I have just been for a drink with my mum in a local pub. As there were no people about and Tyler is friendly and under control i let him go for a little sniff. Two minutes later the rudest barmaid comes out pulling faces and she said ' you do know your should be on a lead ' no i didn't the only sign up said dogs aren't allowed on the childrens play area. Anyway i called him straight over and apologised. She continued to chunter on and then walked off muttering 'they poo everywhere'!!! I have poo bags incase of an emergency like that, besides we had just been for a run and he had done his business. What upset me is the fact she could have just said please can you put your dog on it's lead. Simple as that. I realise this post will recieve mixed replies but i had to vent my anger, i think it's the fact she was so rude that has upset me. I sometimes feel as a dog owner people think we have less rights than anyone else.

She shouldn't have been rude, there really is no need for it.  However, I do think dogs should be kept on leads in pubs for health and safety reasons alone. Bar staff won't necessarily see a loose dog when they are carrying a tray of glasses and could easily trip over him.  Also if a dog wandered into the kitchen area and the environmental officer just happened to see it the pub would be fined heavily (I know someone this happened to).

It's down to the landlord's discretion as to whether dogs are allowed in or not so it really should be seen as a privilege.  A pub that I have been going to for years and years won't allow dogs or children on the premises (one reason I go there :D)

Sorry i think you have misunderstood he wasn't inside a pub we were sat outside on a bench.

Sorry Louise but I can't agree that it was acceptable to have your lad off lead inside a pub - pubs are great places for socialising dogs but, in my area anyway, precious few allow them in at all.  Having one loose is likely to cause complaints no matter how well behaved unfortunately :(

>I sometimes feel as a dog owner people think we have less rights than anyone else.

I think in certain circumstances, such as the one you've given, we do have less rights than *anyone else* - after all not everybody likes dogs - they may be afraid of them, allergic to them, just plain dislike them for no particular reason.   If fortunate enough to have a dog welcoming business we should nevertheless respect that not everyone using the same premises will necessarily feel the same way as the landlord.   If I were scared of dogs I certainly wouldn't frequent somewhere that let them in - more particularly if they were free to roam about.

I'm sure your boy is well behaved and that you were upset by the tone and reaction of the barmaid but while her rudeness was indefensible, IMO so too was having a loose dog :(  

I have to say that I wouldn't allow my dogs off lead in a pub area outside or in, but YES WE ARE SECOND CLASS CITIZENS here in the UK.  Wish I lived abroad sometimes as life would be so much better and more fun with my dogs.  Sometimes you can't even walk down a road here in the UK without some snide comment.

Is there still a cafe in Morecambe where dogs are allowed?  I would love to go sometime especially as my dogs are polite and know that they NEVER EVER get titbits off me :d

>Is there still a cafe in Morecambe where dogs are allowed?

Yes there is :)  There is also one on the shore just North of there in Hest Bank that used to be in the same ownership although not sure if it is still.  Can't understand why there are not more when lots of foodie pubs, ooop north anyway ;), permit dogs......................on leads of course ;)

arggghhhh people

I agree.  My pet hate is other people's dogs off lead on streets and the pub situation is the same.  What if someone else had arrived in there with their dog?  What if their dog was dog aggressive or in season?  I think it was rude to let your dog off the lead in the pub, for the reasons others have mentioned here already, and if that got you a rude response back, I'm not surprised.

I can see where people are coming from with this one and I can agree to some extent, but we are very lucky in that our 'local' allows us to take our 4 girls in.  We are even told by the owner that our dogs are better behaved than the children that come in! The one comment that I would make is that shouldn't children also be under control in the pubs.  How many times have we all had our meals disturbed by out of control children running around  and especially when they scream which unfortunately  some seem to think that is how they should communicate. But as I say, we are very lucky with our proprieter.

We weren't inside the pub, i may have missed this off the post, we were in the beer garden, no one else was there as it was mid afternoon, had anyone arrived i could have latched his lead on. I think i have been spoiled as when we go walking all the pubs have no problems with this.

Oh I agree entirely some children should also be on leads :-D My children, well teenagers are very well behaved from little to now, because I am so aware of others around me, I have always been the same with my dogs too, people without dogs, generally see them as a nusience, bit like people without children, must say, I would have had mine on a lead in a pub. (I've never actually taken a dog to a pub, but if I did it would be leaded.) Other people, do not know our dogs as we do, and will always think the worst.

