Are dogs becoming the new smoking?

Colls

Honestly, all the grumpy comments!
For many, many people, their dogs are cats are their best, most loyal friends and companions and I would definitely rather go to a cafe and see beautiful dogs than grumpy, judgemental faces!
Dogs keep ill health away; being grumpy is not good for immune systems!
In fact, before I get my coat, I'll say compared to often snotty, sneezy, squarky children, I'd rather see dogs anywhere!
I'll get my coat now!

Would you really want to eat somewhere where the waitress wipes the dogs bowls and tables witht same cloth and patted dogs, including around the mouth and then handles your food.

The alternative to having a dog is not being grumpy. I am a happy and cheerful indivdidual, especially when there are no dogs around.

I am fearful and unhappy around dogs becaause I have been attacked and badly bruised by dogs, thankfully wearing muzzles, otherwise I could have been very seriously injured. but most of all, as I have said. I do not want dogs, other than assistance dogs in places serving food. Dogs can and do spread disease especially when food handlers serve customers and dogs without washing their hands in between.

Yes, you do that

I commented on this very subject recently. In a Welsh cafe, as you entered, there was a blackboard and easel. The heading said ‘Doggy Do’s and Dont’s’
Please keep all dogs on floor.
3 barks and you’re out.
Other stuff too but won’t mention as the drift is there.
I’m a dog lover but do get fed up of having to step over dogs and barking plus dog sitting on laps with head on table. There I’ve said it.

merlotgran

Most dogs are better behaved in restaurants than some children.

This is quite true !! ( In The Madrid Capital of Spain ) ..

IN THE MADRID CAPITAL:

On the entrance doors to supermarkets, markets, shops and restaurants and bars, there is a sign that basically states DOGS PERMITTED OR NO ANIMALS PERMITTED.

So it is up to the owner or managing director of the establishment ..

You use this phrase “The Madrid Capital” which I neither recognise or understand. I appreciate something may be lost in translation.
Do you mean Central Madrid ?

Frenchgalinspain

merlotgran

Most dogs are better behaved in restaurants than some children.

This is quite true !! ( In The Madrid Capital of Spain ) ..

We know Madrid is the capital of Spain.

The repetitive statement of how much better dogs are than small children comes up in all these threads and is, to my mind, not only entirely spurious but decidedly tedious.

Children are small human beings and (with their adult counterparts) belong in human environments. Dogs are not human and belong in dog environments, not included amongst which are restaurants, cafes, pubs, shops, hotels, theatres, cinemas etc.

Let dogs stay in dog environments (in the country on a lead, in their owners' homes and gardens) so that humans can continue to enjoy their own environments undisturbed.

The tendency for some dog owners to see them as child substitutes entitled to the same rights is frankly utterly ridiculous.

I am very happy for people who love dogs and enjoy being around them to have that pleasure - that is just fine. But they must keep those dogs away from human environments so that others can live in peace and free from danger.

Now to the belief that those who do not like dogs must be hard-hearted, inhuman or lacking in feeling. They are not. They just spread their love amongst the humans around them.

I am fascinated by the dog-owning fraternity that over the years have felt it is just fine to: dock tails, dock ears, inbreed to the point where a dog can no longer mate or breathe properly, put them in cages (aka crates), boss them around till their true nature is beaten out of them etc. All of these I deplore in principle - and I do not even like dogs!

Luckygirl3

The repetitive statement of how much better dogs are than small children comes up in all these threads and is, to my mind, not only entirely spurious but decidedly tedious.

Children are small human beings and (with their adult counterparts) belong in human environments. Dogs are not human and belong in dog environments, not included amongst which are restaurants, cafes, pubs, shops, hotels, theatres, cinemas etc.

Let dogs stay in dog environments (in the country on a lead, in their owners' homes and gardens) so that humans can continue to enjoy their own environments undisturbed.

The tendency for some dog owners to see them as child substitutes entitled to the same rights is frankly utterly ridiculous.

I am very happy for people who love dogs and enjoy being around them to have that pleasure - that is just fine. But they must keep those dogs away from human environments so that others can live in peace and free from danger.

Now to the belief that those who do not like dogs must be hard-hearted, inhuman or lacking in feeling. They are not. They just spread their love amongst the humans around them.

I am fascinated by the dog-owning fraternity that over the years have felt it is just fine to: dock tails, dock ears, inbreed to the point where a dog can no longer mate or breathe properly, put them in cages (aka crates), boss them around till their true nature is beaten out of them etc. All of these I deplore in principle - and I do not even like dogs!

Well said.

...and we do need children, as they grow up and become farmers, bus drivers, doctors, hairdressers etc; which are useful to have.
However wonderful someone's dog might be, it's unlikely to grow to be of use to me if I need a pharmacist.

