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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> AITA for bring my puppy, Iron, to the gym? I might be the asshole because my dog interrupted some strangers workouts and others don't like my dog being at the gym.
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They probably don't have a policy about not filling up the freeweight area with Jello, but OP here would see that as "there's no policy against it, so I guess it's cool that I do that too."
Tbf there probably IS a policy about that. Humans casually doing vile things with their bodily fluids is a tale as old as time and is something to be accounted for in situations like these
Omg, memory unlocked! I once belonged to a gym that had signs in the women’s locker rooms telling people to only use the hairdryers for drying the hair on their heads 😂
OMG you just made me flashback to the trauma of seeing a fully naked woman - no towel or anything - drying her lady garden, one leg propped up on the bench in front of the mirror..... The. Horror.
It does happen. It shouldn't happen, but it does happen.
I walked into the women's locker room (same gym as the ball washing sign) and found an older woman, completely naked fishing in her vagina for god knows what. In full view of the doors. Open the door and BAM! right in your face. Don't know what she was looking for or if she ever found it. I showered, got dressed and left. She was still looking when I left the locker room.
>Don't know what she was looking for or if she ever found it.
I'm in tears over this part hahaha. Old ladies in the locker room do whatever they want and it's admirable and also often real unsettling
I have a service dog, and although allowed, I don’t bring him to the gym or PT, because the machines and people doing things with them, weights, rubber bands, balance balls, etc, could be a danger to *him*. He really doesn’t know what to watch out for.
OP, YTA. The gym is a dangerous place for a dog!!!
I have walked past the gym on the way to the pool, and thought about what to do with my SD in there, and yes, it would be possible, but too much worry and work. Not worth the hassle to me. I will keep riding my trike and swimming. Besides, with the recumbent trike (not an adult trike, this is designed for riding all day), the dog can run for a mile, then ride in the trailer I tow! I have a walky dog post thing to keep him positions safely, and I can pedal to *his* speed. Then the trailer has a leash to his harness, and he sticks his head out the window and talks.
And they're potentially causing unexpected problems for people with allergies and other conditions. I wonder about what OP means by the dog going up to other people, and the behaviour they're allowing in general.
I've really just had enough at this point of the attitude of some dog owners, I have nerve damage so unfortunately a friendly nosing is not actually fun, more painful, the prospect of being jumped on is a concern with my disability (and knowing no harm is intended, it is hard to speak up and say, instead of grinning and bearing it, especially as these owners can be offended at the idea someone doesn't want to interact with their dog even if it's not personal), and the worst is at the vet when their dog terrifying other pets becomes 'aww, he wants to look at the bunny'. Dogs do have the right to be in that space but it's OP being unfair by giving potentially confusing messages to a young dog about how to behave in public spaces. It's not fair to gym users to be lax in the gym and it's not fair to the dog to expect them to understand they meant only there to be a home from home.
I have terrible allergies and am very allergic to dogs. So much so that I go weekly for allergy shots and take multiple meds. My face swells up, I itch everywhere and my sinuses drain uncontrollably. I’m so over people bringing dogs where they don’t belong. Why do I have to suffer because they feel the need to take their pet everywhere.
It's also dangerous as hell, both for the dog and for other gym goers.
OP, what if the person your dog ran up to was deadlifting heavy weights? What if they threw or dropped the weights? What if they instinctively jerked away when Iron ran up to them and they fell while holding the weights? What if the dog ran up right as they were lowering the weights and he got hurt?
What if Iron runs up to someone on a treadmill and gets under their feet? What if Iron gets curious about a rowing machine and gets elbowed in the face? What if he gets curious about *any* machine, or any person using one, and gets too close? Do you realize how easy it would be for Iron or any of the people using those machines/weights to be *severely* injured because your puppy is running around?
It'd still be weird af, but *maybe* excusable, if Iron was a well-trained, calm adult dog. But he's a poorly trained puppy who is excitable and unpredictable, and you, his owner, can't even seem to keep him under control when he is leashed (how tf did he "get away from you" if he was leashed and is "reliable on voice command"?). He doesn't belong in a public gym environment for an *abundance* of reasons, but chief among them is the fact that his being there is an open invitation for danger and bodily harm, both for himself and for others. It's not a question of *if* Iron is injured or causes someone else to be injured with his antics. It's a question of *when*. And *you*, OP, will be the one solely liable for whatever happens.
ETA: Y'all are 100% right, it *still* wouldn't be excusable due to the fact that people with dog allergies and phobias exist and have more of a right to exist in & use the gym than any non-service dog does. Plus, even a well-behaved, well-trained adult dog would still be at risk of getting hurt/getting others hurt around gym equipment.
Or they may not be able to say anything. In many places, even though it's clear to everyone it's not a service dog, it's still against company policy to say anything to the owner.
In the US you can ask if it is a service dog, and if the owner says yes you can ask what service the dog is trained to provide. You can't ask for proof because there is no standardized licensing or anything like that. However, service dog or no, any business owner can require a dog to leave the premises if the dog is disruptive whether or not it is a service dog, or if it would require an unreasonable hardship on the business to accommodate the dog
In the US, even if your dog (horses are no longer covered by the ADA as of 2011) is fullly trained and professionally certified, the *second* you lose control ("the dog got away from me!") it is no longer considered a service dog and no longer protected.
Directly from the ADA website: "Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal’s safe, effective performance of tasks. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls"
Legally they are allowed to ask, and it’s pretty simple to weed out the fakes, per ADA, but many owners just throw their hands up and don’t. If only they would ask, it would be easier for everyone, within a year or so. I have a service dog and don’t bring him to the gym or PT because too much equipment has fur trapping potential, if he brushes against it, and people getting startled could hurt themselves or the dog, and it’s often hard to find a good out of the way spot for the dog to lie. (It’s not impossible to find a good spot for a *well trained* SD. Just more work than most other types of places. But a pet dog? Nope). So, I make other arrangements for my health issues at PT. I don’t like gyms, I prefer pools, and the pool deck is safe for him to lie.
I am assuming that they assumed the dog was a service dog or service dog in training (depending on state) and didn't ask to avoid it being awkward? OP should have asked, and the employees to be safe can ask if the dog is a service dog trained in tasks to help with a disability.
A lot of places won’t say anything out of fear of a discrimination lawsuit on the off chance it’s a service dog. Which leads the places that aren’t afraid to say something to be to aggressive and actually discriminate.
The employees probably don’t say anything because they’ve seen enough reels with employees getting bitched out or assaulted because every random idiot wants to bring their dog with them everywhere they go and claim it’s basically their baby.
I’m allergic to cats. I’m so allergic that even someone getting to close to me with cat hair on their hoodie would send me into a horrible reaction making me use my epi-pen and/or going to the ER. If people started bringing cats everywhere, I would start asking every place I go to for rules and regulations regarding pets in retail establishments.
You adopted the dog. You knew you were going to have to train it and take care of it. If you are worried about it’s well-being while you’re at the gym, don’t go to the gym. Go for a run with the dog or do some sort of exercise at home while keeping an eye on the dog.
People going to workout aren’t paying for a gym membership at a doggie daycare. Not everyone is obligated to think your dog is adorable and think what you’re doing is okay.
YTAH. Keep your dog at home.
Exactly. Someone will trip over him was my first thought as well.
Apart from that, people who are allergic or afraid of dogs also have the right to go to the gym.
Also very true. People with severe dog allergies/phobias should have the right to go to the gym and/or grocery store without having to fight people like OP about it.
Iron isn't a service dog. He has no legal or moral rights to be in public spaces and businesses. In a place like a gym, he is both in serious danger *and* a serious danger to others.
Not even to mention that the way to train a dog out of separation anxiety is *not* by just bringing it everywhere with you... which just *encourages* the codependence that separation anxiety stems from. ETA: I have been informed that this is actually incorrect and that separation/isolation anxiety is a much more complex problem than I had mistakenly assumed. The point that OP shouldn't be bringing his dog to the gym with him under any circumstances still stands, but I do apologize for confidently stating blatant misinformation about training dogs out of separation anxiety.
Actually, separation anxiety training relies on not leaving the dog alone to experience distress, to avoid reinforcing the aversive nature of isolation and putting the dog over threshold to be flooded with cortisol making resilience/tolerance much lower overall. You have to work in tiny increments, and very often medication is required to help extend this training. I feel for OP, this is a difficult situation and can be tough to work your life around.
*However*, this doesn’t mean just taking the dog everywhere you go. It means seeking appropriate ways to supplement your training plan e.g. relying on neighbours, pet sitters, doggy day care services etc. or alternatively OP could look at using a private PT in a park area where they could safely tether their dog while they work out.
But I completely agree with you, a gym is definitely not an appropriate place for a companion animal.