No, I think all children should be crated and left at home

I can see your points of view and why onetwothree, but in my opinion rudeness gets you nowhere.

I would just like to repeat, we were not inside. He was not bothering anyone as there was only my mother and i there, had anyone come along then yes i can understand, but he would have been on lead before they got through the gate.

I take the view that it is someone else's garden - it's not a public space, therefore I would always ask for permission before letting a dog off the lead. I agree that there is always a polite way of wording things tho' :)

Daisy

Inside or out, he should have been on a lead. The barmaid/landlady should have politely asked you to put his lead on, but really she shouldnt have needed to. Dogs are allowed in so few places these days that it is so important that they are very closely supervised so that the dog friendly places remain that way.  

Maybe she thought you had let him off to go to the toilet? I wouldn't be surprised if many irresponsible owners do that

She does sound rather rude though!

Lindsay
x

The barmaid was abit OTT we've all been there done that when no-ones about and the dogs straining to go off sniffing and you think ahhh what harm will it do.
Not that we go to beer gardens much

Indeed. I took Phoebe to the pub once, she got up and lifted up the beer table on her back We left. :D

I'm not being rude, I'm giving you my opinion!!!  Sorry if you wanted us all to empathise with you, but I just don't agree.  And it doesn't really make much difference if you were inside or outside - in weather this nice people eat, drink, talk outside on pup properties just as much as they do inside.  If it was the middle of winter on the other hand...

I believe Louise123 was talking about the rudeness of the lady working at the pub 123, that's the way I interpreted it anyway. :)

Dog owners are to be tutted about in a world that today is full of rules and the publics fears. We are lucky enough to live near a dog friendly pub where dog walkers, if were not welcomed would be empty. It's such a joy to walk along the canal as hubby stuffs his face back at the pub and for us then to join him for a drink after our walk. Some of the dogs are outside on leads and the older more gentile dogs lay untethered and unharrased in the sunshine. They are welcomed inside as well and the little terriers sit on old mens laps, as they sup their beers and chat to their friends. These places of refuge are generally out in the country and to find one is usually by very good luck or from word of mouth and not advertised. Keep your dog on a lead. Let people approach you and don't cross the line. Don't upset anyone and that way, everyone is happy. That barmaid was rude though and you should of told her so.

I was in Strasbourg a couple of weeks ago and they have dogs eveywhere. We went out for a meal in the evening and the woman next to us had her dog with her and in other cafes people brought their dogs in. I really like the culture, but i can understand about dogs in pubs and things. 

The barmaid does sound a bit rude though!

onetwothree i don't expect you to empathise with me,i also don't mean you were rude, what i mean't was people in general don't get far in life by being rude to folk. Also had anyone else been there eating or whatever i would have latched his lead on. As i say most country pubs are lot more relaxed and i have been spoiled.

Im not going to comment on whether it was right or wrong for your dog to be off lead as we will all have varying thoughts on this but I can understand you being so cross with this rudeness. She didnt need to speak to you like this and like you said could simply have asked you to leash up without making you feel like public enemy number one.

She certainly sounds like she was rude. Have a trip up to Grassington in Yorkshire, dogs are allowed in and out of half the pubs and cafes there! :-)

That sounds great LucyD i will have a look and see how far it is, as we always like to try new places. We normally go to Osmotherley , which is lovely and really dog friendly, as i say we have been spoiled by these people as Tyler has been allowed to roam free in the beer gardens and people enjoy it. I will certainley ask now as i didn't realise how badly people would have been offended.

I so agree with Fillis. As dog owners we have to be so whiter than white, so that the FEW places that still allow dogs, continue to do so. After all, if they feel they are getting any aggro how easy is it to just put a sign up - problem solved No Dogs. We are lucky to find a pub locally that allows dogs even in the garden area. Not having a go OP, even agreeing with you to some degree. We are second class citizens in that there are few dog friendly places around, but lets make sure the ones that do don't have any cause to regret it.
Kat

Don't agree with the second class citizens bit as it is not the owner who is being restricted but the dog.  It is up to the owner whether they take the dog or not and so choosing to restrict themselves or not. 

A lot of people class there dog as part of the family so if doggy is restricted then so are they.

