I love dogs — but owners need to realise one thing
I have owned dogs my whole life - but I see owners doing things I would never have dreamed of.
I do not hate dogs. In fact, I actually quite like dogs, in the way that a child-free person likes babies. I’ll happily say hello, give them a pat and say how cute they are - but I also like being able to give them back.
I need dog-lovers reading this to keep this in mind: your dog is nice, and if I see it in the street, I’ll give it a smile. However, with that said, dog owners need to realise that just because your pet is your life, it does not need to infiltrate every single aspect of mine.
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Living in London, it feels as if I can hardly move for dogs. They’re in pubs, in shops, cafes and the tube. Obviously, I know that as a dog owner, you have places to be - I’m not going to roll my eyes at a well-behaved dog on the tube sitting quietly, nor am I going to begrudge a dog beside you in a beer garden.
Where I do start to draw the line is inside at a nice restaurant, trying to enjoy an expensive meal as your French Bulldog struggles to breathe, or your Goldendoodle dribbling on my trouser leg as I browse the racks at M&S.
Even some pubs need to start putting their foot down - it’s hard to enjoy a pint as a dog yelps constantly in the background. If you know your dog is reactive, it’s important to know their limits. By taking your pet everywhere, you’re doing your dog and everyone else a disservice.
My family has had dogs almost my whole life - albeit in New Zealand, where their constant presence is not so normalised as it is in London. I would never dream of bringing my dog into a restaurant - especially not some of the larger breeds we owned.
You may think you can control your dog; however, some people are terrified of them, some people are allergic, and others simply don’t like them. It’s unfair to other people to prioritise your pet over them. Part of living in a civilised society is having consideration for your fellow man, and so many people now seem to think their beloved pet is more important than the quiet enjoyment of their dining partners.
There are certain pet owners who love to tell you that their dog is their baby. However, if these people wish to be dog parents, I recommend they take a tip from the book of actual human parents and realise that sometimes their baby should be left at home with a sitter.