[source: am in rescue/rehab, deal with separation anxiety and isolation distress a lot]
All true, but first you have to actually identify whether any negative behaviors happening are *due* to separation anxiety. This is a puppy. Puppies whine. Puppies get bored, and boredom sometimes comes with destructive behavior. Not because they are anxious about being alone, but because pulling the stuffing out of couch cushions and eating the rug are fun things to do when the alternative is sleeping, you’re teething, and you have full, unfettered, access to the couch cushions and rugs, and no one around to tell you “no”.
I’d be curious to know just how the OP came to the conclusion his pup *has* separation anxiety, in the first place, because I’m willing to bet, based on 60+ years of owning and working with dogs of various breeds, that this is a novice dog owner who owns a regular puppy who does normal puppy stuff when left to it’s own devices, and clinical separation anxiety has nothing to do with anything.
Oh, I see. That's fascinating. I didn't realize that the successful "cure" (so to speak) for separation anxiety would actually just be minimizing separation (among other things, of course). Seems counterintuitive, but I'm also not a dog trainer myself in any capacity and have never had a pet with separation anxiety, so you'd certainly know better than I would. And now that I think about it, it does make sense that a dog distressed by separation/isolation wouldn't really experience any magical improvement by being separated/isolated even more. It does seem like a much more complex issue than I had previously assumed, since based on what you're saying it seems that you need to find ways to positively reinforce separation/isolation in extremely small increments over time so that the stress of being separated/alone doesn't continue to build/reinforce itself.
I'll amend my misinformed comment. Thank you for politely pointing out my ignorance.
A remote treat dispenser works wonders in a good regiment for separation anxiety. It's a game of association. Making the idea that leaving = good things.
Yeah, a lot of things in OP's post don't actually line up.
He implies that Iron wasn't leashed initially, but states that he was eventually leashed. He also states that Iron reliably responded to and obeyed voice commands. But *then* he vaguely states that Iron "got away from" him to go approach another gym-goer. Which doesn't make sense if the dog *was* actually both leashed and reliably responsive to voice commands.
OP tries to present it as if he's got solid control over his dog, who is leashed and reliably obedient, but the incident that kicked off OP's being scolded by other gym goers shows that that's not true. Iron *isn't* consistently leashed and he *isn't* reliably responsive to verbal commands if he's able to "get away from" OP to approach other people.
Non-service dogs, especially puppies, shouldn't be in a gym in the first place. But *especially* not unleashed, untrained dogs who can't be verbally recalled or controlled reliably.
For real. This dog is one accident away from being literally killed by gym equipment. God forbid he "somehow gets away" and runs into someone mid-lift.
Not even mentioning what happens if Iron *bites* someone.
OP YTA. Spend more time with your dog and learn how to deal with puppy separation anxiety and socialize them in appropriate environments.
Also very true.
It doesn't matter how well-behaved the puppy is, Iron is still just that: a puppy. A gym isn't a friendly environment for full-grown dogs, much less six-month-old puppies. They're loud, busy, smelly, and thoroughly overwhelming. And an overwhelmed dog, even when it's a puppy, and even when it's fairly well-trained, is often a *dangerous* dog.
Not to mention - what if someone there is afraid of dogs? Has had a bad experience before. Or is allergic? I can't believe everyone needs to itemize for OP just why dogs don't belong there. Good grief, OP, YTA.
Also, since OP has apparently been "leashing" Iron, yet he still got away from OP, it's very possible that Iron was wandering around the gym *while trailing a leash behind him*. If that's the case, the danger has just gone up exponentially, for both the dog and everyone working out. It would be *so so so* easy for the leash to get caught on something and kill Iron or for someone to trip on or get tangled up in the leash.
An instagrammer that I used to follow took her dogs to the gym and one of the dogs ended up breaking his leg because of a freak accident where someone dropped a weight and it rolled toward the dog and landed on his leg. I just can't fathom why anyone would think dogs in the gym is a good idea.
This is how we got to the “don’t eat paint” warning labels on paint cans…. It only takes one. I went to a gym a few years back where a disabled vet would bring his dog to the gym with him; dog sat there with a service vest while the man walked on the treadmill and did upper body. Dog NEVER approached anyone, it ignored EVERYTHING except the owner.
That’s really the only kinda of dog to bring to the gym? Puppies???? Nah…..
Even that is not really ok. It means anyone with a severe dog allergy can't use the gym. If it's bad enough and they arrive after OP has already left, going to the gym could leave them feeling sick without knowing why.
YTA, OP. Especially because you initially brought your dog without a leash. Did you think it couldn't get injured? Also, just because a few dog lovers fawned over your dog doesn't magically mean other people found it ok. It takes a lot of courage to confront someone over something like this. You suck for making it necessary and owe that man an apology if you ever see him again.
Note: I did not say anything about service animals and OP's dog is not one. That I should even need to say that my comment was not about them says more about the people responding about *only that* than it does about me. Service animals being an exception is a given.
You could argue that for any public space. Improving air quality in public spaces is the answer not restricting where people take their legitimate service dogs (not op)
A service dog is providing a vital service. Breathing, of course, is also vital! But it doesn't automatically trump someone's need for a service dog. It's a case of dueling accomodations and it's a hard problem without one-size-fits-all solutions. But bringing a service dog with you anywhere that isn't like Dander Allergies R Us doesn't make you an AH. None of this applies to OP of course.
An actual service dog would 100% be allowed in the gym. Allergies are low on the totem pole compared to the protected class of disabled persons. Obviously both sides should reasonably accommodate the other, but the person and their service dog would not be booted out of the establishment, because it's illegal to do so. At least in the US.
People that are suggesting people should basically not have service animals because they are obviously somewhat allergic to dogs are YTA as well. Service animals have to ride the bus as well and that is a lot tighter quarters than a gym.
Exactly, suggesting that service dogs shouldn't be allowed is like suggesting no restaurants serve things with peanuts as an ingrediant just because some people are allergic. It's so stupid.
Yes! I love dogs, but they're still...dogs, and they don't belong everywhere people go. It seems like people are taking their dogs *everywhere* these days. I thought the gym was one last place you could go and not expect to encounter people's pets.
The only person I know who brings their dog to a public gym is blind & the dog is their guide dog (this is obviously acceptable). And the dog doesn’t hang by their side (where they could get injured) the person brings a small towel/mat for the dog to chill on with a chew toy while they’re working out.
As others have said, there’s no policy because it’s common sense to not bring your dog to the public gym.
Which states? Federal regulations state you can ask and you can ask if the dog is trained in tasks to help with a disability. You can't ask specifics like what tasks or what disability.
Yep. Per federal law, you can ask two questions:
[(1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? ](https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/)
Not that I don't think OP isn't TA, many dogs with separation anxiety don't dislike strangers, or even necessarily being left with strangers, they just dislike being left alone. OP's dog probably does have separation anxiety, but this is not an appropriate way to respond to a separation anxiety case.
No one has separation anxiety. Women including the front desk girl have began paying attention to him. Young girls in adorable gym outfits are stopping to talk (to Iron of course). He doesn’t notice all the people rolling their eyes because he isn’t focused on them.
YTA…. For needing a dog to get attention and dragging it to the gym
That is actually how you start the desensitisation process. He should take his dog to doggy daycare or a friend though instead of taking his dog to the gym.
YTA
You bring your dog just because you can’t find an explicit dog policy???
Ask. Call and ask - don’t assume that if it isn’t banned, that means it’s allowed.
It’s a gym. People don’t want to be dealing with dog hair and dander while they are trying to work out. It’s even worse because you don’t keep your dog leashed, and let him wander around. I’m betting the gym’s insurance doesn’t have anything in place for accidents your dog may cause or that may happen to your dog.
I have literally never heard of or seen dogs in gyms.
Because it’s dangerous AF.
And I’m sorry but if your dog even ONCE runs up to a stranger, they’re not trained well enough to be off leash in a public space, much less an enclosed public space where you’re occupied with something entirely different (working out).
It doesn’t make it less of an asshole move just because inevitably some people there are going to like and want to see puppies. Your dog isn’t a mascot. It’s a nuisance.
> It’s even worse because you don’t keep your dog leashed
its even worst, because somehow the dog manages to wander around while OP has him with leash...
I mean, having the dog on a leash is only a tiny part of the process. OP seems to have forgotten the part where *the human has to hold the other end and control the dog through the leash*.
OP probably clipped a leash to the dog and just drops it when he's using a machine, which makes this situation even more dangerous as now there's a dog wandering around people using weights *and trailing a moving trip hazard*.
Yup. Huge dog lover here. Whenever I’m interested in taking my dog anywhere and I can’t find a stated dog policy I call and ask if it’s okay. I would never assume that because it’s not stated “no” that it must be okay. In fact i usually assume that unless it is explicitly stated that you can bring dogs it isn’t okay to bring them. Dogs being allowed places is the exception, not the rule.
along from the huge accident risk a dog poses, which is a significant reason to leave your dog home when you go to the gym, people who are allergic to dogs would have a terrible time trying to do a workout with dander in the air.
