Patio Dining and Pets

Enjoying my three day weekend, I decided to enjoy the deliciously warm weather, and catch some early spring sunshine with some friends and dine outside. At a local little cafe, we sat down to some warm tea and scones. We talked about everything from classes to classism and generally were loving the day until a huge, upper class and no class man with a baby stroller took a seat.

Now, the stroller was not the problem. It's what was in the stroller.

Inside was a Gucci color wearing pug.

The dog was no dainty dining diva. Contrary to what some believe, money does not buy class, only pedigree. As we gave each other knowing looks, eyes screaming to each other about how ridiculous this man was, strollering his dog about, we tried to do our best to not cover our ears so as not to look odd or rude but also because talking with our eyes was necessary.

You see, we had to communicate with our eyes as the dog was yapping and howling and barking and peeing on the patio non-fucking-stop. It would not shut-up. It just kept yapping.

About 8 minutes of this, and that was that. The owner seemed to encourage it, cooing it and having a what seemed to be engrossing conversation as he gave forkfuls of his omelet to the dog (eating with the same fork mind you).

I had my fill, "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" he looked at me, a stranger who had so grossly pressed himself on his human/mongrel tête-à-tête. Though part of him seemed to expect a compliment about his significant other.

"Could you please quiet your dog? He's quite loud."

"Oh, Fountain," (Fountain? The hell...?), "just likes to sing and talk!"

"Well, we're trying to enjoy a meal and we haven't had a chance to get out and enjoy ourselves in a while and we can barely hear each other, so please make the dog stop so I don't have to ask the management about it. Thank you."

It was a bluff, I had no idea if the management gave a damn or could do anything about it. He seemed to buy it and made the dog shut up. Sure it was bitchy. Sure it was mean. I don't care. He gave me a bit of a look as he left a little while later, but screw him.

I had an old roommate who had an out of control dog. It bit my friend. Peed everywhere. Ate everything. Chased Cid unmercifully. When I got sick and paramedics came, the dog tried to attack the paramedics. It was a nightmare.

Part of having a pet, especially one you plan to take out in public, is responsibility for it's behavior. If it cannot behave around other people, then something isn't so much wrong with the dog, as something is wrong with the owner and how they are training it. And if they plan to bring their dog to a cafe, then that's fine if Sparky is well behaved.

I love dogs. I do. Just not bad ones who make me want to coldcock the owners. Like parents in a restaurant who totally just tune out their screaming out of control children.

I won a small victory for me. And hopefully struck a tone against the crazy my-dog-is-my-baby-my-life people.