People and their dogs ...

I know there are plenty of over-the-top dog lovers in the sj.com ranks. God bless you, we love our dog, too, etc., etc. But these past couple of weeks, I've begun to wonder just what in the fuck is up with people and their dogs. In the last couple of weeks, this is what I've observed:
1) At an outdoors concert at a local venue, I'd conservatively estimate I saw at least 100 people with their dogs. Right in front of us, six women set up camp and every friggin' one of them had a dog with her. And not just itty bitty yippy dogs, either, but big old Labs and whatnots. It made for a lovely concert when one, or more, of the dogs would tune up (either barking at some other dog, or some random person walking along).
2) Sunday, my wife and I dropped by the country club pool for a late-afternoon dip and cocktail. In comes a pair of 60-ish farts with a little terrier-type dog that they proceeded to stake out in the shaded area. Said dog then proceeds to bark and bark and bark and bark ...
3) Yesterday, playing a round of golf at an affiliated club, we get behind this foursome that includes one guy who's got his dog with him. In the card room afterwards, here he comes galumphing through with that fucking dog.

I know, per @TigerVols et al., I am simply an AOWM (and per @Riptide I'm a bigoted GOB who knows a little Latin). But have I completely lost touch with the public spaces ethos of the day? Here's my philosophy re: dogs in public places: Unless said dog is a service dog, in the vast majority of instances you shouldn't bring it there. When did my philosophy go so completely out of style?

 

Why, Quant, I don't think that of you. I don't think of you at all ...

 

Dogs are everywhere. Pups In the Park days are now in multiples for most MLB parks that participate. And a TON of restaurant and bars, at least around DC, allow dogs. As long as dog owners with shitty dogs (I have one!) don't abuse it those privileges, I think it's fine. I wish I could take my asshole dog more places. Would free up my schedule a LOT more, that's for sure.

 

I guess, Doc, you're not just AOWM, you hate the ongoing Frenchification of America to boot!

 

Maybe I wouldn't have gotten so bent out of shape about it had those six women in front of us bothered to shave their pits ...

 

doc,

I suggest you start bringing your pet skunk everywhere.

 

Well, at the concert I had my teenage son with me, and he was wearing those sandals ...

 

It is definitely annoying. We have a little dog with a big Napoleon complex, so we leave him home unless we are out walking him on a leash.

On vacation a couple weeks ago, my 8-year-old daughter saw a cute dog sitting in a stroller (!) on the outdoor patio of a restaurant. She walked toward to pet him ... which we have of course told her not to do, but she's 8 and sometimes kids forget stuff. The people jumped out at her because apparently this bundle of joy is a mean dog who will bite. Uh, if that's the case, maybe ***not*** having the dog sit on a well-traversed public path is a solution?

 

Service Monkey.

 

I've never understood why people bring their dogs around in strollers. The point of going on a walk with the dog is so it gets some exercise. Otherwise, especially if this is a difficult dog, I agree, leave it at home.

That said, the only problem I have with the increased amount of dogs around public places is I want to pet all of them.

 

Trunk monkey!

 

Your country club needs better rules. I don't think I've ever encountered someone playing golf with a dog in tow at a public or private course. Or in a clubhouse. Or at a country club pool.

Otherwise, I generally don't mind having them around. If mine behaved better, I would probably take them more places.