Dogs everywhere

I completely agree and you're not being the slightest bit unreasonable. I've loathe going into pubs and restaurants only to be surrounded by variously yappy/smelly/badly behaved and quite frankly unwelcome canines. I had booked to go to a new restaurant recently but cancelled when I read their 'dogs welcome' policy. Another well-known, very up-market Brasserie chain (second part of name rhymes with Plonk) completely put me off by inviting me to bring a 'canine companion'. No thanks. Have also see dogs in food halls, sniffing round the table-height displays and generally having a snarl at each other. I've had dogs in the past but can't stand this ridiculous preoccupation with 'furry friends'. Says more about the owners than the animals.

A couple of years ago DH was attacked by a passing dog. He was on his way home from his regular morning walk and the dog and owner were on the other side of the road. The dog suddenly went for him, and dragged him to the ground. When he got home his knees, elbow and hands were all bleeding and his good walking jacket torn. The owner was obviously shocked as well as DH, so not a regular occurrence. We've seen it since a few times and it is now muzzled so suspect it happened to someone else as well.

Totally agree with you, in Cheshire Oaks dogs everywhere, I nearly fell over a lead and hurt myself (didn’t see the dog).
I wonder do they have 3rd party insurance in case their dog hurts someone 🤔
I have the insurance for my horse, just a thought

Totally, utterly, wholeheartedly, one million percent agree. Dogs in eateries is a no! Dogs off leads is a no! Dogs worrying sheep is a no!

No you are not being unreasonable.
I don’t have dogs but my family have!
They don’t seem to see a problem with anything their dogs do at any time. Sadly.
Maybe the reason for so many in the shops bars and restaurants is because business is not as good as it was and they need any customers even with their dogs?

I find a lot of children are so badly behave in restaurants and pubs that I much prefer dogs

Let us know. ViceVersa. Reactivity is so hard to manage and reduce. My lab much improved - his was triggered by badly behaved dogs

Thank you, Iam64 - I'm just hoping this doesn't cause him to become reactive to other dogs. He's on restricted walking at the moment, but gets his stitches out on Tuesday.

So sorry to read about your lab ViceVersa. Incidents like yours seem to be more common now. My lab became lead reactive as a result of incidents when harassed by off lead dogs, when he was walking or sitting nicely on lead.
He’s doing well but I avoid areas I’ve walked for years as it’s too busy with offlead dogs, with no recall. I walk my spaniel there, she’s rock solid.

Tenko

Very important points about the training of dogs . They’re not born trained and it’s hard work and you have to be consistent . Not just small puppies but as they get a bit older , they try and rebel , just like teenagers , which is why many get rehomed . Dogs , not teenagers obviously . Our latest dog has been harder to train than the previous two . Even though they are all labs .
The dogs bought during Covid probably didn’t get trained properly as you had to reply on online training videos , rather than classes or 121 . And possibly have attachment issues due to owners wfh . Which is why some owners take their dogs everywhere .

Yes, training has to be consistent and patient.

Not just small puppies but as they get a bit older , they try and rebel , just like teenagers , which is why many get rehomed . Dogs , not teenagers obviously.
Although I was often tempted to rehome my DC when they were teenagers - and keep the dog.

Something really needs to be done about dogs now, and the ridiculous people who get them and don't have a clue. Terrible story -

www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y54xgzpzzo

I would not like to see a world without dogs. They are, mostly, lovely creatures. I do not have a dog but they make my life a bit nicer when I meet lots of them on walks. I know all their names and their owners make me laugh with amusing tales (tails) about their pets.
All these owners are responsible and the dogs are well behaved.

I just wonder why some people have to take their dogs everywhere?
Dogs should be respected and treated as dogs. I'm sure some would rather go to the park than a restaurant.

Very important points about the training of dogs . They’re not born trained and it’s hard work and you have to be consistent . Not just small puppies but as they get a bit older , they try and rebel , just like teenagers , which is why many get rehomed . Dogs , not teenagers obviously . Our latest dog has been harder to train than the previous two . Even though they are all labs .
The dogs bought during Covid probably didn’t get trained properly as you had to reply on online training videos , rather than classes or 121 . And possibly have attachment issues due to owners wfh . Which is why some owners take their dogs everywhere .

Rosie51

^Dogs don't come trained to do all of these things^ I think this is the most pertinent thing. Too many people have no idea of the hard work and length of time involved in training a puppy and just have an idealised vision of pet ownership.

Yes, absolutely. Dogs, especially puppies, are hard work and training should be an ongoing thing. They pay us back a thousand times over in love and affection though.
They are NOT a novelty, a toy, a fashion accessory and I think nowadays, too many people get them on a whim for some of those reasons. The problem is not the dogs themselves, but thoughtless owners who don't train them properly and don't take others into consideration.
Our beautiful, well-trained, laidback Lab is currently recovering from a trip to the emergency vet on Boxing Day and two minor operations after he was attacked by a very large mastiff type dog, off lead, just before Christmas. My husband said the woman who had the dog just shrugged and said - oh, he doesn't like black dogs!

