While there are more dogs in public places in Europe, those animals also seem to be better trained that the majority of American pets. Service animals (i.e. Seeing Eye dogs) are not a problem because they are extensively trained and socialized to behave calmly. “Therapy” or “support” animals (and it seems like it’s very easy to get your small dog classified as a a “support” animal) are frequently poorly or non-existently trained and thus annoying in public places.
The reason that dogs are tolerable in restaurants in France is because they are very, very well behaved. Sometimes they just sit by the table and the other patrons are not even aware that they are there. Sort of like French children vs. American children:)
We recently took our two dogs to a pet-friendly beach in Florida (most in fla don’t allow them). It was a total drag. We have two small, quiet, well-behaved dogs that we kept on leash (as per the rules). People had their giant, unruly, un-neutered dogs constantly running up to us-I had no idea if the 100 lb doberman was going to say hello or bite my dog or my kids. It was so stressful and miserable we packed up and left after about an hour (listening to the second dog fight of the morning was more than enough).
Bipeds have a difficult enough time behaving properly and considerately-they need to master that before they bring their quadrupeds into the mix, in my opinion.
We flew with our mini-poodle mix to the Pacific northwest this past summer . . . kept her in her carrier the whole time (we don’t have her as an emotional support animal) except to take her to a pet relief area on a layover. She mostly did fine. It was a little stressful but an interesting experience. The hardest part is when we landed she expected to get out of her carrier and would whine a little (embarrassing).
I’m not a fan of dogs indoor at restaurants, but we sit with her on patios.
I agree with the post above - sometimes people are a little dense when it comes to certain behavior that they allow their dogs to engage in. Just be courteous and people are mostly understanding.
I would not want legitimately trained support animals to be penalized by people who take advantage of the system.
ive only written 2 letters in support of emotional,support dogs. One person tried to sue a restaurant for allowing the dog. I spoke to her lawyer, and it is very clear that only dogs with special training, like a seeing eye dog, are allowed anywhere.
I’ve gotten phone calls from people who want to come in for 1 session, and walk out with a letter. Uh, no.
So many people in condos complain about all the dogs barking, as so many people get their dogs certified. This issue scares me from moving to a condo.
Ditto, bookworm. I , very reluctantly, wrote one letter, very carefully worded. The letters expire after a year, but I am certainly not saying a word. Not my problem.
Most Americans are as aware of how their dog’s behaviour affects others as they are aware of how their children’s behaviour affects others. (not so much)
What about hospitals? I don’t mean the trained therapy animals. Can a patient keep their emotional support animal in the room while the patient is staying there?
I think this is going to backfire. there are people bring ESA’s everywhere…stores, restaurants, theme parks, public transportation, etc.
I saw a woman walking with her dog through Whole Foods the other day and was really surprised management hadn’t kicked her out. There was no service animal vest on the dog.
I’m ok with well-behaved dogs on restaurant patios but they really should not be running around inside grocery stores unless they’re actual, real service dogs. I suspect there are health codes against it as well. Even at an outdoor farmer’s market in SoCal there were a lot of prominent signs that dogs were prohibited due to health codes.
My mom has been in the hospitali news Florida for a week and I’ve brought her dog to see her several times. They only require you to bring their vaccination certificate. I’ve seen several dogs here since I’ve been here.
Having the dog here really perks my mom up and the nurses and aids, too. Yesterday she was here when the doctor came in and he started talking about his dog. Just makes a crappy situation much more pleasant for everyone.
Too many people treat their pets like babies or toys instead of trainable intelligent beings. Many owners are too lazy and undisciplined themselves to cultivate a pleasant, obedient, disciplined animal (this takes a huge time commitment and a lot of attention). We can’t have dogs routinely in public places unless the public has a major change of attitude about how animals should be trained, and animal owners should be held strictly accountable for the behavior of their animals in public. If you can’t control your dog (large or small) you shouldn’t have one, IMHO. You certainly shouldn’t inflict it on the public. And I say this is as someone who loves dogs and has had three of them.
Maybe this all started with the fad for “purse dogs” a few years ago. Small dogs are often very badly behaved because their owners rely on physical control instead of obedience training.
My sister’s very well-trained and very large dog visited my dad when he was in a continuing care retirement facility near the end of his life. The dog was a big hit, with my dad, other residents, and staff, once they realized he was not a bear.
This summer I was travelling by car alone with my dog. She is well behaved and not a barker, and I stayed at inexpensive, pet-friendly motels (Red Roof Inn, for example). The only problem I had was highway rest stops. It was extremely hot, and even leaving her with a bowl of water and the windows cracked I was concerned about leaving her in the car long enough to use the facilities and get some take-out. (I was actually more afraid that I would be accosted by an animal welfare vigilante than that she would have heatstroke in 10 minutes.) And naturally these places never had a single shade tree to park under. Would it really be so terrible for a person to be able to take their leashed dog into the ladies room and a wide open food court?
Another possibility would be for the rest stops to erect a shade cover over a set of parking spaces for those travelling with pets. They could locate it at a distance from the building, by the dog walking area, which would probably ensure that no one else would want to use it. Maybe I should write a letter…
I really dislike dogs in grocery stores! People would put a food item into the cart next to their toy dog (“he is a service dog, he just got certified, but his vest is in the mail!” - yup, heard that exact phrase!!), then change their mind and put the item back in the bin - after the dog had a chance to leave snout prints all over the package! Disgusting. I have cats, but I do not let my cats come near human food!
My D tried to get her hamster certified as an emotional support hamster so they could keep him in the dorm lol. On the one hand, my D loves animals and misses her pet immensely. She went through a rough spot awhile back so I get it. However, it does make a farce of people that really need assistance pets for DLA. Needless to say, her off campus friend now has Hammy.
What I can’t stand is when people run with their dog in races! At a 5k in Austin a few years ago, a dog on a leash ran in front of me and I tripped. I yelled at the owner, but she just ignored me. Not cool.
emilybee- Actually, Florida has about the strictest laws in the country about dogs and food products. I had a legal issue (in my job) involving a very pet friendly retail chain (agricultural and pet products) which also sells some candy bars and bottled soft drinks. The store got a fine for allowing pets in the store since it had a food license for the snack foods.