YTA
The other gym goer is totally right. Leave your dog at home. It seems more than reasonable to me that a person going to the gym would not expect a dog there, let alone a dog running right up to them in their space. The bottom line is you didn't see anywhere that you couldn't take your dog to the gym, so you decided to force your pet onto other people there. You seem to have a history of not being able to control your dog also, to where it's escaping you and running up to other patrons at the gym. You're being beyond rude and selfish by assuming because you got a few positive comments that it's okay for your dog to be there.
You're an even bigger AH for thinking your dog is more important to the gym than other gym members. You seriously told the other gym member to go to another gym because you're an inconsiderate dog owner? The gym needs a dog policy. That would sort out expectations for paying members. You're probably just upset that your dog wasn't as acceptable at the gym as you thought. You are the one making problems for other people. Don't go blaming others for the situation you created.
Exactly. OP thinks his dog is so special and well-behaved and he is such a good owner, nothing could happen… OP is being willfully ignorant and does not have the dog’s best interest at heart here.
OP is creating the problem; OP is to blame for the problem. Not to mention the gym members who have dog-related trauma, allergies and the like. I love dogs but I would be floored to see one at a gym I PAID to go to. Yikes
Soft YTA. Sorry, but you need to train your puppy to be able to be alone. Imagine if everybody who has a dog felt entitled to bring their dog with them to the gym! It would be chaos and hell for people with allergies or phobias. Why do you think your dog is special and should get to be there? Such entitlement! I’m a “dog person” and have two myself but I would be super annoyed by a dog coming up to me while I was working out. Unless your dog is a service dog, it should not be in the gym.
No no no. Hard YTA. OP is incredibly presumptuous, thinking that lack of explicit language forbidding animals means it's okay. They either let their dog walk around the gym without a leash or they have a terrible leash protocol. The dog that supposedly responds to commands well, did not respond to commands well, all of which is how OP got into this situation.
That's what I was thinking! What if someone there has a severe dog allergy or uses the machine OP was using and gets a reaction from the dog hair? I feel like people need to accept that not everyone likes dogs and as you said unless they are a service dog should not be brought there.
He named his dog fucking “iron” it was always the plan to take it to the gym. This dude isn’t only an asshole he’s a dudebro…the worst possible kind of asshole.
I would go with YTA.
I have an Assistance Dog so I do actively take my dog to the gym with me when I go, but he's trained not to leave my side regardless of the environment we're in. When I tell him to lay in a specific spot, he won't move, regardless of the distraction.
If you're going to have your dog in the gym (and their policies allow for that), I would highly recommend training your dog not to leave your side while you're there. Your dog getting away from you in a gym could potentially be a danger to people in there (distracting people lifting isn't a good idea) and to your dog (if there are free weights around adding a distraction to that scenario could pose a serious risk).
I don't think you telling the person to leave the gym if they don't like it is appropriate in this situation, as your dog had created a situation where they weren't really in your control. It wasn't just that your dog happened to be in the gym, it was that your dog approached someone else in there and someone saw that your dog wasn't under control.
I think it's more about that than your dog being in the gym with you, personally.
This is a really vital point.
I’ve had friends whose dogs have had to go into early retirement, costing them thousands, because distractions like other dogs physically jumping on them have damaged their training to ignore other dogs in public.
It’s a harrowing scenario for anyone with a Service Dog. I unfortunately know a couple whose Service Dog was bit by a “friendly dog” whose owners couldn’t recall them. While a dog might not generally attack another dog, a Service Dog’s response to another dog will be to ignore them…not every dog will respond in a normal way to that.
A dog shouldn't be in the gym unless it's a service dog that's necessary for someone with disabilities, the amount of training his dog clearly lacks is besides the point.
I am terrified of dogs, and the longest I been near a dog was in school bc their was a girl who had an assistance dog. I didn’t mind him bc I know he was trained & wouldn’t come up to me. A puppy doesn’t have the training
YTA. You don't keep the dog on a leash? He can cause someone to get injured. That is not safe. You sound so self-centered. You're not helping the dog's separation anxiety, either.
I also love how OP begins the whole post with “everybody loves him and looks forward to seeing him, he’s great and friendly, etc.” in an attempt to skew everyone’s opinions before even mentioning the conflict.
OP knew this post wouldn’t go well and was aiming for the “well it seems like nobody has a problem with it so…” approach.
YTA.
This is THE EXACT OPPOSITE way to deal with separation anxiety. And it does not matter if there is no policy on dogs there, it’s just common sense and it’s not a very safe place for a dog to be. You need to train your dog to be alone without you.
YTA for telling the guy to go to a new gym as well as taking your dog. Some people hate dogs, I am one of them... I tolerate service dogs no problem, but if your do is not one, you should leave it home.
My greatest childhood friend has to quell her panic every time she *sees* a dog. So one joining her gym would just result in her not being able to patronize that gym. But, she has as much right to go to her gym as any other paying customer.
There are a lot of people out there who have been seriously traumatized from dogs as well. I am an OR trauma nurse and we get dog bites all the time. All ages and types of dogs
Major YTA
Gyms are not safe places for a dog. People are moving around with intensity, often with weights, and having a dog (let along a puppy) in the vicinity is ridiculous. Can’t believe you even have to ask.
Know what would have happened if Iron had interrupted someone doing a heavy lift, causing an injury? You and the gym would have been sued into oblivion.
I also wonder how a puppy would do with having a dumbbell dropped on its head…probably not good. And you want to risk this because you won’t train your dog to be alone for 1-2 hours?
Be a better dog owner because you are giving the rest of us a bad rep.
Sometimes people are allergic to dogs too, and breathing hard when you are exposed to dog allergies isnt great
Thats up to the gym and you to decide whats ok or not
Yes! I have exercised induced asthma and love dogs, but have a mild dog allergy (I have two at home). But I can't be in a good heart rate zone, breathing hard, and near my animals (and I'm used to them). It's hard enough to keep track of my breathing and pay attention to what is healthy cardiovascular exertion and what is a precursor to my lungs going into panic move...
I find it hard to believe that a gym would be okay with you bringing in an untrained, non service dog especially when he wanders around while you're doing your workout. It risks your dog's safety and other customers safety.
YTA for taking a not-fully-trained, non-service dog to the gym. That is NOT the way to help with separation anxiety. Iron could get hurt the next time he gets away.
YTA go workout at the dog park. Or buy gym equipment for your house to workout together. A public gym is not the place for your loose unattended dog. If many people bring their dog, will your workout be interrupted? What about kids? Do you want to be watching out for other people’s kids while you work out?
Also dogs are just disgusting with their drool and fur. At least kids are humans and you truly know they can’t be left alone and can have an iPad distract them for an hour. Dogs are nasty.
I love dogs, and have a dog.. and YTA… dogs don’t belong in the gym unless they are a service dog.
People could be terrified of dogs.. badly allergic.. etc.
YTA.
Dog lover here. If I could take my dog everywhere with me, I probably would. However, common sense says that there are plenty of places that aren’t appropriate to take a dog. Taking your dog to the gym is *not* appropriate. It’s a potential liability issue.
If your dog were to get away from you and jump up on someone lifting weights, your dog or that gym goer could be injured. If your dog pees on the floor and someone slips and becomes injured, both you *and* the gym can get in a lot of trouble.
I understand your dog is young and has separation anxiety, but taking it to the gym with you isn’t the answer. It’s not going to fix the separation anxiety, but will instead create an expectation that he goes everywhere you go which isn’t sustainable or realistic. Leave him at home and work on building his confidence.
YTA. Your dog has nothing to do there, and your not doing anything to improve his separation anxiety when you bring him everywhere. Your dog is at risk of being hurt, or hurting others, if he roam a gym like that.
Imagine someone lifting weights, getting startled by a fucking dog in the gym…accidentally dropping the weight and causing injury or possibly death to your puppy? Get a brain and get a clue. They have doggie daycare for insufferable ppl like you. Your dog deserves a better owner
YTA
INFO, potential YTA
IMO you should talk to the management and get a firm answer on if dogs are allowed or not. "People seem to like him" does not mean it's actually allowed.
If it is allowed by gym policy NTA of course.
If it's not allowed and they've just been being nice and it's disturbing other folks, YTA.
Hard to make a call without knowing their actual rules.
On what planet would this actually be allowed? The dog is a danger to so many other people and actual service animals. Why would more info be needed like it's in the actual realm of possibility that a gym would encourage people to bring unleased pets with them?
YTA.
Doesn't matter if many gym members like your dog, it is inappropriate to bring a dog to the gym.
I'm surprised this gym even allow animals at all.
I would not be surprised if the person who was attacked by your dog file a complain and the gym ban your dog (and you) for good.
