Ruth, I don’t even care what the topic was about. You write beautifully and I was right there with you in the Tearoom of Doom, not moving a muscle. Bet Satan was a cutie though and dare I say I feel for his owner who must face the same situation every single time he brings his (gentle? well behaved?) giant out.
Dogs in shops/cafes/others enclosed spaces is contentious.
Wetherspoons is a no dogs anywhere policy. I’m pleased with that, Mr Jarvis Cockapoo might pick up antisocial habits in there.
John Lewis is ok with dogs, as are a number of restaurants with beds, including Michelin starred ones. They just have separate areas, dog areas with tiles, none dog areas are carpeted.
Owners just need to use common sense. Big dog, no matter how well trained, just don’t fit in tiny spaces with breakables!
I too, are afraid of large dogs( traumatized as a child)not sure why other peoples dog’s have to be every where we shop, eat & want to enjoy…the owner should have every right to turn any dog away
Brilliant! Whilst pottering around a tiny, picture postcard village in the North East, I spotted a similar sign in front of a similar-vibed cafe (iced tea served in jam jars but with all the milks, kind of thing). This read: 'All paws on the floors' which had me wondering whether a dog had once tried to sit in a chair like a human, back feet on the floor, front ones resting on the table. Or maybe it had drunk a little too much water and decided to incite a bit of debauchery by dancing with all FOUR paws on the table?
I really feel for the man in your story, though, as we have a massive, muscle-rippling dog too who's only 15 months old but is the size and weight of a small horse. We also get a lot of fearful looks but in fairness make sure the cafes we take her in are size-appropriate.
By the way, is Dexter following you and also growing out his bob? Thank you, as always, for injecting some sunshine into my day xx
There does seem to be a lot of defensiveness from some dog owners now that their dog should be welcome anywhere regardless of their behaviour- and they have to acknowledge that some people are scared of dogs. My mum is scared of them, and we were sitting in a park (just behind the main street in Cirencester) when a lady immediately let her dogs off the lead and they both came straight over and jumped up at us. She seemed slightly offended when my mum told them to get down and told her she doesn't like dogs! Also if your dog needs to come shopping with you to Clarks village and stand in all the doorways then they might have a shopping problem. Anyway, I'll see you Satan and his owner and raise you the man who smugly took a 6ft yellow, fat python to a train station in Torquay, where a woman immediately started crying about having to get on the two carriage train with it. The station person told him to put it away (he had a little sack), and as soon as the train came he got on and immediately got it out again (none of this is a euphemism, he had a an actual massive snake). Naturally the carriage he was not in got quite full as everyone else got in that one, and then the man got off at the next stop (me too) and I had to follow him up the road (keeping my distance) to asda. At this point its just plain smug intimidation.
I mean the snake raises my story a MILLION times: what the hell?! This is brilliant! What happened at Asda? Did he keep his snake in the sack or get it out?
I think he carried on walking up the road past asda, with it around his shoulders and trailing on the ground, whilst drivers gawped at him, and I ran into asda. I don't understand what purpose any of this had other than attention seeking and making others uncomfortable!
"A dog can’t dress in a floral smock-top and Birkenstocks to indicate that it has a 100% perfect behavioural track record, that it would rather make purses out of hemp than savage a human."
Ha! So glad you got round to writing up your canine encounter, Ruth. Really entertaining.
I love dogs any kind of dog, well mostly, barring those who you can carry in your handbag and who yap, and huge ones like Beelzebub who sounds like a Great Dane to me, and who when they bark could rattle windows in their frames. They're the kind of dog who with one swipe of their tongue could clear tables of their entire contents of all sorts of culinary delights, including the Vicky sponge of the lady near you and your oil drenched focaccia, which sounds divine and will necessitate a trip to Waitrose later on!
I love your Dexter who looks like a Cockerpoo and is a real heart melter and utterly adorable 💕.
I am a dog obsessive. All shapes, all sizes. But I would not take my dog into a café and he is small and good. The owner there was being an arse and sadly there are many of them about.
Ruth, I don’t even care what the topic was about. You write beautifully and I was right there with you in the Tearoom of Doom, not moving a muscle. Bet Satan was a cutie though and dare I say I feel for his owner who must face the same situation every single time he brings his (gentle? well behaved?) giant out.
Hilarious loved this! Gave me a giggle after a 4am start and a cancelled flight
This was gripping! Glad you survived to tell the tale.
