AITA Reddit User Scrutinized for Bringing Dog to the Gym — Gets Unanimous Reaction

The Reddit channel known as 'Am I The A-- Hole', or AITA, is one of the most entertaining subreddits out there. It's the perfect place to read about real situations and debate who is in the wrong and why.

A topic that is causing a lot of debate on the subreddit is gyms. Specifically, whether or not you should be allowed to bring your dog to a public gym.

Here's what the thread had to say about the issue.

A Reddit user with the name @GymAITADogThrow1 vented about a recent gym experience. Specifically, the person had been taking their dog, Iron, to the gym with them. The user stated that there was no visible "no dogs allowed" policy, and that they never got turned away by the staff for taking him in there.

"A few weeks ago I showed up with Iron. The front desk attendant saw it and didn't say anything. The gym employees see him all the time and I've even gotten positive feedback since I've started bringing him," the user relayed.

But, the user did admit in the post that there were some other factors that had an effect on the situation. For starters, the dog was just a puppy. At such a young age, puppies love to explore. And, it wasn't until Iron began bothering other people that the gym rat started putting him on a leash.

In fact, there was an incident when the dog got out of their control and went towards another person at the gym.

"One day late last week, Iron got away from me and interrupted a stranger's workout," the user said, adding the person was not happy. "I quickly apologized and kept him near me," the user added near the end of the post.

This interaction resulted in a heated discussion with another member of the gym. The dog owner has since opened the floor in the subreddit for people to share their thoughts on the debate.

Almost everyone in the subreddit agreed that it is absolutely not OK to bring a dog into a public gym — especially if the dog owner clearly cannot control and keep the dog by their side at all times.

"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," wrote one Reddit user.

The user went on to discuss that not only could it be unpleasant to work out when there is a dog roaming, but it is also a safety issue. There is a lot of dangerous equipment at a gym that could seriously injure a puppy.

While another user does bring their dog with them to a public gym, they did make sure to mention the fact that they have a well-trained service dog.

"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," the person shared.

So, do you take your dog to the gym?