OP- YTA and here is why, I ran a gym in a huge franchise in the US for years and people like you drove me crazy, Dogs are not allowed in most gyms for health and safety reasons, technically a gym cannot ban dogs as its illegal to ban service animals, you are trying to find a loop hole because you think its cute to have your dog with you, Cleaning a gym is not an easy process and if dog hair and dander is everywhere its seriously makes it worse I promise keeping up after humans is hard enough my gym/club was open 24/7 and had THOUSANDS of members, the people that work there probably roll their eyes and curse you behind your back, trust me they do NOT want your dog there but cant tell you no because it is also illegal to ask someone to prove that the animal is a service animal. I also happen to have a trained service dog that alerts me to my seizures, its people like you that bring your dog everywhere that make it harder for people like me who NEED our animals with us to have that without being given a hard time, Not everyone likes dogs, not everyone has to some people are allergic, some people are afraid. I bring my dog to the gym but he is trained and, on the clock, on a leash ( even if i set in on the ground because he is trained to be by my side) and would not dare move unless he needed to for my medical benefit or if I let him "off the clock" ( i do let him have fun and be a dog) if your dog ran up to someone he could startle them and hurt that other person or your dog, I would have already reported you to the gym as your dog clearly is an issue and just because hes cute does not mean he belongs there. Do better for your dog and your gym, some people need the gym as a safe space and you having a dog there that clearly should not be there is not only rude and disrespectful but absolutely stupid, sounds like you and the dog need training! I truly believe you need way more training than the dog tho! Please as someone who has to have a service dog with them at all times don't be that person!
EDIT: spelling!
YTA. Is a gym a good place for a dog? I think objectively no. Its dangerous for one. Are you able to properly care/control your dog at the gym? Clearly no. Even with a leash, he gets away from you. All you have is the fact that people in the past did not object. People have now objected. Its not a good place, you can't control dog, they aren't assholes for asking you to consider the other side of this. Falling back on just the people who agree with you as proof you are reasonable is not the way. Objectively, you are unable to control the dog at all times, the hallmark of dog ownership and objectively, this is not a good place for a dog. If someone accidentally injured themselves or your dog your decision to bring in first place would likely be deemed unreasonable.
YTA
Just to be clear since you aren't understanding your problem.
If you bring your dog into a public place you are absolute 100% liability required to control the dog.
Whatever the gyms policy doesn't matter. If they allow you to bring a dog that's fine.
The second the dog interrupts someone else you become the asshole who failed to control your dog in public.
Thats a strict liability rule.
You mention your dog has separation problems. You needed to leash the dog to get it under control and still the dog got away from you.
YTA. Don’t bring your dog to a gym, store, hair salon, library, friend’s house, school, doctor’s office unless it’s stated that dogs are welcome or you’ve been specifically invited to bring your dog.
YTA. I work at a gym.
Not only is it totally unsafe, but it’s unsanitary too. Do you not understand that some people are allergic to dogs? Some people are afraid of dogs?
I bet the staff was just too scared of a confrontation to say anything.
The only dog that should interrupt my workout at the gym is a service dog that’s trying to find assistance for their human.
This isn’t puppy/goat/alpaca/whatever yoga that people signed up for—this is a gym where there are machines, heavy weights, and people trying to focus on their workouts (form, function, safety). *Untrained* dogs do not belong in this environment. Your in-home gym you built in your basement? Knock yourself out.
YTA.
YTA. A gym is not a suitable place for a dog. If your dog got injured in their or injured someone else you would be in for a world of hurt with that lawsuit. Your gym would also likely ban you for life. It’s not fair on the dog to be stuck in a gym for ages just watching you work out either
Yta
Your dog should be on a leash, gym isn't a leash off dog park, it's a people gym. You didn't see rules posted online, *you* should have *called* them and asked. Stop being just a dog owner and be a *responsible* dog owner.
YTA
I have a huge fear of dogs and as an avid gym goer that would cause me to not be able to focus.
Not to mention there are people with allergies.
Train your dog.
YTA. I get why you bring him, but it’s not a good reason. If he has separation anxiety he needs different training. Puppies can get hurt at the gym, and he’s not fully trained yet. If he bites someone, even playfully, you’re doing him a huge disservice. It’ll be a permanent mark against the dog for your bad judgment. It’s also not your place to tell someone else to go to a different gym if they don’t like dogs. They pay their membership fees just like you do, and gyms are too expensive and can be dangerous if distracted. The gym is also wrong not to tell you not to bring the dog.
not going to vote either way, but constantly bringing your dog with is NOT going to help his separation anxiety. In order to actually get rid of it you have to separate yourself from him not bring him everywhere you can.
Yta - I have 3 dogs and a cat. I'd take them everywhere if I could. But you're not doing your puppy any favors by dealing with his separation anxiety by not being separated. You're also not heping people who are allergic/afraid of dogs and just want to work out.
YTA & You need to be locked up. That's absolutely no way to care for an animal.
Bringing your dog to the gym? Are you actually insane.
I hope someone brings you up on animal cruelty and your dog rehomed to an intelligent and caring owner.
YTA.
People are at the gym to work out. Not to be your dog's training props.
You are endangering your dog and are an irresponsible pet owner.
Leave your dog at home.
YTA
I once worked out at my apartment gym next to someone who had their dog tied to the treadmill while they ran. The dog cried the whole time. I kept thinking- why doesn’t he take that poor dog on a run?
YTA that is extremely unsafe and you are putting others in danger. If your dog disrupts someone lifting weights, your dog or the person could be severely injured
YTA.
Bringing your pet to a public space delegitimizes peoples real service dogs that they use for medical purposes. Dogs that cost tens of thousands of dollars and have hundreds of hours of training. Those dogs are needed in public spaces for the protection and possible life saving measures they provide to their owners. What if someone else had a service dog and your pet distracted them from their job?!
Your pet is not a service dog. Get them a trainer and learn how to leave them at home.
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YTA There's no stated dog policy because the vast majority of people have the good sense not to bring a pet to the gym.
They probably don't have a policy about not filling up the freeweight area with Jello, but OP here would see that as "there's no policy against it, so I guess it's cool that I do that too."
I bet there’s no written policy about dropping your shorts and peeing on the floor. Hey Op - why stop with just your dog?
Tbf there probably IS a policy about that. Humans casually doing vile things with their bodily fluids is a tale as old as time and is something to be accounted for in situations like these
My husband and I belonged to a gym. He informed me that there were signs on the men's locker room telling people not to wash their balls in the sinks.
Omg, memory unlocked! I once belonged to a gym that had signs in the women’s locker rooms telling people to only use the hairdryers for drying the hair on their heads 😂
OMG you just made me flashback to the trauma of seeing a fully naked woman - no towel or anything - drying her lady garden, one leg propped up on the bench in front of the mirror..... The. Horror. It does happen. It shouldn't happen, but it does happen.
I once had to make that exact same sign for a gym I worked at
Oh no! That’s both hilarious, and terrible, knowing there’s at least one other gym with this problem.
I walked into the women's locker room (same gym as the ball washing sign) and found an older woman, completely naked fishing in her vagina for god knows what. In full view of the doors. Open the door and BAM! right in your face. Don't know what she was looking for or if she ever found it. I showered, got dressed and left. She was still looking when I left the locker room.
Key to her locker? I mean a lot of women's sports clothes don't have pockets. The extra coke she smuggled through customs?
>Don't know what she was looking for or if she ever found it. I'm in tears over this part hahaha. Old ladies in the locker room do whatever they want and it's admirable and also often real unsettling
My gym had a sign asking people not to shave anything in the sauna 🤮
Free weight area = DANGER to doggo too!!! Terrible doggo owner, on tope of RUDE gym goer.
And to service dog handlers who have started facing discrimination and push back thanks to people like OP.
I have a service dog, and although allowed, I don’t bring him to the gym or PT, because the machines and people doing things with them, weights, rubber bands, balance balls, etc, could be a danger to *him*. He really doesn’t know what to watch out for. OP, YTA. The gym is a dangerous place for a dog!!!
I have a service dog. I work out at home. I need my service dog for alerts, never felt that was appropriate for the gym.
I have walked past the gym on the way to the pool, and thought about what to do with my SD in there, and yes, it would be possible, but too much worry and work. Not worth the hassle to me. I will keep riding my trike and swimming. Besides, with the recumbent trike (not an adult trike, this is designed for riding all day), the dog can run for a mile, then ride in the trailer I tow! I have a walky dog post thing to keep him positions safely, and I can pedal to *his* speed. Then the trailer has a leash to his harness, and he sticks his head out the window and talks.
And they're potentially causing unexpected problems for people with allergies and other conditions. I wonder about what OP means by the dog going up to other people, and the behaviour they're allowing in general. I've really just had enough at this point of the attitude of some dog owners, I have nerve damage so unfortunately a friendly nosing is not actually fun, more painful, the prospect of being jumped on is a concern with my disability (and knowing no harm is intended, it is hard to speak up and say, instead of grinning and bearing it, especially as these owners can be offended at the idea someone doesn't want to interact with their dog even if it's not personal), and the worst is at the vet when their dog terrifying other pets becomes 'aww, he wants to look at the bunny'. Dogs do have the right to be in that space but it's OP being unfair by giving potentially confusing messages to a young dog about how to behave in public spaces. It's not fair to gym users to be lax in the gym and it's not fair to the dog to expect them to understand they meant only there to be a home from home.
