Are dogs becoming the new smoking?

Our community café is a case in point. Around 2 years ago it was decided to trial allowing dogs at the front 2 tables but not in the whole shop.
I volunteer each week on the till and take orders. I frequently have to remind customers of the rules.

Gradually this has become accepted and the 6 tables in the main area allow dogs. Water bowls are put out and a dog treats jar on the counter. No child treat jar was noted by a customer

On several occasions I have complained that dogs sniff at the bread which was at dog height. That was changed.

Now there are printed notices on the dog friendly tables - just as the smoking areas were once marked

So yes I agree with. M0nica

That's interesting MayBee70 because we had a cat who was present before any of my children were born, and my son who is dangerously allergic to dogs is equally allergic to cats with similar risks, but people aren't generally bringing cats to shops, pubs, restaurants etc. He was exposed to relative's dogs but not one at home. GG13, as far as I'm aware, grew up with dogs so it seems that exposure didn't help her.

PernillaVanilla

John Lewis allow dogs. I don’t take my dogs out shopping or to restaurants much but I am always happy to see other people’s. There is too much obsession about hygiene these days, as my grandma used to say “you’ve got to eat a peck of dirt before you die”.

“Babies exposed to dog allergens in the home have a lower risk of developing asthma by the age of five years, according to research that will be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands [1]. The researchers also studied babies’ exposure to cat allergens but did not find the same protective effect.”
I remember reading about this years ago. I was actually thinking about it today as I’ve been listening to ZOE podcasts about the gut biome which say we need to be exposed to a wide variety of bacteria. Having said that I do agree that it’s wrong for staff to be stroking dogs and then handling food etc.

Iam64

MOnica , as others have pointed out (and I’m sure you aren’t aware ) the Dog Issue is a regular, divisive feature.
I’ll retreat my previous comments. I grew up with various dogs, in my 76 years, onky three of them have been years where I didn’t live with dogs.
I currently share my life with two, a spaniel and a Labrador. In the past I’ve had three and fostered for a specific breed charity. So there we have it, mad dog lady

I’m absolutely fed up with fur babies. They’re absolutely not. They’re domesticated (ish in some cases) they aren’t babies, children etc, they’re dogs. They need to be treated like animals, they need their breed characteristics responded to. They shiukd lie under the pub table, ignoring everything. They should learn to ignore other dogs and humans. This involves a novel idea for some, Training

Right, restorative glass of wine needed

Well said!

Right, restorative glass of wine needed
Or a couple of treats. Sit!

And this is the problem so if most customers want places to bring their dogs then businesses will accommodate them
If they weren’t allowed through a clause about hygiene then no hotel, restaurant, cafe would accommodate them and it would be as it was before people got as precious about their animals as they are about little children to not be ‘traumatised’ by teaching them to go to the toilet and not use smelly soiled nappies as the normal

Owner's Choice: It's up to the restaurant owner, not a universal law, whether to allow dogs.

Hygiene loophole in my opinion[yes I know they are not allowed in certain areas of a restaurant].

GrannyGravy13

ViceVersa I am not going to get into a Top Trumps of difficulties.

Assistance dogs are invaluable to those they assist.

As I have posted repeatedly on all of the dogs threads, each exposure in an enclosed space increases my chance of hospitalisation.

I have been resuscitated twice, it’s not pleasant for my family, those witnessing the event nor myself.

That sounds awful GrannyGravy13, I have a SiL who has an allergy to dogs but his eyes just water and he gets a bit sniffly, am antihistamine usually works. But my brother is allergic to horses and can end up in A&E because his whole face swells up and his airways.
On the plus side I haven’t yet come across a horse friendly restaurant so they are pretty easy to avoid.

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.

ViceVersa I am not going to get into a Top Trumps of difficulties.

Assistance dogs are invaluable to those they assist.

As I have posted repeatedly on all of the dogs threads, each exposure in an enclosed space increases my chance of hospitalisation.

I have been resuscitated twice, it’s not pleasant for my family, those witnessing the event nor myself.

GrannyGravy13

ViceVersa

For all those saying that they'd never eat anywhere dogs are allowed, just remember that it is against the law for businesses to refuse access to an assistance dog under the Equality Act 2010. So while a business may refuse to allow all dogs in, they cannot refuse access to assistance dogs. Something to bear in mind...

I am aware, and it adds difficulties to my daily life…

I'm sure things would be just as difficult for those who rely on their assistance dogs.

I love dogs but I agree they are everywhere.

It’s all started during Covid, everyone bought a dog.
Our son and DIL bought one, the cost of London dog walkers and day care is exorbitant. .

We have a holiday let and despite us being told by the holiday company our occupancy would be higher if we accepted dogs we refuse.

I can’t cope with the thought of them being on or in the beds!

RosiesMawagain^There are surely enough shops, restaurants, pubs etc which are dog free to avoid them if that is your thing.^ No, that's what people are saying, more and more places are allowing dogs so there are many fewer available. My son is like GrannyGravy13 so severely allergic that it is potentially life threatening, and he too has been hospitalised more than once. The problem is definitely getting worse.

ViceVersa

For all those saying that they'd never eat anywhere dogs are allowed, just remember that it is against the law for businesses to refuse access to an assistance dog under the Equality Act 2010. So while a business may refuse to allow all dogs in, they cannot refuse access to assistance dogs. Something to bear in mind...

