The question surely should be - is there any [legal] reason why they cannot allow dogs in.

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As an aside - once a year we take a drive down to Italy with our dog. There are few problems finding hotels along the route that accept dogs in the bedrooms and the hotel restaurant. Indeed, the Logis de France hotel listings brochure clearly shows which hotels do permit this.

It seems a very 'British' thing to ban dogs

Not in cafes or work!

Thanks everyone.

Perhaps some require / like the unique "wet dog" smell to cover up the smell of what their cooking and others don't.

I'm with Walker on this one.

I really don't undertstand this desire to inflict a dirty, smelly, furball onto other people, whether it's at work or in cafes.

It's as if dogs have some sort of status in the world of pets. They don't.

There are no rules. The rise of Cat Cafes being a case in point. As others say, it is nice to know what you might be walking into. I like cats. I like dogs. Not when I'm eating though.

Common sense approach here, its seems only in the UK do we get hung up on this and many European countries are more tolerant to man's best friend... EU legislation on hygiene of food does not actually specifically state that dogs should not be allowed into a bar or restaurant and, in actual fact, he legislation doesn’t state that dogs are not allowed in the kitchen either.

If you didn't want the dog in the venue, you could stipulate only well behaved dog or if there was a genuine reason i.e. a lack of space means they could be a trip hazard to waiting staff.

The British Food Standards Agency simply recommends that domestic pets should be kept out of kitchens when preparing food.

The reason for this is firstly, common sense, as with food hygiene procedures to prevent any cross contamination but of course the legislation allows flexibility, especially for the many thousands of people who operate kitchens from a domestic premises, guest houses or hotels where they may keep family pets on the premises.

In simple terms, the legislation means that it is fine for the business owner, proprietor or landlord to keep a family pet on the premises, provided that this family pet is not allowed into the kitchen and other food preparation areas, ideally all the time, but particularly during meal times or other times when food is being handled.

If you are allowing pets in the food preparation areas then you will need to demonstrate that you have procedures in place to adequately wash and disinfect work surfaces and cooking utensils before any food handling or preparation takes place.

Other considerations include, being mindful not to discriminate by not allowing guide or assistance dogs on the premises and by balancing their clientele’s needs and whether or not they want to be seen as dog friendly?

Personally I get really annoyed with venues using health and safety as an excuse with this one.

I have a small dog and have found that most places that allow dogs in certain areas indicate so on the door- if you wish to avoid them you can. Much more difficult with small children, many of who seem to be far more disruptive than the dogs and far less likely to sit quietly under the table on command.

What is a Cat cafe?

e.g.

http://www.chroniclelive...ect-cafe-culture-8401125

"As well as helping people relax and unwind, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests interacting with cats and other animals improves health and wellbeing.
Studies have found that petting cats can lower blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety levels, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve survival rates from heart attacks."

Not a universal truth of course, as witnessed by Sean Connery and others:


"No Mr Bond - I expect you to die!"

Someone is bound to mention toxaplasmosis, but that disease originates in cats, not dogs.

Food for thought, if you'll excuse the pun.