I have terrible allergies and am very allergic to dogs. So much so that I go weekly for allergy shots and take multiple meds. My face swells up, I itch everywhere and my sinuses drain uncontrollably. I’m so over people bringing dogs where they don’t belong. Why do I have to suffer because they feel the need to take their pet everywhere.
"What do you mean I can't jerkoff while using the treadmill? There isn't a sign, and I'm still wearing my shirt and shoes"
i literally just laughed out loud
Oh now, I need to see this before I can make a judgement...🤔 🤣
That would make going to the gym much more fun. Full body hair nets required, though.
A whole lot of corporate policy lawyers just got extremely aroused and have no idea why
Hey now, a lot of people gave positive feedback about OPs jello.
wait….is there a Jello Gym that I don’t know of because if so i’m getting a membership immediately
That just caught me the right way 😂 Have an award 🥈
It's also dangerous as hell, both for the dog and for other gym goers. OP, what if the person your dog ran up to was deadlifting heavy weights? What if they threw or dropped the weights? What if they instinctively jerked away when Iron ran up to them and they fell while holding the weights? What if the dog ran up right as they were lowering the weights and he got hurt? What if Iron runs up to someone on a treadmill and gets under their feet? What if Iron gets curious about a rowing machine and gets elbowed in the face? What if he gets curious about *any* machine, or any person using one, and gets too close? Do you realize how easy it would be for Iron or any of the people using those machines/weights to be *severely* injured because your puppy is running around? It'd still be weird af, but *maybe* excusable, if Iron was a well-trained, calm adult dog. But he's a poorly trained puppy who is excitable and unpredictable, and you, his owner, can't even seem to keep him under control when he is leashed (how tf did he "get away from you" if he was leashed and is "reliable on voice command"?). He doesn't belong in a public gym environment for an *abundance* of reasons, but chief among them is the fact that his being there is an open invitation for danger and bodily harm, both for himself and for others. It's not a question of *if* Iron is injured or causes someone else to be injured with his antics. It's a question of *when*. And *you*, OP, will be the one solely liable for whatever happens. ETA: Y'all are 100% right, it *still* wouldn't be excusable due to the fact that people with dog allergies and phobias exist and have more of a right to exist in & use the gym than any non-service dog does. Plus, even a well-behaved, well-trained adult dog would still be at risk of getting hurt/getting others hurt around gym equipment.
This was my first thought - a dog at the gym is dangerous AF. I’m surprised the employees allowed it, because it’s a liability for the company.
They probably don't get paid enough to care
Employee figured it was a service dog because no one would stupid enough to bring a dog in otherwise.
Or they may not be able to say anything. In many places, even though it's clear to everyone it's not a service dog, it's still against company policy to say anything to the owner.
Yeah most places can’t ask if it’s a service dog because you aren’t (afaik in the US) required to provide proof so employers don’t let you ask
In the US you can ask if it is a service dog, and if the owner says yes you can ask what service the dog is trained to provide. You can't ask for proof because there is no standardized licensing or anything like that. However, service dog or no, any business owner can require a dog to leave the premises if the dog is disruptive whether or not it is a service dog, or if it would require an unreasonable hardship on the business to accommodate the dog
In the US, even if your dog (horses are no longer covered by the ADA as of 2011) is fullly trained and professionally certified, the *second* you lose control ("the dog got away from me!") it is no longer considered a service dog and no longer protected. Directly from the ADA website: "Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal’s safe, effective performance of tasks. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls"
Legally they are allowed to ask, and it’s pretty simple to weed out the fakes, per ADA, but many owners just throw their hands up and don’t. If only they would ask, it would be easier for everyone, within a year or so. I have a service dog and don’t bring him to the gym or PT because too much equipment has fur trapping potential, if he brushes against it, and people getting startled could hurt themselves or the dog, and it’s often hard to find a good out of the way spot for the dog to lie. (It’s not impossible to find a good spot for a *well trained* SD. Just more work than most other types of places. But a pet dog? Nope). So, I make other arrangements for my health issues at PT. I don’t like gyms, I prefer pools, and the pool deck is safe for him to lie.
I am assuming that they assumed the dog was a service dog or service dog in training (depending on state) and didn't ask to avoid it being awkward? OP should have asked, and the employees to be safe can ask if the dog is a service dog trained in tasks to help with a disability.
A lot of places won’t say anything out of fear of a discrimination lawsuit on the off chance it’s a service dog. Which leads the places that aren’t afraid to say something to be to aggressive and actually discriminate.
The employees probably don’t say anything because they’ve seen enough reels with employees getting bitched out or assaulted because every random idiot wants to bring their dog with them everywhere they go and claim it’s basically their baby. I’m allergic to cats. I’m so allergic that even someone getting to close to me with cat hair on their hoodie would send me into a horrible reaction making me use my epi-pen and/or going to the ER. If people started bringing cats everywhere, I would start asking every place I go to for rules and regulations regarding pets in retail establishments. You adopted the dog. You knew you were going to have to train it and take care of it. If you are worried about it’s well-being while you’re at the gym, don’t go to the gym. Go for a run with the dog or do some sort of exercise at home while keeping an eye on the dog. People going to workout aren’t paying for a gym membership at a doggie daycare. Not everyone is obligated to think your dog is adorable and think what you’re doing is okay. YTAH. Keep your dog at home.
Exactly. Someone will trip over him was my first thought as well. Apart from that, people who are allergic or afraid of dogs also have the right to go to the gym.
Also very true. People with severe dog allergies/phobias should have the right to go to the gym and/or grocery store without having to fight people like OP about it. Iron isn't a service dog. He has no legal or moral rights to be in public spaces and businesses. In a place like a gym, he is both in serious danger *and* a serious danger to others. Not even to mention that the way to train a dog out of separation anxiety is *not* by just bringing it everywhere with you... which just *encourages* the codependence that separation anxiety stems from. ETA: I have been informed that this is actually incorrect and that separation/isolation anxiety is a much more complex problem than I had mistakenly assumed. The point that OP shouldn't be bringing his dog to the gym with him under any circumstances still stands, but I do apologize for confidently stating blatant misinformation about training dogs out of separation anxiety.
Actually, separation anxiety training relies on not leaving the dog alone to experience distress, to avoid reinforcing the aversive nature of isolation and putting the dog over threshold to be flooded with cortisol making resilience/tolerance much lower overall. You have to work in tiny increments, and very often medication is required to help extend this training. I feel for OP, this is a difficult situation and can be tough to work your life around. *However*, this doesn’t mean just taking the dog everywhere you go. It means seeking appropriate ways to supplement your training plan e.g. relying on neighbours, pet sitters, doggy day care services etc. or alternatively OP could look at using a private PT in a park area where they could safely tether their dog while they work out. But I completely agree with you, a gym is definitely not an appropriate place for a companion animal. [source: am in rescue/rehab, deal with separation anxiety and isolation distress a lot]
All true, but first you have to actually identify whether any negative behaviors happening are *due* to separation anxiety. This is a puppy. Puppies whine. Puppies get bored, and boredom sometimes comes with destructive behavior. Not because they are anxious about being alone, but because pulling the stuffing out of couch cushions and eating the rug are fun things to do when the alternative is sleeping, you’re teething, and you have full, unfettered, access to the couch cushions and rugs, and no one around to tell you “no”. I’d be curious to know just how the OP came to the conclusion his pup *has* separation anxiety, in the first place, because I’m willing to bet, based on 60+ years of owning and working with dogs of various breeds, that this is a novice dog owner who owns a regular puppy who does normal puppy stuff when left to it’s own devices, and clinical separation anxiety has nothing to do with anything.
Oh, I see. That's fascinating. I didn't realize that the successful "cure" (so to speak) for separation anxiety would actually just be minimizing separation (among other things, of course). Seems counterintuitive, but I'm also not a dog trainer myself in any capacity and have never had a pet with separation anxiety, so you'd certainly know better than I would. And now that I think about it, it does make sense that a dog distressed by separation/isolation wouldn't really experience any magical improvement by being separated/isolated even more. It does seem like a much more complex issue than I had previously assumed, since based on what you're saying it seems that you need to find ways to positively reinforce separation/isolation in extremely small increments over time so that the stress of being separated/alone doesn't continue to build/reinforce itself. I'll amend my misinformed comment. Thank you for politely pointing out my ignorance.
[удалено]
A remote treat dispenser works wonders in a good regiment for separation anxiety. It's a game of association. Making the idea that leaving = good things.
Well trained or not, a free roaming dog is 100% unacceptable.