Bukkie

Tenko - You sound very considerate for a dog owner and appreciate others don't feel the same way but sadly you are in a minority. Most dog owners seem to think everyone should love their pooch and cannot understand that it's unhygienic to have them in places that serve food. And they always say, " He/She is friendly and won't harm you." I have no desire to be friends with the dog and I am absolutely terrified of them not just uncomfortable around them.

Thank you . I have an aunt and an ex sil who are frightened of dogs , so I try to be considerate.

Quite! re the training. My father had a golden retriever dog back along and she started off as a typical puppy - ie leaping up to everyone. But she was taught things like 1. You go to the loo in the gutter and not on the pavement (ie that was in the days before plastic bags polluting everywhere) 2. You want to go and swim somewhere - you sit and ask first if you're allowed to do so and then leap in with abandon when it's been indicated you can 3. You sit and watch people to see if they approach you to pet you - and don't just leap on people regardless etc etc.

That dog had started off as my erstwhile brothers/duly paid the £100 back then to get her....but it didn't take him long to realise he was going to have to train her - as dogs don't come ready-trained. Cue for her getting renamed and my father took her over as his dog.

Dogs don't come trained to do all of these things I think this is the most pertinent thing. Too many people have no idea of the hard work and length of time involved in training a puppy and just have an idealised vision of pet ownership.

I do wish people would think more carefully about the suitability of the breed before buying as well as who they are buying from! We've always had border terriers, they are tough active little dogs. Trainable if you put the work in and mine have always had good recall but I've had to work hard with them and even now, I consistently reinforce my training when we are out on a walk as I'm lucky enough to be able to have him off lead except when we are on the road. He doesn't pull on the lead either and will walk to heel off lead when asked. He'll sit quietly if I stop to talk to someone and if we do have a pub lunch when out on a walk, he'll sit quietly at my feet.
Dogs don't come trained to do all of these things and introducing them to the world and all the things they might come across in their lives is an important part of the training. He used to bark at a neighbour if we met her and I realised it was because he wasn't used to seeing anyone wearing very dark sunglasses. She was happy to talk to him, take her sun glasses off and put them back on again so that he understood that there was nothing unusual about her. Now he greets her with a waggy tail and she's become his firm friend.
Sadly during lockdown, too many puppies missed this important part of their learning experience and because families were always home, never learned to cope on their own for a few hours. My neighbour has a lockdown dog, she's got very bad separation anxiety so they always have to take her with them or leave someone at home with her otherwise she barks constantly and makes herself sick. tbh they can't be bothered to put in the work needed to help her gain better skills. It's their first dog!

Early this morning, our dogs throwing themselves around, away from humans, away from restaurants, away from shops and washing any smells off in the frost.
Have a wuffy, happy day!

I'm on a ferry this morning. As soon as a dog began to bark an announcer reminded us that dogs were not permitted anywhere where food is served, must be kept on leads and preferably in the designated areas.

It's been quiet since.

I volunteer for a breed rescue charity. The puppies are expensive, very cute and need training from day one. We get so many relinquished between 7 - 17 months as owners just can’t manage them.
They’re cross breeds, two intelligent, sensitive dogs. You do t always get the best of both breeds, what you’re guaranteed is a dog that needs boundaries, and not to be seen as a fur baby, dressed up etc
See I said I was ms grumpy

When my older children were small we got a rescue dog, a collie cross, she was affectionate and good natured, but very hard to control.
We lived in the country, my husband took her for a walk across the fields every morning, and she had the run of the garden.
It would never have occurred to us to take her to a pub or restaurant, or into a shop or a NT property.
She wouldn’t have liked it anyway, dogs are animals, they should be treated as such.

Rosie51

Apart from the breed of dog, I think that in the past, people just didn’t take their dogs out so much, simple as that.

They were probably taken on walks, and that was it.

Not out to shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants….

But then the people themselves probably didn’t go out so much either.

AGAA4

I wonder why the dog was under your table in the first place?

Why did the owners not make him lie under their table when they first sat down?

Oh, of course, they didn’t want to have their own feet encumbered by dog!

When I was young most people had "Heinz 57" dogs, normally very well behaved, no neurosis at all. It's good that there aren't the stray, wandering dogs of old, but I do feel this obsession with 'pure breeds' has diminished the pool somewhat. Our loveliest dog when I was a child was a chow/husky cross, great temperament and very well behaved. I've since discovered this is now a 'designer breed' purposely engineered. Jess was most definitely not all those years ago.