You love your dog, but maybe other people don't

Ollie's Ice Cream and Stuff opened last week in Bushwick, Brooklyn to the joy of hundreds of dog lovers in the neighborhood. The area is crowded with bars and other cool shops, but there was need for an ice cream parlor. So the husband and wife team bravely opened their new store with a new twist. You can bring your dog. They even make special ice cream specially formulated for cuddly little canine members of your family. This is great, for dog owners and dog lovers, but what if you just want to get some ice cream and you're allergic to dogs? Or maybe you're afraid or grossed out by an animal sniffing your crotch and slobbering over a cup of ice cream on the ground? Well you're just a hater and don't belong in such a "woke" neighborhood".

Maybe you're a "speciest" and you only want to eat with your own species. Are you horrible? Maybe, or perhaps you just don't agree with the trend of lots of people treating their pets like people and bringing them everywhere. Last year we had lunch at a nice outdoor restaurant on the water in Atlantic City. An older couple next to us had their dog with a horrible skin condition. I'd never seen anything this bad before. The dog kept coming up to me, on his leash, and sniffing my legs and my food. The owners kept him just out of reach but real close to me. I love dogs and have had dogs for most of my life, but I ALWAYS considered other people when my dog was with me anywhere. We usually didn't take them to public places other than for a walk. Today that notion seems way outdated and archaic. People seem to think, if they love their dog, so must you. No! NOT EVERYONE LOVES YOUR DOG!

We talked about it on the air the other day and lots of people are fed up with people feeling comfortable bringing their dog to inappropriate places. Here are a few examples of where people felt very uncomfortable about dogs being there:

SITTING AT A TABLE AT STARBUCKS
AT A 500 PERSON INDIAN WEDDING
AT A WEDDING AS THE RING BEARER
ON A CRUISE TO BERMUDA
ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS
IN SUPERMARKETS
AT A CROWDED UPSCALE BAR/RESTAURANT
IN A LIMOSINE

It's just a simple matter of decency, consideration and self awareness. One of our listeners coined a phrase based on her observations as to why people are doing this and treating pets like humans. She said they give some people "unconditional positive regard". Waiters and waitresses at good establishments will do that for you. Take advantage of that and leave your dog home!

You love your dog, but maybe other people don’t (Opinion)