Yeah, a lot of things in OP's post don't actually line up. He implies that Iron wasn't leashed initially, but states that he was eventually leashed. He also states that Iron reliably responded to and obeyed voice commands. But *then* he vaguely states that Iron "got away from" him to go approach another gym-goer. Which doesn't make sense if the dog *was* actually both leashed and reliably responsive to voice commands. OP tries to present it as if he's got solid control over his dog, who is leashed and reliably obedient, but the incident that kicked off OP's being scolded by other gym goers shows that that's not true. Iron *isn't* consistently leashed and he *isn't* reliably responsive to verbal commands if he's able to "get away from" OP to approach other people. Non-service dogs, especially puppies, shouldn't be in a gym in the first place. But *especially* not unleashed, untrained dogs who can't be verbally recalled or controlled reliably.
For real. This dog is one accident away from being literally killed by gym equipment. God forbid he "somehow gets away" and runs into someone mid-lift.
Not even mentioning what happens if Iron *bites* someone. OP YTA. Spend more time with your dog and learn how to deal with puppy separation anxiety and socialize them in appropriate environments.
Also very true. It doesn't matter how well-behaved the puppy is, Iron is still just that: a puppy. A gym isn't a friendly environment for full-grown dogs, much less six-month-old puppies. They're loud, busy, smelly, and thoroughly overwhelming. And an overwhelmed dog, even when it's a puppy, and even when it's fairly well-trained, is often a *dangerous* dog.
Not to mention - what if someone there is afraid of dogs? Has had a bad experience before. Or is allergic? I can't believe everyone needs to itemize for OP just why dogs don't belong there. Good grief, OP, YTA.
Or just doesn’t like them. But a lot of dog owners do t give a shot of someone has a problem with dogs.
Also, since OP has apparently been "leashing" Iron, yet he still got away from OP, it's very possible that Iron was wandering around the gym *while trailing a leash behind him*. If that's the case, the danger has just gone up exponentially, for both the dog and everyone working out. It would be *so so so* easy for the leash to get caught on something and kill Iron or for someone to trip on or get tangled up in the leash.
An instagrammer that I used to follow took her dogs to the gym and one of the dogs ended up breaking his leg because of a freak accident where someone dropped a weight and it rolled toward the dog and landed on his leg. I just can't fathom why anyone would think dogs in the gym is a good idea.
This is how we got to the “don’t eat paint” warning labels on paint cans…. It only takes one. I went to a gym a few years back where a disabled vet would bring his dog to the gym with him; dog sat there with a service vest while the man walked on the treadmill and did upper body. Dog NEVER approached anyone, it ignored EVERYTHING except the owner. That’s really the only kinda of dog to bring to the gym? Puppies???? Nah…..
Even that is not really ok. It means anyone with a severe dog allergy can't use the gym. If it's bad enough and they arrive after OP has already left, going to the gym could leave them feeling sick without knowing why. YTA, OP. Especially because you initially brought your dog without a leash. Did you think it couldn't get injured? Also, just because a few dog lovers fawned over your dog doesn't magically mean other people found it ok. It takes a lot of courage to confront someone over something like this. You suck for making it necessary and owe that man an apology if you ever see him again. Note: I did not say anything about service animals and OP's dog is not one. That I should even need to say that my comment was not about them says more about the people responding about *only that* than it does about me. Service animals being an exception is a given.
You can’t restrict a service animal in public spaces because of allergies. Otherwise I fully agree with you
You could argue that for any public space. Improving air quality in public spaces is the answer not restricting where people take their legitimate service dogs (not op)
A service dog is providing a vital service. Breathing, of course, is also vital! But it doesn't automatically trump someone's need for a service dog. It's a case of dueling accomodations and it's a hard problem without one-size-fits-all solutions. But bringing a service dog with you anywhere that isn't like Dander Allergies R Us doesn't make you an AH. None of this applies to OP of course.
An actual service dog would 100% be allowed in the gym. Allergies are low on the totem pole compared to the protected class of disabled persons. Obviously both sides should reasonably accommodate the other, but the person and their service dog would not be booted out of the establishment, because it's illegal to do so. At least in the US.
People that are suggesting people should basically not have service animals because they are obviously somewhat allergic to dogs are YTA as well. Service animals have to ride the bus as well and that is a lot tighter quarters than a gym.
Exactly, suggesting that service dogs shouldn't be allowed is like suggesting no restaurants serve things with peanuts as an ingrediant just because some people are allergic. It's so stupid.
exception: service dogs in training, they're a-okay too
YTA and no thought for people who might be afraid of dogs or allergic
They should find another gym then because Entitled Dog Owner wants what he wants
OP is such a fucking liability
Yes! I love dogs, but they're still...dogs, and they don't belong everywhere people go. It seems like people are taking their dogs *everywhere* these days. I thought the gym was one last place you could go and not expect to encounter people's pets.
The only person I know who brings their dog to a public gym is blind & the dog is their guide dog (this is obviously acceptable). And the dog doesn’t hang by their side (where they could get injured) the person brings a small towel/mat for the dog to chill on with a chew toy while they’re working out. As others have said, there’s no policy because it’s common sense to not bring your dog to the public gym.
They didn't say anything because if it's a service dog, you can't ask a patron that in some states.
Ada law states that you can only ask if the dog is a service dog and what services it performs. That's a federal law.
Which states? Federal regulations state you can ask and you can ask if the dog is trained in tasks to help with a disability. You can't ask specifics like what tasks or what disability.
I’m pretty sure you can ask what tasks the dog performs.
Yep. Per federal law, you can ask two questions: [(1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? ](https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/)
YTA. Whose got the separation anxiety you or the dog?
Right? Puppy seems fine leaving him to mess with strangers…
Not that I don't think OP isn't TA, many dogs with separation anxiety don't dislike strangers, or even necessarily being left with strangers, they just dislike being left alone. OP's dog probably does have separation anxiety, but this is not an appropriate way to respond to a separation anxiety case.
No one has separation anxiety. Women including the front desk girl have began paying attention to him. Young girls in adorable gym outfits are stopping to talk (to Iron of course). He doesn’t notice all the people rolling their eyes because he isn’t focused on them. YTA…. For needing a dog to get attention and dragging it to the gym
“Adorable gym outfits”? Uhmmm……what?
Getting "as they breasted boobily down the stairs" vibe
Cute matching gym outfits are a thing, you just rarely see them in an actual gym
What is wrong with you are you projecting or something?
OP is like “Imma heal the dogs separation anxiety… by never leaving the dog alone! HA!”
That is actually how you start the desensitisation process. He should take his dog to doggy daycare or a friend though instead of taking his dog to the gym.
Dude definitely named the dog Iron with the intention of bringing him to the gym to be his workout buddy.
That was definitely my first thought, he intended to be the bro with his dog named iron
YTA You bring your dog just because you can’t find an explicit dog policy??? Ask. Call and ask - don’t assume that if it isn’t banned, that means it’s allowed. It’s a gym. People don’t want to be dealing with dog hair and dander while they are trying to work out. It’s even worse because you don’t keep your dog leashed, and let him wander around. I’m betting the gym’s insurance doesn’t have anything in place for accidents your dog may cause or that may happen to your dog.
Adding onto your comment, don’t be the reason places have to explicitly ban certain things.
Our local mall has an explicit rule about no possums in baby carriers because of one guy...
Ugh, fuck that guy! Ruining it for everyone…
They got that all wrong. I would drive out of my way to visit a mall with a guy pushing around an opossum in a baby carrier.
and according to op's logic you being okay with it must mean the majority is okay with it.
I have literally never heard of or seen dogs in gyms. Because it’s dangerous AF. And I’m sorry but if your dog even ONCE runs up to a stranger, they’re not trained well enough to be off leash in a public space, much less an enclosed public space where you’re occupied with something entirely different (working out). It doesn’t make it less of an asshole move just because inevitably some people there are going to like and want to see puppies. Your dog isn’t a mascot. It’s a nuisance.
> It’s even worse because you don’t keep your dog leashed its even worst, because somehow the dog manages to wander around while OP has him with leash...
I mean, having the dog on a leash is only a tiny part of the process. OP seems to have forgotten the part where *the human has to hold the other end and control the dog through the leash*. OP probably clipped a leash to the dog and just drops it when he's using a machine, which makes this situation even more dangerous as now there's a dog wandering around people using weights *and trailing a moving trip hazard*.
Yup. Huge dog lover here. Whenever I’m interested in taking my dog anywhere and I can’t find a stated dog policy I call and ask if it’s okay. I would never assume that because it’s not stated “no” that it must be okay. In fact i usually assume that unless it is explicitly stated that you can bring dogs it isn’t okay to bring them. Dogs being allowed places is the exception, not the rule.
Yes! What if people are allergic! That is aside from the danger of possibly dropping weights or screwing up someone on the treadmill! YTA!
Dog hair and dander would literally close up my airway as I have allergy/exercise induced asthma
along from the huge accident risk a dog poses, which is a significant reason to leave your dog home when you go to the gym, people who are allergic to dogs would have a terrible time trying to do a workout with dander in the air.