I am aware, and it adds difficulties to my daily life…

For all those saying that they'd never eat anywhere dogs are allowed, just remember that it is against the law for businesses to refuse access to an assistance dog under the Equality Act 2010. So while a business may refuse to allow all dogs in, they cannot refuse access to assistance dogs. Something to bear in mind...

Whataboutery watermeadow
I agree MOnica, but I do understand the desperation of the hospitality industry, so I make my choices where I spend my money.
It’s a vain hope this current trend goes the same way as smoking did.

MartavTaurus

But the previous thread was about exactly that. I quote from the OP. It's almost identical.

"AIBU to have a moan about dogs being everywhere and getting on my nerves? Well, not the poor dogs, they don't choose where they are but the current trend of owners expecting to be allowed to take dogs everywhere? They are taken into clothes shops. Ebay used to state "from a smoke free pet free home" on clothing sales. Now it seems to be acceptable to take dogs -even wet smelly dogs, into clothing stores. They are allowed into almost all pubs and resaurants. The only dog free zone here, where I live, is Wetherspoons. Enough said about choice. Waiting staff handle dog water bowlsand stroke dogs and then continue to handle glasses and food plates.
And trying to choose a dog free hotel seems impossible. I don't want a hotel room carpet smelling "doggy". "
Etc, etc.

The previous thread became wide ranging because it meandered as this one might do.

Perhaps we could ask GNHQ to transfer the other thread across to save posters posting the same old, same old.
There are surely enough shops, restaurants, pubs etc which are dog free to avoid them if that is your thing.

GrannyGravy13, your experience is enough for me to join the keep dogs out of cafes , restaurants, pubs, hotels or any indoor venue where serious allergies could be triggered.
My husband was allergic to cats. If we were visiting friends with cats, they’d hoover and keep the cat away but he still needed anti allergy meds as fur lingers. Holiday rents with cats or feather pillows - dreadful asthmatic reaction

My love of my dogs remains but as indicated earlier I’m fed up with badly behaved dogs running up to on lead dogs, children, people. Too many irresponsible owners

watermeadow

There are an awful lot of people I don’t want near me, in the street, in pubs and restaurants. Many of them are dirty, rude, noisy, mad. They should stay at home and not go out to annoy or offend me.
Did you know people routinely kill other people or steal their goods or their spouses? They’ve wreaked the natural world and cover the earth with their pollution. They spread diseases and hate. And they are everywhere you go.
Compare that to dogs.

Blimey, maybe change where you go 🤷‍♀️

There are an awful lot of people I don’t want near me, in the street, in pubs and restaurants. Many of them are dirty, rude, noisy, mad. They should stay at home and not go out to annoy or offend me.
Did you know people routinely kill other people or steal their goods or their spouses? They’ve wreaked the natural world and cover the earth with their pollution. They spread diseases and hate. And they are everywhere you go.
Compare that to dogs.

MartavTaurus

Whitewavemark2

Do we have data that evidences the level of illness humans have contracted from dogs allowed in eating places?

That would be the deciding factor I would have thought.

The previous thread had examples of people who had suffered severe reactions to dogs, and I think one was hospitalised?
I doubt whether there is recorded data, but maybe there is.

I have been hospitalised due to dogs.

I am currently 7 weeks in to a long course of steroids and other medication due to a family party held in a venue that had dogs in it during the day. Narrowly missed being hospitalised over Christmas and New Year.

If I had been aware, I could have either not attended or taken preventative medication beforehand.

I love dogs, was surrounded by them growing up, my allergy has worsened as I have grown older. Each episode is more severe than the previous one.

The sudden dogs everywhere fad is an absolute minefield for me.

Hate to bring this up if people are having supper but dogs do occasionally wee or poo when out. By the laws of probability this must also happen in restaurants where dogs are allowed.

It’s not a money making racket.
It’s a business.

Businesses need customers otherwise they go under, so if most customers want places to bring their dogs then businesses will accommodate them.

That’s how it works.

If staff aren’t being trained and supervised in hygiene with dogs they’re probably not bring trained and supervised in any other aspect of hygiene either🤮

So perhaps the contact you see them having with a dog is a good signal to exit fast anyway.

I dont like dogs in restaurants. They should stay at home, walked on a lead by the owner, and loved in a environment eg the owners home.
I am sick of having to contact hotels to ensure if its dog friendly they are not allowed where I am eating.
I don't want a creature who licks their own bum anywhere near me.
I don't think a dog belongs in a restaurant. I also think some of them smell.
When I am vacationing I want to be as far away from dogs as I can be.

Btw I don’t mind if was another thread, and am sure others don’t either because plenty are responding to this one.

It is of course a money making ploy, not so much dog friendly as dog owner friendly. Am not entirely sure but if someone asked a dog if it wanted to sit panting by the table whilst the owner eats in a restaurant am pretty sure it would not want to be there.
And of course it is unhygienic for staff to be handling dogs or their water bowls than handling people’s meals. We need not go too deeply into this but dogs do lick parts of their bodies and the parts of other dogs bodies with impunity so of course this can obviously pass on nasty germs/bacteria.
Maybe most healthy human beings can cope with these germs/bacteria but am sure a more vulnerable minority may not.
And if this is a money making racket it could backfire inasmuch as those who don’t relish the thought of eating out with dogs will take their custom elsewhere.