Dog Etiquette

Bek discovers a new, unwelcome social phenomenon

The other day, while at breakfast with my dog, my partner and I were confronted for the first time with what I shall refer to as ‘dog disdain’. A man (who had chosen his seat right next to our outdoor table from a wide selection of empty tables on a chilly day) proceeded to mutter, shoot dirty looks and assume the general countenance of someone who had just licked the rear end of a camel.

Now, here are a few important notes about our situation: we were outdoors, our dog was tied up and sitting quietly at our feet, and could not reach the man if he tried. Our pooch is also the size of a small cat, so it is unlikely Mr Dog Disdain was afraid of a surprise lunge-attack at the hands of our ferocious canine.

After the fifth derisive snort in our dog’s general direction, I looked up with a polite, expectant expression, wondering if he planned to say anything directly to us. His wife swiftly swept in to smooth things over, explaining (by way of excuse, perhaps?) that ‘It’s just that he’s not all that partial to dogs’. The man shrugged as if this justified his behaviour.

What I WANTED to say, was that my dog was not partial to rude morons, either, but with a warning look I was silenced by my more level-headed partner. But it got me thinking. The café had no restrictions about dogs sitting out in the open air with their owners, he was tied up, well-behaved and a hell of a lot less conspicuous than Mr DD.

So why was it alright for him to make us feel as if we were doing something wrong by eating breakfast with our furry friend? To be fair, our dog didn’t seem to mind the indirect insults. He chose the moral high-ground and intently followed passing ants with his nose…

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Images by bof1391 and Ellen Soohoo