9 Specific Places Pretty Much No One Wants To See Your Dog
AYO Production | Shutterstock Not everyone wants to see your dog everywhere you go. When you really love your dog and want to spend as much time with them as possible, it can be hard to remember that other people don’t necessarily feel the same way.
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans about public places where they don't want to see dogs, and the results remind us that your fur baby isn't always a welcome guest. It would be nice to have them with you all the time, but being considerate to others sometimes means leaving your furry friends at home. Pet owners should think twice before bringing a dog to these places, but keep in mind, this list is for pets. Service animals have separate access rights.
Here are 9 specific places people would rather not see your dog:
1. Inside restaurants
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It may not seem like a big deal to have your dog around food when they’re constantly in and out of your kitchen at home, but it’s a matter of personal preference. Some people cringe at the thought of a dog sitting near their dinner.
Although it might seem harmless, most restaurants actually have to keep dogs out to follow health codes. Sometimes they can stay with their owners if they’re eating outside.
Not everyone is a dog lover. When you go out to eat, it’s best to be considerate of people who don’t want pets near their food, even if it feels like an inconvenience.
2. At the grocery store
The concern with having a dog in a grocery store is pretty similar to a restaurant. Many people just don’t think it’s healthy for a pet to wander around near food that isn’t securely packaged.
The FDA agrees in its official Food Code, but that hasn’t stopped the heated debate from raging.
There’s no reason to bring your pet along on a grocery run. Service animals aren’t pets and can generally accompany their handlers. Some extra bonding time with your pup isn’t worth the very real risks.
3. In doctors' offices and hospitals
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Some things should really just be obvious, and not bringing dogs into medical spaces is one of them. When people are receiving medical treatment, they don’t want a dog nearby that could cause possible contamination.
Service animals are generally allowed in hospital areas open to patients and visitors, though certain areas, such as operating rooms, have restrictions. That doesn’t mean you can bring your pet along. Your dog might be comforting, but others might not see it that way.
4. Inside coffee shops
A coffee shop isn’t quite the same thing as a restaurant, but they’re similar enough that it’s easy to see why this would be a problem. No one wants an espresso with a side of fur.
It’s easy to rationalize bringing your dog into a coffee shop when you’re just popping in for a few minutes. Those few minutes can still make other customers uncomfortable, though.
Veteran food service professional Darron Cardosa put it bluntly when he wrote, “Coffee shops are not for dogs. They’re for people who want coffee.”
5. At work
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Bringing your dog to work is a hotly contested issue because it can actually be beneficial. But you can’t know whether they would distract other employees or unintentionally harm someone.
Everyone at a workplace needs to feel comfortable doing their job there. Clients and other visitors need to feel welcome, too. You can’t bring your dog to the office to reduce your own stress level when it could send everyone else’s through the roof.
6. On airplanes
There’s a lot of controversy over whether dogs belong on planes, and not just because we’ve all seen people get into fights over them. Some airlines actually let passengers travel with their dogs as long as they meet certain criteria.
Just because it’s allowed doesn’t mean it’s appreciated. Many people still don’t want to see dogs on airplanes, no matter what the rules are. Maybe they’re trying to avoid more spats between passengers, or maybe they just don’t want to be forced into close quarters with a dog.
7. At arenas and stadiums
Concerts and other similar events just aren’t the place for a pet. Some outdoor festivals do allow dogs, but even those are few and far between.
It’s easy to see why bringing your dog to a packed arena or stadium is a bad idea, since there’s little room to keep them from bothering the people around you. Chances are no one else will think it’s cute to hear your pooch howl along to their favorite song.
The logistics of bringing your dog to an arena or stadium don’t make sense. It will bother other people, and your dog probably won’t enjoy it very much either.
8. On public transportation
Rules for taking a pet on public transportation vary by the transit system. For example, Amtrak allows small cats and dogs on short journeys.
Obviously, you need to follow those rules, but you also need to consider other people's feelings. Travelers might be willing to put up with small, well-behaved pups. The problem is that people define "well-behaved" very differently.
A dog that seems like an angel to you probably won’t seem the same way to everyone else. It’s understandable that they wouldn’t want to be stuck on a bus or subway with an unfamiliar dog.
9. In hotels
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It makes sense that a dog owner would want to bring their pet with them when they travel. But it also makes sense that walking into a hotel lobby and seeing someone standing at the front desk with their dog will rub some people the wrong way.
Some hotels are pet-friendly but have their own sets of rules. Those rules are meant to keep other guests comfortable, but that doesn’t work if people ignore them. Dog owners have to understand that some people don’t want to share an elevator with their furry friends.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
