Being “people friendly” should “take precedence” over being dog-friendly, a dog-loving journalist has said.

With more places both in Ireland and abroad becoming dog-friendly, meaning welcoming our four legged friends into cafes, restaurants and many other places, is there a point where it crosses a line?

Irish Independent columnist Roslyn Dee’s most recent column discusses how despite her love for bringing her dog everywhere with her, there are some places where a human’s experience must be put first.

On Newstalk Breakfast, Ms Dee spoke about her most recent visit to Italy, where a priest kicked her and her dog out of a church.

“In fairness, I didn't intend to go into mass in a church with my dog in my arms,” she said.

“It was a small town on Lake Garda and I'd been trying to get in during the day to see a particular painting and the church was closed.

“At tea time I was passing and I noticed off the doors were open, so I gathered Dudley, my dog, into my arms and in I walked.

At that point, Ms Dee said she realised that she had walked in during mass.

“So, I looked at some of the parishioners, I thought I'd just go and sit down at the back on a pew and I got smiles of kind of welcome from some of the parishioners, so I thought, ‘Oh, this looks okay’,” she said.

“I went really quietly, sat at the back dog on my lap, and within two minutes, the priest - from the altar, no less - gave me my mark.”

Woman having lunch in a cafe with her Jack Russell terrier dog in a stroller. Image: Alamy

Ms Dee said she has brought her dog in to churches before but not during a mass – and she has always asked before going in.

“Well, I think when there's a mass on, there's people, you know, in prayer and contemplation in silence at times as well,” she said.

“I have taken him into other churches in Italy but I've always asked at the door and been told [it’s] fine.

“We just walk around, do what we had to do and walk back out again.

“But I think that's the thing here, with a lot of things to do with dog-friendly places, wherever we are in the world, it's about respect for the people who are there.”

Happy jumping dog in countryside. Picture by: Alamy.com

Ms Dee said her piece for the Irish Independent came to light because of a new dog minding service in Italy that has services set up outside cultural spaces all over Italy.

She said that clearly this highlights spaces that dogs maybe should not be allowed to attend.

“Cultural spaces have a different dynamic - it's not like sitting in a noisy, bustling, chatty café,” she said.

Ms Dee said she believes that Ireland is “getting better” in terms of dog-friendly locations.

“It's great that I can bring him into the post office in the town where I live, into a couple of the fashion boutiques," she said.

"But I think one of the problems, and it's not that I'm trying to sort of make out that I am holier than thou or anything about this, but ask before you sort of launch yourself in.

“I mean, the bottom line is, dog-friendly is great but people being people friendly should always take precedence.”

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Two dachshund dogs on leads, 23-7-16. Image: Gavin Rodgers / Alamy