Dogs in Stores???

[roseofblack25]

Oh my goodness!!! You win! That is crazy!!!

I was pissed to say the least...I had bags of heavy groceries, not to mention the elderly standing and most of them also had groceries. I don't really care about me unless I was the only one standing then yeah I would have, but come on how dumb can you be to give the dog a seat and not an old lady with her hands full. Of course the idiot with the dog had on huge headphones with music blasting so no one could even ask her to remove the dog and move over so someone else could sit.

[thriftygranny]

I love my dogs and spend a lot of time with them, however shopping with a dog is ridiculous. Just got back from Spain and everyone shops with there dogs, I guess it is the norm there. I can't possibly see how of why a dog would enjoy browsing in a store and truthfully I really don't want to browse in a store with my dogs.

[Landior]

If food is sold, not allowed. Plus in a cart, the dog can do #1 or #2 and the owner may not see or may not clean up. The next person with the cart does not know what may have been left behind.

And kids can do the same

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all, ryry, and i am glad you brought this up. I love my doggie but i don't bring him inside stores. As others have mentioned, there are allergy and hygiene issues to consider, and i try to be conscious of the fact that some people are very uncomfortable around animals. I don't feel that they should be made to feel unwelcome in public spaces so i am very careful about keeping him away from people when we are out anywhere, even though he loves interacting with them--i wait for people to approach him rather than letting him approach them.

I think that if animals other than service animals are in stores, they should be in pet carriers that keep them out of contact with other people as well as with store merchandise and shelves, carts, etc.. Even then, though, there can be issues with barking, growling, etc. that can make others very uncomfortable.

And roseofblack25, i can't believe that girl had her dog on a separate seat, especially on a packed bus on which people were standing! Some people are inconsiderate and just ridiculous!

[danifish]

I don't like dogs in stores. I don't want them sitting in carts where my children might sit next, who knows where they have been, touched etc. I don't trust most dogs, no matter how "friendly" their owners say they are.
They also don't belong waiting in cars or tied to something outside either... I think if you have a dog, then make sure you can leave it at home if you have to do errands!

[dietfrog]

By that logic though, most grocery stores or stores that sell groceries would have to allow a dog inside because they often sell pet products other than pet foods.

I didn’t say DOG FOOD, I said pet products such as clothes, beds, strollers etc. Things that require sizing for your pet, its not like they can sample the dog food at the grocery store??
Totally irrelevant to my comment.

[redhdlois]

Don't get me started on this one...lol
There are bylaws in our city regarding this, (no dogs allowed in stores, etc) yet some people think they don't apply to them
I mentioned this to a lady with a LARGE dog in Homesense a year or so ago and boy, it was like I broke the law !!!

[trishka]

I didn’t say DOG FOOD, I said pet products such as clothes, beds, strollers etc. Things that require sizing for your pet, its not like they can sample the dog food at the grocery store??
Totally irrelevant to my comment.

It actually is relevant to your comment because you said "If a store sells animal products like home outfitters does (dog clothes, beds, pet products, strollers)..." Maybe you were referring only to Home Outfitters but my thought was that if Home Outfitters should allow dogs because they sell clothes and beds etc., than most grocery stores should as well because they sell the same types of products for pets. Many of the grocery stores that I have been to also sell products for pets other than food, like chew toys, leashes, beds, mittens/boots etc.. I could buy a dog house at Loblaws if I wanted to.

[harbie]

I don't like dogs in stores. I don't want them sitting in carts where my children might sit next, who knows where they have been, touched etc. I don't trust most dogs, no matter how "friendly" their owners say they are.
They also don't belong waiting in cars or tied to something outside either... I think if you have a dog, then make sure you can leave it at home if you have to do errands!

On second thought I wont be bringing my dog in the store and placing him in a cart where he lays on mine or DH's jacket since I don't know who's kids have sat in thre and what they have touched or what kid of germs they may have.

[Shirnette]

Dogs(if nt service dogs which you rarely see-at least in Brampton)don't need to be in regular dept stores , supermarkets or restaurants period IMO.

[Andit]

Personally, I have zero problems with a well trained dog in any store. Trained being the operative word. So few people actually bother to train their dogs (or their children!), which is where the problem lies.