As always it depends on the owner, keep them by you, under control and away from me. Same thing applies to badly behaved children really! Staff need training if they are touching dogs (or kids) and then food!
We have noticed an increase in people using extendable leads, which is fine, but not when they cut across the path in front of us, I’m too old for hurdling, and certainly not limber enough for limbo. 😉

There is a disused railway line near where I used to live. The station buildings were for a while a cafe - no dogs allowed. It closed. Obviously the majority of potential customers were dog walkers, the whole point of being there being to walk with their dog. Would the no dog people prefer no cafe rather than accept dogs?

Chocolatelovinggran

...and we do need children, as they grow up and become farmers, bus drivers, doctors, hairdressers etc; which are useful to have.
However wonderful someone's dog might be, it's unlikely to grow to be of use to me if I need a pharmacist.

However, you may need an assistance dog yourself one day, or find yourself relying on the services of a police dog or other working dog. They do fulfil very useful roles in society as well as being much loved companions and pets.

I have noticed more and more dogs being transported around in a child's push chair. Unless there is a medical reason, surely dogs are animals who prefer to use their legs rather than be pushed around. I definitely don't enjoy finding dogs in eating establishments and some of the barking is horrible to have to endure when you go for a 'quiet' coffee. While there are many well trained dogs around, there seems to be even more untrained ones with clueless owners. We recently came across a huge dog with a human name, straining on the lead trying to reach us. The owner could barely hold the dog back and had no voice control. We found that quite scary. Also, people seem to have two or more dogs where I live.

DS54

There is a disused railway line near where I used to live. The station buildings were for a while a cafe - no dogs allowed. It closed. Obviously the majority of potential customers were dog walkers, the whole point of being there being to walk with their dog. Would the no dog people prefer no cafe rather than accept dogs?

I would prefer if it was dogs allowed and no dogs. Then I would know to not visit. My local garden centres are always busy in the cafe area, no dogs allowed. Remember trying to walk through and enjoy the Christmas decorations, at another out of area centre, but with large dogs and small, tripping you up and sniffing round your ankles, it was not a pleasant experience as it should have been.
Dog owners have become very entitled, expecting everyone
and every where to accept their pets, and to put up with their
sniffing, barking and ignorant owners letting them sit with their
heads on the table.
It seems a new cafe opens, first question, are dogs allowed, not wheelchair access, not pushchairs,bloody dogs.

Granless

I commented on this very subject recently. In a Welsh cafe, as you entered, there was a blackboard and easel. The heading said ‘Doggy Do’s and Dont’s’
Please keep all dogs on floor.
3 barks and you’re out.
Other stuff too but won’t mention as the drift is there.
I’m a dog lover but do get fed up of having to step over dogs and barking plus dog sitting on laps with head on table. There I’ve said it.

That's an establishment I, as a non-dog owner, would've been happy to enter, because the management obviously recognise that dogs need to be controlled in such an environment.

It has to be accepted, I think, that we are very much a dog-owning nation, but that, in itself, is not really the problem - the problem is the people that own them... some people that own them.

I once had neighbours in the adjoining property - we're terraced. The house is huge and consists of the main building and another smaller one, separated by a communal passageway; the smaller one is a rental and every tenant (we've lived here for 20 years) has owned a dog. Until recently, there's been no problems - I neither heard nor saw the dogs. However a fresh intake of renters - a youngish couple - should not, IMO, have even owned a dog. They were both out at work all day and kept the dog outside the house during that time. I should mention that the owner of the house did not live at the property, it was up for sale, so he would have no knowledge of what was going on.
The poor animal was obviously distressed, it barked and whined for most of the day. Fortunately, as this is a terrace of Cotswold-Stone houses, the sound was muffled indoors.
I'll condense the next bit, and if you're squeamish - maybe don't read further !
We were having some work done which necessitated our gardener going into the next-door garden (I had permission from the owner). I'd warned him (the gardener) about the neglected dog but he wasn't concerned as he was a huge doggy-fan. As he climbed over the high separating wall, all was quiet - I think the dog was listening to all the activity from our side and was distracted from his misery, but he was there. He 'lived' in a small enclosure within the main garden, enclosed by wire-netting. My gardener dropped down on the other side... was beginning to make friendly and encouraging commands to the dog (he later said the dog was standing and wagging his tail excitedly) - when he suddenly yelped, "Oh my God, oh FFS". The small enclosure was absolutely packed and impacted with dog-poo, and he had dropped, boot-deep, into it. Clearly, the young couple had never bothered to pick-up the mess their dog made.
You might wonder why I didn't detect the smell, living so close to it. I don't know why either - but it could be because our terrace is at the end of the small town which is then immediately surrounded by farms and fields, and various smells waft around daily, plus my sense of smell has deteriorated with age.
This couple would arrive home, dutifully take the dog for a walk (not a particularly long walk), and sometimes call in to one of the three local pubs. They were also a bit 'scatty' - I don't know if they only had one house-key between them but one or the other would fairly frequently knock on my door asking if they could come through to climb over the wall to their back entrance as they'd 'forgotten their key' (the entrance to the main garden, in the passageway, was locked). I dread to think what might have been on the soles of their shoes as they walked through my house...
... and yes, I did tell the landlord - my gardener was going to report them anyway for neglecting the dog. There are new tenants now - with a dog. Yesterday, as I was just about to have a nap, there was a knock at the door, the neighbour said her dog had escaped into my garden... how - there's a high wall between us? He'd escaped the small enclosure, entered the main garden, and jumped over the low wall at the end...
Two hours later, she was back once more at the door - he'd escaped again - this time he was nowhere to be seen - the neighbour on my other side has a gap in the wall and the dog had gone through it and was possibly navigating all the other garden walls and fences as we spoke.