Pubs are designed for people not dogs.  If the majority of people don't want dogs in the majority of these places then so be it.   There are enough pubs that accept dogs should you really want to take your dog with you.  

i like those pubs that allow dogs but no children

Many places are unsuitable for children - that doesn't make parents second-class citizens. They can always get a sitter if they want; the same with dogs. :)

But it does make it difficult for them as parents also. Of course they can get a sitter but a lot of people like to do things as a family and there are a lot of restrictions for these people. I am not saying children should be in pub of an evening, but during the day for a meal or social gathering why not? :)

The Witherspoon's near us used not to allow kids, but now they are allowed in during the day for meals.

I used to have to walk miles with my two if I wanted to treat them to a meal, which I do like to do from time to time.  Much easier now they are bigger than me :D

There are plenty of pubs that allow children and when my children were small I would occasionally take them for a meal at these places.  However, when I went out with my OH on rare occasions that we had babysitters the last place I would go to is somewhere where other people's kids were.  The pub we go to on a regular basis these days does not allow children or dogs and that suits me just fine. Horses for courses.

Should I confess to making a complaint in Tesco tonight because there was a family in there with a terrier under their trolley!?  I don't wish to be dog unfriendly but it's unfair to allow anyone into a food store with a dog.  There was a child in charge of the dog whilst mum blissfully did her shopping.

>it's unfair to allow anyone into a food store with a dog

Assistance dogs (guide dogs, dogs for the disabled, hearing dogs etc) are allowed in. Small dogs make very good hearing dogs and don't always wear ID jackets. ;) Was the dog messing or being a nuisance?

It's quite a common sight in France (it's allowed under European law) to see dogs in the supermarkets ... and sparrows flying around as well !

I don't care what they do in France :D :D It's more a matter of principle that if dogs aren't allowed into supermarkets, then they aren't allowed in :) We take our dogs on the IOW ferry regularly. Dogs aren't allowed in the main lounge - you have to take them up to the top lounge or go out on deck with them. It really annoys me when someone sits in the main lounge with their dogs, when we always stick to the rules :( I know that not all rules are sensible/right but I am a firm believer in sticking to them and complaining to the relevant authorities if there is a problem :)

It wouldn't worry me if ALL people/children/dogs knew how to behave in public places (ie with consideration for others) - however there are a lot who just haven't a clue :)

Daisy

The point is, if it's allowed under European law it's allowed here too, because rightly or wrongly (wrongly, IMO) EU laws overrule our own. And how do we know that this dog wasn't a hearing dog, for example, and therefore allowed in? Unlikely I know, but I wouldn't want to jump to conclusions ... ;)

I once remonstrated with a miserable git of a bloke who deliberately rammed a guide dog with his supermarket trolley, on the principle that 'dogs weren't allowed'.

Daisy
Thats OK in theory Daisy(IOW ferry) We are Islanders born and bred and go home to visit several times a year with our Dobermann as she's family too. We find exclution to the top deck in inclement weather during the winter months is unfair to our well behaved dog and she can get quite frightened. Also there are always kids running around like wild things up there and that has never or will change. We struggle to keep the little angels away from your girl at times with their unsupervised shreeking and arm waveing. Where is, if the ferry companies provided a small lounge for pet owners, our girl could lay down and rest after her journey and I would not object to that, in fact I would appreciate it.

Thought that most of the ferries had a lounge on the top deck these days Not like the small ferries where there was just a little passenger lounge to one side of the car deck, where there was standing room only (almost) and just a coffee machine :D :D :D My parents have lived on the Island since 1978 and I've been a regular visitor there all my 50 years :)

I agree about a separate lounge tho' - my dogs are fine if people ignore them. I hate people/children who just come up and try to stroke them without asking :( There is no escape - last time we were down, a few weeks ago, we left the dogs in the car :(

Daisy

.. and sparrows flying around as well  !

Ive seen that too! in LeClerc, he he its cool

And in Auchan, pecking at the fruit and veg, and flying overhead ... watch out for the droppings!

Of course assistance dogs are an exception.  But I wouldn't want to shop in a supermarket where dogs were allowed.  Perhaps an assumption, but the dog I saw in Tesco wasn't marked as an assistance dog, didn't appear to be trained to any high degree either given the small child hanging on to it!

Does European Law really override our laws?  Flippin' 'eck I hope it's not as cut and dried as that yet.  If that's the case wouldn't the Scots be able to smoke where they like as the Europeans seem to?

At the moment the Scots smoking ban holds, because the European Parliament hasn't passed a law specifically allowing smoking in public places. If the Scots repealed their law and allowed smoking again, and the European Parliament banned it, the EU law would take precedence.