Is Scotland Dog Friendly?

[grantmack1]

Is Scotland Dog Friendly?

Britain and Scotland prides itself on being a nation of dog lovers but are we really as dog centric as we claim?

I travelled in South and Central America as well as throughout Europe a few years ago and one of the things that struck me was that dogs are allowed in a lot more places in other countries than they are in Britain. From a King Charles spaniel in a high end department store on Paris’s left back through to a terrier in a Buenos Aires butcher! Why are we so reluctant to let our dogs get out and about and visit businesses? Are Scottish and British dogs less well behaved than their foreign counterparts? Is it our perception that dogs should not be near food? Is it our allegedly stringent health and safety laws? Or have we self-imposed restrictions on ourselves for no apparent reason? There will always be people who are not keen on dogs but the majority of the population like dogs, whether they own one or not. Whilst researching businesses for my We Welcome Dogs website We Welcome Dogs - Home and smartphone app I found that some businesses were under the misapprehension that health and safety laws stopped dogs being allowed in eating establishments. The official line, according to the Food Standards Agency, is that dogs are allowed into premises that serve food at the discretion of the owner, as long as they are prevented from going into areas where food is prepared, stored or handled.

Whilst I realise that not every food premises would be suitable to have dogs in I do think there should be more places which welcome dogs in Scotland. Ultimately, in the current tough economic climate you would think that business owners would welcome an opportunity to open up to a new and prosperous market. So vote with your feet (and paws) and if you know of a dog friendly café or pub make use of it and let us know here at We Welcome Dogs, so we can share with other dog owners and let’s really make Scotland a dog friendly country!

[tig]

i think you hit the nail on the head when you said dogs here are less well behaved here then elsewhere.

not all dogs of course but just in general.

i also think its a case of once bitten twice shy for most businesses (pardon the pun) when it comes to cleaning up their mess

[grantmack1]

Yes I think there is a point that not all dog owners are as good owners as they could be...! However I am not sure that Scotland or Britain is any worse in this area than other countries...? Most dog owners who take their dog out and about are responsible dog owners.

[Celyn]

Oh I hate it when you simply can't think in a shop because of other people's tiresome loud little yappy monsters.

Dogs, on the other hand, are fine.

[kathyv]

Originally Posted by celyn

oh i hate it when you simply can't think in a shop because of other people's tiresome loud little yappy monsters.

Dogs, on the other hand, are fine.

lol!

[Celyn]

LOL indeed, Kathy - much LOL.

Good old Walt had a point:

...I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and
self-contain'd,
I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of
owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of
years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.

...

[TurboLine]

The laws are the same in Australia and thank god too!

I could imagine anything worse then having animals around food that I am going to or currently eating.