Dog friendly? What would you do?

MickyD

I am a dog person, I love dogs but I wouldn’t have a dog in an eating area. A dog has a little shake and hairs fly everywhere. You could have enjoyed your walk and lunch then taken your dog on its usual walk when you got home.

but surely you would have had the sense and good manners to say something at the planning stage or at least when a freinds arrived with a dog?

Glorianny

Fleurpepper

Ah well- confirms my long held belief! About people who don't like dogs.

I love dogs.
I don't like owners who think their dog should be treated like a human being.
I don't like owners who let their dog bark incessantly and either think it's cute or don't know how to keep it quiet.
I don't like owners who let their dogs, on or off the lead, run right in front of me.
I do think anyone has the right to eat their food or drink their coffee in a dog free area if they wish and dog owners should respect that.
None of this means I hate dogs. I don't have one but that's because I recognise the sort of care they need, and the sort of place it is best for them to live in, and know I can't provide that. It's just a pity so many dog owners can't say the same.

I love dogs, we've had dogs in the past but couldn't give one the exercise it would require now and we spent time overseas, so made the decision not to have another.

However, dogs generally in restaurants and cafés? Fine if there are separate areas as there must be many who don't like dogs around when they're eating out. Or at all, in fact.
Well-behaved dogs are fine but there should be a choice of areas.

But - I have been in a farm café and seen someone sit his dog on his knee and let it eat the leftovers from his plate.
Quite honestly, it put me off my food.

All I could think was, I hope they've got a really hot dishwasher!

2 if I was hungry or 3 if I was not and never gone out with them again....and of course you wouldn't have been alone, your dog was there!

Gone home without any explanation to them and started to seek out new friends

I am a dog person, I love dogs but I wouldn’t have a dog in an eating area. A dog has a little shake and hairs fly everywhere. You could have enjoyed your walk and lunch then taken your dog on its usual walk when you got home.

I’d have just said ‘ can we eat in the conservatory so I can bring the dog in or I’ll probably go home as I don’t want to tie it up outside’. Hopefully that would shame them into changing their minds. Or you could say ‘ would anyone like to eat with me in the conservatory ?’
If your friends stayed in the restaurant after either of these I’d get new friends.

How very rude and thoughtless of them.
I would have left and told them exactly why.
Your dog is a better friend to you than they are.

I’d go home. Rather be with dog anyway!

Glorianny

Fleurpepper

Ah well- confirms my long held belief! About people who don't like dogs.

I love dogs.
I don't like owners who think their dog should be treated like a human being.
I don't like owners who let their dog bark incessantly and either think it's cute or don't know how to keep it quiet.
I don't like owners who let their dogs, on or off the lead, run right in front of me.
I do think anyone has the right to eat their food or drink their coffee in a dog free area if they wish and dog owners should respect that.
None of this means I hate dogs. I don't have one but that's because I recognise the sort of care they need, and the sort of place it is best for them to live in, and know I can't provide that. It's just a pity so many dog owners can't say the same.

I actually agree.

But this is not what this post is about. But about friendship, and what friends do, or not.

Were you told bringing the dog on the walk would be fine with everyone? Did the walk planner know there would be a dog? If so, it was mean. If not, sorry but you've assumed everyone would comply with accommodating your dog - which was not the case.

I’d of gone home sorry I didn’t answer the question

That is soooo rude! In my mind they are not friends, I presume not dog lovers either,

No 3 and I'd find a new group of dog loving, walking friends pretty sharpish.

Fleurpepper

Ah well- confirms my long held belief! About people who don't like dogs.

I love dogs.
I don't like owners who think their dog should be treated like a human being.
I don't like owners who let their dog bark incessantly and either think it's cute or don't know how to keep it quiet.
I don't like owners who let their dogs, on or off the lead, run right in front of me.
I do think anyone has the right to eat their food or drink their coffee in a dog free area if they wish and dog owners should respect that.
None of this means I hate dogs. I don't have one but that's because I recognise the sort of care they need, and the sort of place it is best for them to live in, and know I can't provide that. It's just a pity so many dog owners can't say the same.

Lathyrus I agree we do not know the full story about this matter, but I know that if I was with a group of friends, even if there were others in the group I did not know at all, some of my friends would opt to sit with me in the conservatory to eat, where my dog could lie under the table.
Perhaps the OP will return to say more.

Ah well- confirms my long held belief! About people who don't like dogs.

LRavenscroft

Razzamatazz

Since lockdown I think a lot of people have become selfish as well as thoughtless. I am glad you went home, your dog will always be a better friend than any of them.

Razzamatazz Such wise words and so true.

The OP was one was thoughtless and made the assumption that the group would sit in the Conservatory just to accommodate her.

I don’t know why people can’t see that.

As she gave what other people would want no thought on this occasion I can’t help but wonder if it’s happened several times before and they just got fed up with it.

Certainly you can see that a number of posters on this site would always expect the wants of a dog and it’s owner to come before anybody else’s.

You make a good point BlueBelle

I think there’s a lot of assumptions going on and as grannyrose hasn’t come back we are all presuming we know the situation
1) did granny know people weren’t taking dogs (did she ask? Did she assume it would be acceptable
2) did the friends actually say we’re not eating with you? ( as you all seem to point out how terrible they were how unfriendly, how uncaring) or, more likely did they just walk in sit down then later realise she wasn’t with them and presume she had gone home after the walk remember it was a big group maybe she just wasn’t missed in the rush to find a big enough table or tables

I ve got a vision of them finding the eating place all chatting and going in to find a table * Grannyrose* left outside and then she just walked away home feeling miserable and resentful but the others after they’d settled presuming shed gone home out of choice
Did any of the real friends text or message to see if she was ok after the meal I wonder ?
It could have been a total misunderstanding not necessarily so black and white as a lot of you believe

Razzamatazz

Since lockdown I think a lot of people have become selfish as well as thoughtless. I am glad you went home, your dog will always be a better friend than any of them.

Razzamatazz Such wise words and so true.

I don't know if you are reading, OP; but in case you are I'll repeat the question I asked earlier in case you missed it - why do you think things happened as they did? Did you ask people to join you in the dog-friendly room and have them refuse, or was there something that happened during the outing that might have led to the 'incident'? It does seem odd for people you have known for years to behave like this.

I would have broken away from the main group and made sure I ate my lunch with you and your dog. It is common courtesy and kindness to consider others. Obviously, if the dog is crazy, then it becomes a social issue but not if the dog is well behaved.

Number 3

I wouldnt have left her to eat alone though.

I walk with a group of older people most of us using poles and someone new turned up with two lively dogs who ended up tripping a couple of the walkers. I wasn’t there that week but the owner was asked not to bring them again.
I am not alone in being nervous of dogs, but owners seem to think if they love their dogs then everyone should. Sometimes I wish they loved them enough to clear up after them instead of flinging plastic bags of poo into bushes or just leaving them on the side of the path fir others to tread on/clear up.