Dog on the bus!

Brill!
Yeh i sometimes bring my dog to work, but drive. Ive recently started getting the bus to work but looked at dublin bus' website and said animals werent allowed. But,asked a driver last week and he said it was grand as long as they were quiet! Havent tried it yet might brave it next week

Driver's discretion as far as I know, which is pretty lame as you can't really depend on getting somewhere at a specified time and even more importantly, it may leave the poor driver open to some liability in the event (however unlikely) that something unfortunate happens. Would be much more sensible in my opinion to have some regulations about the dog being under the owner's control, muzzled and traveling at off-peak times.

Still given the reaction, even from self professed animal lovers, to my suggestion they should be allowed on trains in a previous thread where I was lambasted for mentioning that the main reason I wanted to do it is because I have poor vision and can't drive, though not blind (to the point where some posters seemed to have issues with me even taking a foreign holiday), I'm thinking we won't see much real progress in the area of dogs on public transport in Ireland for a long long time sadly.

I'd agree on the guide dog question - as another poster pointed out, there is surely room for some common sense here and a sense of proportion. I personally would have no problem waiting for another bus if there was a guide dog already aboard. Again, regulations rather than some informal unpredictable arrangement would easily address this issue.

I can't see a huge volume of passengers wanting or needing to transport their dogs this way especially with control restrictions as outlined above.

Hats off to the more progressive bus drivers who allow this. OP, what route were you on and what time was your journey at?

Rory123 wrote: »

I'd love to see a dog on the bus! More dogs everywhere I say!

But one thing we have to remember is that, no matter how well you know and trust your animal, some people are scared stiff of dogs even if muzzled and on a lead, and this has to be respected.

+1

Enii wrote: »

It was the 39 from Blanch Centre to town at about 5pm on Thursday.

My boy is a Shi Tzu (a very big one - he is abnornally oversized - but not fat! "Big boned"!!!!!)

Same route as myself..we must have some sound out bus drivers in blanch!:D Lol'd at your "big boned" comment!

Love it Kenno! Ireland has changed something drastic. Five years ago when i mentioned a dog creche to my mates i was laughed out of it now look
http://dogtrainingireland.ie/daycare/index.php

Bluefrog wrote: »

As for people's fear of dogs as raised by Rory123, it always makes me particularly sad to see some mothers pulling their kids out of the way when my two come down the street - passing on their fear to another generation, often doing everything you wouldn't want to be doing in front of an aggressive dog in the first place. Very rarely I get someone who calmly asks if its OK to introduce their kids to them but still, that odd one gives me hope.

just commented on this yesterday while out walking in a wood a mother and two kids came towards us, we have the sweetest Golden retriever and an 8 month old Newfie. The sane response from her would have been to point out the dogs to the kids and instead she was guarding them as if they were baby seals and we had sharks on the leashes. It is rare that people ask can they say hello or their kids pet them but its great to see people do this.

I'm surprised they allowed your dog on the bus but think its great and would love to see more of this, continental europe is fantastic when you see dogs in shops, and restaurants etc they make the world a brighter place!! i bring the newf to the city centre once a week as i feel its good for his development to get used to crowds and traffic and people and children etc and the amount of people who just smile when they see him either walking or driving past is wonderful and if there were more dogs about hopefully there would be more smiling people!

pink fluffy bunny wrote: »

but i have been on a packed bus with a dog taking up a seat :mad::mad:

I've seen people on packed buses occupy seats with their bags There will always be a small minority of inconsiderates.

I'm aware of a pogramme to bring dogs into old folks homes and day centres to interact with the elderly and it proves very good at boosting morale etc - animal therapy. In another year or so I intend doing this with my elder dog.

Perhaps a similar thing could be done in national schools - get people at the other end of the age scale interested in dogs, give them an opportunity to interact and learn about them in a controlled fashion. In that way we might see a shift in society's attitude to them here. It might even help diminish the atrocious number of dogs that are destroyed here every year in the long term.

I too have seen them on the metro on the continent and even in restaurants. It doesn't result in social chaos or disease outbreaks.

Bluefrog wrote: »

As for people's fear of dogs as raised by Rory123, it always makes me particularly sad to see some mothers pulling their kids out of the way when my two come down the street - passing on their fear to another generation, often doing everything you wouldn't want to be doing in front of an aggressive dog in the first place. Very rarely I get someone who calmly asks if its OK to introduce their kids to them but still, that odd one gives me hope.

On that note, I have to be wary when bringing my Westie to the shop.She _HATES_ small children (house she came from had small kids, may have something to do with it), thus have to make sure they don't try to pet the "small cute doggie".

I think some parents do the keep-away-from-the-doggie as the same kids don't seem to understand the difference between a dog on the lease, and one walking around without the owner in site.

Skillie wrote: »

best we've managed is to have lunch in Cork City centre at a restaurant with outside seating. asked the waitress if it was ok and she was fine with it, himself lay quite happily there not bothering or killing anyone and waiting for something to "fall" from my plate!!

I often bring Holly to Andersons in Glasnevin during the warmer months and we have a coffee outside, staff and other customers are always complimentary about her. Same for the Cheese Pantry in Drumcondra and another coffee shop in Drumcondra, the name escapes me but it's right on the bridge. They often bring her out water there - I try to keep her off the caffiene Also Heddigins pub in Glasnevin don't seem to have a problem with her in the beer garden which is nice.

As for dog friendly places further afield, well I'd need to get a bus and....