I like dogs like I like toddlers. It’s fun to hang out with other people’s for a while, but ultimately they’re annoying, loud, and make a mess. I feel like in the past 10 years or so, dog owners have become increasingly convinced that everyone thinks their slobbering, untrained mutt is god’s gift to everyone, and expects everyone to love it unconditionally. Dogs in restaurants. Dogs in stores when you go shopping. “Oh it’s so funny that your dog is jumping on me and getting it’s dirty paws all over me while it tries to sniff my crotch.” “Oh oops! Your dog ate my food off the counter, fucking again. Guess that’s my fault because in this house nothing is safe from the coddled fucking dog.” “Hey man can you watch the dog? It’s really easy, not like it pisses all over the floor and knocks the trash over or anything. We have to leave the house for 2 hours and it has anxiety/depression/borderline personality disorder and he’s a wittle special boy who needs constant attention.”
I’m just tired of it. Nobody gives a goddamn about your stupid dog. Stop bringing your animal to restaurants, it’s disgusting and inconsiderate. It’s not your child, it’s a dog. Dog people have made me hate dogs.
I’m a dog owner and a dog lover, but OP is right that many people who own dogs have gotten bad. The sense of entitlement people have is out of control, and it extends to their behavior with their dogs. I, too, have seen people take (usually little) dogs into restaurants. Owners sometimes don’t notice, but even when they do, I think they just wait to see if anyone complains. I’ve also seen all manner of dogs in grocery stores. People with legitimate service dogs usually have vests on them, not just to make it clear to business owners, but because they usually don’t want people petting and distracting the service dogs when they’re on duty. That pug on the bedazzled pink leash wandering through the produce aisle probably isn’t a service dog.
That doesn’t happen where I live. Only service dogs are allowed in most businesses, and I see one of those maybe 3 or 4 times a year. The only place I see dogs brought inside are the pet stores that allow/encourage it.
One of the best sets of “work clothing” I’ve ever seen on a dog was on a large, leashed greymuzzle sleeping peacefully next to their owner in a very busy subway car.
Wore a harness with a text along the lines of “I’m a police dog and tired after a long day. Please do me a solid and don’t disturb me. Thanks.”