Do you know what? Lots of people don't have kids. Or had kids and are thankful they have left home. So if you add up the people who: Don't have kids (because they are, frankly, dreadfully annoying), those who don't yet have kids, and those who have got rid of kids...that's a lot of people who don't have kids. Lots of people find children beyond annoying in restaurant/café/pubs etc. At least my dogs are well behaved in a pub. To be frank, they are better behaved than most kids in any public place. Even the people who say they like kids probably don't like yours really they just feel obliged to say they do. So, no. I don't think it's an usual view. Or only unusual in that it's honest - which is unusual in a way of course.
So long as dogs can also go on the sofas in the pub. Otherwise, I'd say kids on the floor....in the interest of fair treatment of course.
I have had many a meal ruined in restaurants and pub by other people's kid's. I have never yet had a meal ruined by a dog - and yes, dogs are welcome in my local and in many other pubs in my area.
I don't like kids any more, not even the sweet well behaved ones. Having had two of my own and taught in primary schools for forty years I speak from experience and enough is enough. Dogs are far better. Dogs want to please you, children want to please themselves. We went on an adult only holiday on a remote Majorcan peninsular - bliss! Marred only by the lack of dogs ...
My last post was deleted. I think I know why so Ill rephrase. I think you need to manage your dog more because it doesnt sound like she has any boundaries. You need to crate train her. She should be in the crate while youre not home for sure. You probably need to walk around the house with her on a leash for a while, that way you can stop her from chasing the dogs and getting into other things. Exercise is good but as others have said, you also need to do mental stimulation. Practice all of the time. If youre going to give her a snack make her do a down/stay till you free her to have the treat, etc. She needs to learn to start taking ques for you. Its highly likely that she is looking for leadership from somebody. Since, it sounds like youre short on time. A nice way to burn off energy would to play fetch. 10 minutes or so of fetch can usually be enough, especially if she hasnt been getting exercise. Also, I disagree with others thinking that the dog sitting/laying/rubbing on you as being appropriate behavior. I would only let her to do that by permission but thats just me.
Hopefully this dog's basic needs have been taken care of by now, but I wish to point out that crating a dog that is already suffering from lack of freedom and movement and considering how little the owner is home is cruel. It will cut off her interaction with the other dogs making her more lonely. Also when I read words like LEADERSHIP and BOUNDARIES, it makes me slightly cringe. A dog sitting, rubbing or laying on you may very well be considered inappropriate, but so is shitting outdoors- and well, this is a pretty natural and necessary thing for dogs to do. Or is it just me?
The OP has said that she is out all day, so I would consider it cruel to crate a dog for that long. I also disagree that 10 minutes of playing fetch is enough -though better than nothing. I do agree that 'boundaries' are needed, in the sense that I have prevented my dog taking things from kitchen surfaces, jumping up at people etc. And really I think other people on this forum have too. It's just that most posters have trained the desired behaviours with rewards. In the case of the OP's dog, however, it sounded as though it was getting so little stimulation/activity/human interaction that many of us felt it was justified in trying to achieve this by physically climbing on its owner.
What? Her dog is just running around when she is gone? Crating for a long time only really becomes a problem if they cant go out but it doesnt sound like the dog is being let out anyway. If she cant let he dog out for lunch or something then she needs to make arrangements. Either get a dog walker or take the dog to a doggy care. But yes, if the dog isnt getting exercised its not fair to put her in the crate. I wake up around 5am and take my pup for 30-45 walk/play session since I crate him while at work. Im lucky that I work close enough to stop during lunch and walk him. Once a week that cant happen and those days I take him to doggy daycare. This is interesting because she said that she has other dogs that sound well behaved. Must be tough!
Yes, I agree. I've done this in the past and many other posters have this arrangement. The OP says in one reply that she can't afford day care. I think this is why so many people were becoming frustrated with her.