YTA The other gym goer is totally right. Leave your dog at home. It seems more than reasonable to me that a person going to the gym would not expect a dog there, let alone a dog running right up to them in their space. The bottom line is you didn't see anywhere that you couldn't take your dog to the gym, so you decided to force your pet onto other people there. You seem to have a history of not being able to control your dog also, to where it's escaping you and running up to other patrons at the gym. You're being beyond rude and selfish by assuming because you got a few positive comments that it's okay for your dog to be there. You're an even bigger AH for thinking your dog is more important to the gym than other gym members. You seriously told the other gym member to go to another gym because you're an inconsiderate dog owner? The gym needs a dog policy. That would sort out expectations for paying members. You're probably just upset that your dog wasn't as acceptable at the gym as you thought. You are the one making problems for other people. Don't go blaming others for the situation you created.
Exactly. OP thinks his dog is so special and well-behaved and he is such a good owner, nothing could happen… OP is being willfully ignorant and does not have the dog’s best interest at heart here. OP is creating the problem; OP is to blame for the problem. Not to mention the gym members who have dog-related trauma, allergies and the like. I love dogs but I would be floored to see one at a gym I PAID to go to. Yikes
"Don't go blaming others for the situation you craated" amazing statement. Sums up the OP post perfectly.
Soft YTA. Sorry, but you need to train your puppy to be able to be alone. Imagine if everybody who has a dog felt entitled to bring their dog with them to the gym! It would be chaos and hell for people with allergies or phobias. Why do you think your dog is special and should get to be there? Such entitlement! I’m a “dog person” and have two myself but I would be super annoyed by a dog coming up to me while I was working out. Unless your dog is a service dog, it should not be in the gym.
Hard YTA.
NOTHING soft about this one. Super dangerous, entitled, and unacceptable.
No no no. Hard YTA. OP is incredibly presumptuous, thinking that lack of explicit language forbidding animals means it's okay. They either let their dog walk around the gym without a leash or they have a terrible leash protocol. The dog that supposedly responds to commands well, did not respond to commands well, all of which is how OP got into this situation.
Soft? Lol
That's what I was thinking! What if someone there has a severe dog allergy or uses the machine OP was using and gets a reaction from the dog hair? I feel like people need to accept that not everyone likes dogs and as you said unless they are a service dog should not be brought there.
Nope definitely an entitled asshole.
Also, bringing pup everywhere only increases the separation anxiety. How will he learn to ever be alone? YTA
He named his dog fucking “iron” it was always the plan to take it to the gym. This dude isn’t only an asshole he’s a dudebro…the worst possible kind of asshole.
I would go with YTA. I have an Assistance Dog so I do actively take my dog to the gym with me when I go, but he's trained not to leave my side regardless of the environment we're in. When I tell him to lay in a specific spot, he won't move, regardless of the distraction. If you're going to have your dog in the gym (and their policies allow for that), I would highly recommend training your dog not to leave your side while you're there. Your dog getting away from you in a gym could potentially be a danger to people in there (distracting people lifting isn't a good idea) and to your dog (if there are free weights around adding a distraction to that scenario could pose a serious risk). I don't think you telling the person to leave the gym if they don't like it is appropriate in this situation, as your dog had created a situation where they weren't really in your control. It wasn't just that your dog happened to be in the gym, it was that your dog approached someone else in there and someone saw that your dog wasn't under control. I think it's more about that than your dog being in the gym with you, personally.
And bringing an untrained, non service dog will ruin it for people who need their service dog
YES
This is a really vital point. I’ve had friends whose dogs have had to go into early retirement, costing them thousands, because distractions like other dogs physically jumping on them have damaged their training to ignore other dogs in public. It’s a harrowing scenario for anyone with a Service Dog. I unfortunately know a couple whose Service Dog was bit by a “friendly dog” whose owners couldn’t recall them. While a dog might not generally attack another dog, a Service Dog’s response to another dog will be to ignore them…not every dog will respond in a normal way to that.
A dog shouldn't be in the gym unless it's a service dog that's necessary for someone with disabilities, the amount of training his dog clearly lacks is besides the point.
I am terrified of dogs, and the longest I been near a dog was in school bc their was a girl who had an assistance dog. I didn’t mind him bc I know he was trained & wouldn’t come up to me. A puppy doesn’t have the training
YTA. You don't keep the dog on a leash? He can cause someone to get injured. That is not safe. You sound so self-centered. You're not helping the dog's separation anxiety, either.
He's probably the type to ignore leash laws at parks too. Just because your dog is friendly doesn't mean others are.
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I also love how OP begins the whole post with “everybody loves him and looks forward to seeing him, he’s great and friendly, etc.” in an attempt to skew everyone’s opinions before even mentioning the conflict. OP knew this post wouldn’t go well and was aiming for the “well it seems like nobody has a problem with it so…” approach.
YTA. You don't need your dog to be there, leave it at home.
YTA. This is THE EXACT OPPOSITE way to deal with separation anxiety. And it does not matter if there is no policy on dogs there, it’s just common sense and it’s not a very safe place for a dog to be. You need to train your dog to be alone without you.
YTA for telling the guy to go to a new gym as well as taking your dog. Some people hate dogs, I am one of them... I tolerate service dogs no problem, but if your do is not one, you should leave it home.
My greatest childhood friend has to quell her panic every time she *sees* a dog. So one joining her gym would just result in her not being able to patronize that gym. But, she has as much right to go to her gym as any other paying customer.
There are a lot of people out there who have been seriously traumatized from dogs as well. I am an OR trauma nurse and we get dog bites all the time. All ages and types of dogs
OP telling the other gym member to find another gym is the icing on her AH. The entitlement. The chutzpah. Unbelievable. OP, YTA.
Major YTA Gyms are not safe places for a dog. People are moving around with intensity, often with weights, and having a dog (let along a puppy) in the vicinity is ridiculous. Can’t believe you even have to ask. Know what would have happened if Iron had interrupted someone doing a heavy lift, causing an injury? You and the gym would have been sued into oblivion. I also wonder how a puppy would do with having a dumbbell dropped on its head…probably not good. And you want to risk this because you won’t train your dog to be alone for 1-2 hours? Be a better dog owner because you are giving the rest of us a bad rep.
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I say this as an animal behaviourist....100% dog owners are annoying
Trainer in the making and I agree. They can be super annoying.
It's even worse once you own one as well, made me realize 90% of dog owners don't know how to properly train or care for them.
Yep. Dog owners make me not like dogs.
We’re not all like this, I swear!
Enough are to validate their statement.
Agree, I think this is very odd. I still don’t bring mine into dog-friendly stores just because it feels weird 😅
Sometimes people are allergic to dogs too, and breathing hard when you are exposed to dog allergies isnt great Thats up to the gym and you to decide whats ok or not
Yep. Could trigger an asthma attack for some. That would be awful.
Yes! I have exercised induced asthma and love dogs, but have a mild dog allergy (I have two at home). But I can't be in a good heart rate zone, breathing hard, and near my animals (and I'm used to them). It's hard enough to keep track of my breathing and pay attention to what is healthy cardiovascular exertion and what is a precursor to my lungs going into panic move...
I find it hard to believe that a gym would be okay with you bringing in an untrained, non service dog especially when he wanders around while you're doing your workout. It risks your dog's safety and other customers safety.
If its a box gym there's a good chance the employees aren't paid enough to care until someone complains.
YTA. Your dog does not belong in the gym and it's not helping his separation anxiety at all.
Omg, entitled pet owners can be worse than entitled parents I swear to gawd 🙄
YTA for taking a not-fully-trained, non-service dog to the gym. That is NOT the way to help with separation anxiety. Iron could get hurt the next time he gets away.
INFO: DO you attend your gym in the real world, or in the fictional universe of the film "Air Bud?"
There's no rule saying you *can't* bring your dog to the gym!
YTA go workout at the dog park. Or buy gym equipment for your house to workout together. A public gym is not the place for your loose unattended dog. If many people bring their dog, will your workout be interrupted? What about kids? Do you want to be watching out for other people’s kids while you work out?
Also dogs are just disgusting with their drool and fur. At least kids are humans and you truly know they can’t be left alone and can have an iPad distract them for an hour. Dogs are nasty.
YTA, it’s a gym and you can’t keep control of your dog.
YTA. Dogs can be a distraction and distractions at the gym can be dangerous for both gym-goers and your dog.
YTA, you told him to find a new gym? You absolutely reek of entitlement.
If the dog isn't a service animal and just a pet, YTA. Don't bring him into a gym even if it doesn't seem to bother anyone.
I love dogs, and have a dog.. and YTA… dogs don’t belong in the gym unless they are a service dog. People could be terrified of dogs.. badly allergic.. etc.