So, again, the problem is with the owners of the dogs, a dog will do what a dog has to do.

I love dogs but I don't want them near me when I'm eating a meal or winding their leads round me in a crowded marquee at a garden show or even in a garden centre, they're just everywhere!! I don't like seeing them in push chairs either.

There are dog friendly pubs, restaurants and shops and there are others where they are not welcome.

Your choice.

I have a dog I need to rehome. Its problem is constant barking.

If you are interested I’ll climb over into next door’s garden and get it.

Furret

I have a dog I need to rehome. Its problem is constant barking.

If you are interested I’ll climb over into next door’s garden and get it.

Call Graeme Hall!

Robin202

Dogs that you see out and about are usually well loved family members and its lovely to be able to take your (well behaved) dog with you. We are retired, as are many dog owners and like to take our Akita with us when we go out for the day. We seek out dog welcome establishments and very often there is a separate eating area for dogs and their owners which is perfect for both dog owners and those without. When water and treats are also offered, that is most welcome too.
If a dog is well mannered and settles down quietly beside or under the table, I dont see what the problem is. I’d rather quiet dogs than noisy kids.

I wish there was a like button on here

Lemonred

As always it depends on the owner, keep them by you, under control and away from me. Same thing applies to badly behaved children really! Staff need training if they are touching dogs (or kids) and then food!
We have noticed an increase in people using extendable leads, which is fine, but not when they cut across the path in front of us, I’m too old for hurdling, and certainly not limber enough for limbo. 😉

I’m a dog owner and I hate extendable leads with a passion . They trip people up and get entangled . One broke when my dh was walking a friends dog . The dog was too strong for the lead . Professional dog trainers never recommend extendable leads .

The issues is training of staff then. Why shouldn't dogs be allowed as long as they stay on the floor. What about people who go to the toilet in eating places that don't wash their hands ? That isn't hygienic either. Are you going to complain about that as well? I really am getting fed up of these anti dog posts.

ViceVersa

And I'm just pointing out that you can never guarantee that any establishment is going to be completely dog-free because assistance dogs must be allowed in, by law. I have no problem with any establishment which decides not to allow dogs in general, by the way. There should be a choice of dog-friendly or dog-free - but assistance dogs must always be allowed access.

By definition - there aren't many assistance dogs around. I'm in a very "doggy" part of the country now - and so I do notice a lot of dogs (or their barking or their "residue").

However, I accept assistance dogs - but very rarely see one actually. The vast majority of dogs are pets and very few are "working" animals so to say.

Daisycuddles

The issues is training of staff then. Why shouldn't dogs be allowed as long as they stay on the floor. What about people who go to the toilet in eating places that don't wash their hands ? That isn't hygienic either. Are you going to complain about that as well? I really am getting fed up of these anti dog posts.

I am not anti dog. I am keen on food hygiene. In the past (and I am talking the 1960s), I walked out of a cafe where a child was putting her hands in the sugar bowl and then eating her food with her hands and repeating her parents did nothing to stop her and neither did the waitress say anything (she could have spoken to the manager). In the 60 years since, I have not seen an child or parent behave uite so egregiously disgustngly.

These problems of hygiene with dogs are not caused by the dogs but by their owners. I find dogs slobbering over water bowls and food on the edge of the table and seeing these tables and dogs bowls wiped with the same cloth that is not rinsed out between uses, seeing staff pat and cuddle dogs and then serve food. Yes, obviously there are other habits that are not conducive to hygiene, but this is because no one can see them happen. That is no reason for not stopping those habits that are deleterious to hygiene that are done in public, stopped.