Dogs in shops/cafes/others enclosed spaces is contentious.
Wetherspoons is a no dogs anywhere policy. I’m pleased with that, Mr Jarvis Cockapoo might pick up antisocial habits in there.
John Lewis is ok with dogs, as are a number of restaurants with beds, including Michelin starred ones. They just have separate areas, dog areas with tiles, none dog areas are carpeted.
Owners just need to use common sense. Big dog, no matter how well trained, just don’t fit in tiny spaces with breakables!
I too, are afraid of large dogs( traumatized as a child)not sure why other peoples dog’s have to be every where we shop, eat & want to enjoy…the owner should have every right to turn any dog away
The reveal of the name being ‘Satan’ made me do a proper laugh out loud x
Hahaha
Brilliant! Whilst pottering around a tiny, picture postcard village in the North East, I spotted a similar sign in front of a similar-vibed cafe (iced tea served in jam jars but with all the milks, kind of thing). This read: 'All paws on the floors' which had me wondering whether a dog had once tried to sit in a chair like a human, back feet on the floor, front ones resting on the table. Or maybe it had drunk a little too much water and decided to incite a bit of debauchery by dancing with all FOUR paws on the table?
I really feel for the man in your story, though, as we have a massive, muscle-rippling dog too who's only 15 months old but is the size and weight of a small horse. We also get a lot of fearful looks but in fairness make sure the cafes we take her in are size-appropriate.
By the way, is Dexter following you and also growing out his bob? Thank you, as always, for injecting some sunshine into my day xx
He likes to copy every hairstyle I have. No mind of his own. 🙄
There does seem to be a lot of defensiveness from some dog owners now that their dog should be welcome anywhere regardless of their behaviour- and they have to acknowledge that some people are scared of dogs. My mum is scared of them, and we were sitting in a park (just behind the main street in Cirencester) when a lady immediately let her dogs off the lead and they both came straight over and jumped up at us. She seemed slightly offended when my mum told them to get down and told her she doesn't like dogs! Also if your dog needs to come shopping with you to Clarks village and stand in all the doorways then they might have a shopping problem. Anyway, I'll see you Satan and his owner and raise you the man who smugly took a 6ft yellow, fat python to a train station in Torquay, where a woman immediately started crying about having to get on the two carriage train with it. The station person told him to put it away (he had a little sack), and as soon as the train came he got on and immediately got it out again (none of this is a euphemism, he had a an actual massive snake). Naturally the carriage he was not in got quite full as everyone else got in that one, and then the man got off at the next stop (me too) and I had to follow him up the road (keeping my distance) to asda. At this point its just plain smug intimidation.
'(he had a little sack)' I'm crying!
That sentence was pure poetry.
I mean the snake raises my story a MILLION times: what the hell?! This is brilliant! What happened at Asda? Did he keep his snake in the sack or get it out?
I think he carried on walking up the road past asda, with it around his shoulders and trailing on the ground, whilst drivers gawped at him, and I ran into asda. I don't understand what purpose any of this had other than attention seeking and making others uncomfortable!
Just what I needed this morning. You’ve made my day! Can’t stop smiling.
Thanks Fil x
"A dog can’t dress in a floral smock-top and Birkenstocks to indicate that it has a 100% perfect behavioural track record, that it would rather make purses out of hemp than savage a human."
Ha! So glad you got round to writing up your canine encounter, Ruth. Really entertaining.
Haha, thanks Wendy x
The best start to my day - such a funny read, thank you Ruth!! xxx
Hello Alice! x
I love dogs any kind of dog, well mostly, barring those who you can carry in your handbag and who yap, and huge ones like Beelzebub who sounds like a Great Dane to me, and who when they bark could rattle windows in their frames. They're the kind of dog who with one swipe of their tongue could clear tables of their entire contents of all sorts of culinary delights, including the Vicky sponge of the lady near you and your oil drenched focaccia, which sounds divine and will necessitate a trip to Waitrose later on!
I love your Dexter who looks like a Cockerpoo and is a real heart melter and utterly adorable 💕.
He is indeed a cockapoo! Eleven next month
Aah, bess his paws 🐾, hope he has a nice birthday 😊.
I am a dog obsessive. All shapes, all sizes. But I would not take my dog into a café and he is small and good. The owner there was being an arse and sadly there are many of them about.
So many!
Yep, that would be me.
The dog owner, cafe owner, cake-lady or me?
You! Focaccia ruined !!
😁
😂😂😂
😁