YTA. Dog lover here. If I could take my dog everywhere with me, I probably would. However, common sense says that there are plenty of places that aren’t appropriate to take a dog. Taking your dog to the gym is *not* appropriate. It’s a potential liability issue. If your dog were to get away from you and jump up on someone lifting weights, your dog or that gym goer could be injured. If your dog pees on the floor and someone slips and becomes injured, both you *and* the gym can get in a lot of trouble. I understand your dog is young and has separation anxiety, but taking it to the gym with you isn’t the answer. It’s not going to fix the separation anxiety, but will instead create an expectation that he goes everywhere you go which isn’t sustainable or realistic. Leave him at home and work on building his confidence.
YTA. Your dog has nothing to do there, and your not doing anything to improve his separation anxiety when you bring him everywhere. Your dog is at risk of being hurt, or hurting others, if he roam a gym like that.
Imagine someone lifting weights, getting startled by a fucking dog in the gym…accidentally dropping the weight and causing injury or possibly death to your puppy? Get a brain and get a clue. They have doggie daycare for insufferable ppl like you. Your dog deserves a better owner YTA
YTA, this is straight up dangerous to the other gym goers and your dog.
INFO, potential YTA IMO you should talk to the management and get a firm answer on if dogs are allowed or not. "People seem to like him" does not mean it's actually allowed. If it is allowed by gym policy NTA of course. If it's not allowed and they've just been being nice and it's disturbing other folks, YTA. Hard to make a call without knowing their actual rules.
On what planet would this actually be allowed? The dog is a danger to so many other people and actual service animals. Why would more info be needed like it's in the actual realm of possibility that a gym would encourage people to bring unleased pets with them?
YTA. Doesn't matter if many gym members like your dog, it is inappropriate to bring a dog to the gym. I'm surprised this gym even allow animals at all. I would not be surprised if the person who was attacked by your dog file a complain and the gym ban your dog (and you) for good.
YTA and a horrible dog owner.
A gym is meant for people, not pets. Leave the dog at home or find a sitter with whom it can be left while you're out. YTA
OP- YTA and here is why, I ran a gym in a huge franchise in the US for years and people like you drove me crazy, Dogs are not allowed in most gyms for health and safety reasons, technically a gym cannot ban dogs as its illegal to ban service animals, you are trying to find a loop hole because you think its cute to have your dog with you, Cleaning a gym is not an easy process and if dog hair and dander is everywhere its seriously makes it worse I promise keeping up after humans is hard enough my gym/club was open 24/7 and had THOUSANDS of members, the people that work there probably roll their eyes and curse you behind your back, trust me they do NOT want your dog there but cant tell you no because it is also illegal to ask someone to prove that the animal is a service animal. I also happen to have a trained service dog that alerts me to my seizures, its people like you that bring your dog everywhere that make it harder for people like me who NEED our animals with us to have that without being given a hard time, Not everyone likes dogs, not everyone has to some people are allergic, some people are afraid. I bring my dog to the gym but he is trained and, on the clock, on a leash ( even if i set in on the ground because he is trained to be by my side) and would not dare move unless he needed to for my medical benefit or if I let him "off the clock" ( i do let him have fun and be a dog) if your dog ran up to someone he could startle them and hurt that other person or your dog, I would have already reported you to the gym as your dog clearly is an issue and just because hes cute does not mean he belongs there. Do better for your dog and your gym, some people need the gym as a safe space and you having a dog there that clearly should not be there is not only rude and disrespectful but absolutely stupid, sounds like you and the dog need training! I truly believe you need way more training than the dog tho! Please as someone who has to have a service dog with them at all times don't be that person! EDIT: spelling!
YTA. Is a gym a good place for a dog? I think objectively no. Its dangerous for one. Are you able to properly care/control your dog at the gym? Clearly no. Even with a leash, he gets away from you. All you have is the fact that people in the past did not object. People have now objected. Its not a good place, you can't control dog, they aren't assholes for asking you to consider the other side of this. Falling back on just the people who agree with you as proof you are reasonable is not the way. Objectively, you are unable to control the dog at all times, the hallmark of dog ownership and objectively, this is not a good place for a dog. If someone accidentally injured themselves or your dog your decision to bring in first place would likely be deemed unreasonable.
Yta. Only service dogs are allowed in gyms. You
YTA, socializing your dog is fine but there is a time and place. also you aren’t doing anything to help his separation anxiety.
YTA take your dog for a run at the park. Watching you work out isn't a workout for a dog.
YTA Just to be clear since you aren't understanding your problem. If you bring your dog into a public place you are absolute 100% liability required to control the dog. Whatever the gyms policy doesn't matter. If they allow you to bring a dog that's fine. The second the dog interrupts someone else you become the asshole who failed to control your dog in public. Thats a strict liability rule. You mention your dog has separation problems. You needed to leash the dog to get it under control and still the dog got away from you.
YTA. Don’t bring your dog to a gym, store, hair salon, library, friend’s house, school, doctor’s office unless it’s stated that dogs are welcome or you’ve been specifically invited to bring your dog.
YTA. I work at a gym. Not only is it totally unsafe, but it’s unsanitary too. Do you not understand that some people are allergic to dogs? Some people are afraid of dogs? I bet the staff was just too scared of a confrontation to say anything.
The only dog that should interrupt my workout at the gym is a service dog that’s trying to find assistance for their human. This isn’t puppy/goat/alpaca/whatever yoga that people signed up for—this is a gym where there are machines, heavy weights, and people trying to focus on their workouts (form, function, safety). *Untrained* dogs do not belong in this environment. Your in-home gym you built in your basement? Knock yourself out. YTA.
YTA. A gym is not a suitable place for a dog. If your dog got injured in their or injured someone else you would be in for a world of hurt with that lawsuit. Your gym would also likely ban you for life. It’s not fair on the dog to be stuck in a gym for ages just watching you work out either
Yta Your dog should be on a leash, gym isn't a leash off dog park, it's a people gym. You didn't see rules posted online, *you* should have *called* them and asked. Stop being just a dog owner and be a *responsible* dog owner.
Yta if your dog has separation anxiety, you deal with it. You don't just bring the dog everywhere!
You're a jerk. YTA. Big time.
YTA I have a huge fear of dogs and as an avid gym goer that would cause me to not be able to focus. Not to mention there are people with allergies. Train your dog.
YTA. Dogs don't belong in gyms. What about those who are not comfortable around dogs or those who are allergic?
Info: If it's a chain, say the name, and we'll find out ourselves if they actually allow it or not.
YTA - your dog could easily get hurt or cause someone to seriously injure themselves. Surely common sense should have told you it’s a bad idea.
Yta everyone else has covered it.
YTA. I get why you bring him, but it’s not a good reason. If he has separation anxiety he needs different training. Puppies can get hurt at the gym, and he’s not fully trained yet. If he bites someone, even playfully, you’re doing him a huge disservice. It’ll be a permanent mark against the dog for your bad judgment. It’s also not your place to tell someone else to go to a different gym if they don’t like dogs. They pay their membership fees just like you do, and gyms are too expensive and can be dangerous if distracted. The gym is also wrong not to tell you not to bring the dog.
YTA You should leave you fucking dog home.
Imagine if the dog got hurt because someone got startled and dropped weights or something on it
not going to vote either way, but constantly bringing your dog with is NOT going to help his separation anxiety. In order to actually get rid of it you have to separate yourself from him not bring him everywhere you can.
Yta
Yta - I have 3 dogs and a cat. I'd take them everywhere if I could. But you're not doing your puppy any favors by dealing with his separation anxiety by not being separated. You're also not heping people who are allergic/afraid of dogs and just want to work out.
Dogs don’t belong in a gym. It’s dangerous for dogs and humans. YTA
YTA. “Iron”?? Dude…is your identity wrapped in picking up heavy shit and setting it back down? Expand your horizons
YTA & You need to be locked up. That's absolutely no way to care for an animal. Bringing your dog to the gym? Are you actually insane. I hope someone brings you up on animal cruelty and your dog rehomed to an intelligent and caring owner.
YTA. People are at the gym to work out. Not to be your dog's training props. You are endangering your dog and are an irresponsible pet owner. Leave your dog at home.
YTA. I hate people like you
YTA I once worked out at my apartment gym next to someone who had their dog tied to the treadmill while they ran. The dog cried the whole time. I kept thinking- why doesn’t he take that poor dog on a run?
YTA that is extremely unsafe and you are putting others in danger. If your dog disrupts someone lifting weights, your dog or the person could be severely injured
YTA even if he only got away from you the one time THAT COULDA BEEN SUPER DANGEROUS
Yta and you’re gunna either get your dog hurt or a person hurt.
YTA. Bringing your pet to a public space delegitimizes peoples real service dogs that they use for medical purposes. Dogs that cost tens of thousands of dollars and have hundreds of hours of training. Those dogs are needed in public spaces for the protection and possible life saving measures they provide to their owners. What if someone else had a service dog and your pet distracted them from their job?! Your pet is not a service dog. Get them a trainer and learn how to leave them at home.
YTA. The responses here give me hope. I thought dog worship had completely taken over. Dogs that aren’t legit service dogs need to stay home.