been known to let the dog lick the plate clean then use it themselves. No one can say anything as we would get a complete show down about it being ' normal'
I wouldn't have let my dog do that at all. A dog is family but that's taking it way too far for my liking. People who let their dogs do that don't see it as an issue at all.
I'd probably just mention to the person that it's not a good idea in a public cafe. What they do at home is their business.

I'm not sure that's the point here. This woman was in a public place. It was offensive to other people. She can do what she likes in her own home. She showed little consideration for others.

How many of the people worried about dog germs from this story wore PPE (gloves in particular) when they were changing babies' nappies?

Or did people (those who didn't have OCD problems; how do they manage with babies?) just wash their hands thoroughly afterwards?

Bet they have hot water and soap though. Excellent germ killer hot water.

I've been to lots of cafes don't have dishwashers, btw

cakehunter I think I'd have mentioned it to the waitress or cafe owner. It's pretty disgusting.

Germanshepherdsmum I think it's likely that dogs are as bad as humans, if not worse, when it comes to transmitting diseases! After all, we don't lick our rear ends, then lick our owners, crockery etc....

Have you come across Toxacara canis, or this:

Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a bacterium transmitted through the saliva of dogs. An infection can cause severe sepsis with acral necrosis and is potentially fatal. Here, we report the case of a 41‐year‐old man who was infected through a wound that was licked by his dog. He went into septic shock with disseminated intravascular coagulation and subsequently lost both lower legs, his nose and all the fingers on both hands.

If the dog eats raw meat then Salmonella may be a problem too

I agree with German shepherds mum. I’d be more frightened of catching a cold sore or a virus from a human who had used that plate or cup than from a dog licking it to be honest ! All the dishes will be scald hot dishwasher cleaned . I don’t see the problem.

Baggs

Freya5

Germanshepherdsmum

Very true Caravansera. I am far more likely to catch something unpleasant from another person than from my dog. After reading about the bacteria in a bowl of nuts in a bar, due to people not washing their hands after using the loo, I wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole.

Humans don't lick their bits then lick plates and dishes, then humans unknowingly clear them away It's a well known known thing re bar snacks, would never touch them either.

But quite a lot of dog-owning humans allow their dogs to lick their faces.

Some humans kiss their dogs.

Some humans think both of those things are cute.

Takes all sorts

Face-licking is very much a dog thing of course. I'm not criticising the dogs.

Nor the humans if that's what they want.

Freya5

Germanshepherdsmum

Very true Caravansera. I am far more likely to catch something unpleasant from another person than from my dog. After reading about the bacteria in a bowl of nuts in a bar, due to people not washing their hands after using the loo, I wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole.

Humans don't lick their bits then lick plates and dishes, then humans unknowingly clear them away It's a well known known thing re bar snacks, would never touch them either.

But quite a lot of dog-owning humans allow their dogs to lick their faces.

Some humans kiss their dogs.

Some humans think both of those things are cute.

Kate1949

We have no idea if plates we are eating off in cafes etc have been licked by dogs. That's fine. What you don't know can't hurt you. It's the entitlement of the woman that gets me. I love my dog, I will let it lick my plate in front of you. Deal with it.

How entitled you come across as.