I'm quite happy to see dogs on patios (IF they are lying quietly under the table and not bothering anyone else). I've had the cat with me (in his purse) while on a patio and no one noticed (well, until the waitress nearly stepped on the purse and I pointed him out, then half the restaurant staff came over to see him). Quite frankly, a patio is hardly the most sterile of environments (I've yet to sit on a patio and not have pigeons scrounge for treats).

As for being unpredictable, dogs are very predictable...if one takes the time to learn how to read their body language. I'll take a dog running at me over a child any day of the week. When I've been out with Lily dog, I've seen a toddler run across a street to throw himself at her (oblivious parent was too busy sipping her latte to notice). Another toddler tried to "ride the pony" and ran at us from behind and was climbing onto poor Lily while his Dad laughed. Other kids have run up at us and smacked her over the head with a toy, poked at her eyes, pulled her ears/tail (hard for me to keep my balance, let alone stop them) - in no instance did the parents do anything other than laugh. Good thing I took the time to teach Lily that people are sometimes stupid and play rough. Sigh.

As for carts not being clean as a result of dogs, well, dogs are the least of the problem. Between folks eating in stores (and making a mess) to children standing with dirty shoes to messes from urban wildlife (carts are left outside and smell of food), suffice to say, I lay a flyer on the cart and put *everything* I intend to buy in bags if I`m using a cart.

I confess to having taken Quincy cat places where technically he's not allowed. He is quiet and stays in his purse, and no one other than the folks I'm with know he's even there (for the most part, he just sleeps). He's been on bus rides, the subway, and to all sorts of festivals (including Woofstock the doggy fest where I carry him on my shoulder so he can look down at the dogs) and behaved like a (perfect) gentleman.

Lily dog is too big to sneak into places, although she would be fine (we've worked hard on the art of patience). Unfortunately, she gets panic attacks when she sees another dog (idiots let their "friendly" dogs run loose, who then hurt my girl), so we stick to visiting friends.

As for accidents, I've taken my dog and cat all sorts of places, and neither has ever made a mess. They both know when and where they are allowed to "go" and let me know if the need arises. I also watch them closely to see if they are going to have an issue and address the situation.

I do wonder though about the folks who cite allergies as a reason to not allow dogs in stores - how is it these allergies suddenly disappear when the dog in question is a service dog? And why is it that so few react to me (as much as I try, I'm simply not able to completely de-cat or de-dog my clothes). Someone with allergies that serious would react to the slightest stimuli.

[idonovan]

I don't like dogs in stores. I don't want them sitting in carts where my children might sit next, who knows where they have been, touched etc. I don't trust most dogs, no matter how "friendly" their owners say they are.
They also don't belong waiting in cars or tied to something outside either... I think if you have a dog, then make sure you can leave it at home if you have to do errands!

You realize that dogs in carts are not the dirtiest thing? The carts themselves are one of the most unsanitary thing that you can imagine. People who are sick or dont wash there hands use them, when outside they get exposed to a host of things just to start...Not to mention that kids are pretty dirty themselves as they get in to so much... or sticky hands..

[nana2276]

Dogs or any other animals are not allowed in stores PERIOD. It is a Board of Health issue. I was a greeter at WM and ppl were always trying to sneak something in, a dog, a cat, a monkey, even a rat one time. I'm an animal lover but dog are not accessories, they are animals that belong at home.

[wolfwoman]

I took my Pom H.R.H Princess Doodles to the vet today. We also went to the bank, the post office and a pet store to get treats. Each and every place we went to , she was welcomed and lavished with loves by all the girls working. One person even had to take her picture. She is a well behaved princess and would NEVER, EVER misbehave in a public place. I wish I could say the same for some people's 2 legged "little darlings" . That being said, I would never take her into a place that had food for sale. And she IS my fur baby, NOT A PET. When she gets to the age when she finds it too hard to walk for any distance and I will need my arms free, she WILL have a top of the line stroller . Her Highness deserves no less.

[gracesmommy]

i'm an animal lover but I agree with OP. aside from a service dog there is absolutely no reason to bring your pet into a store. my dd2 is a dog fanatic and I am forever telling her not to touch dogs she doesn't know. I would hate to be grocery shopping and turn my head for 1 second and she get bit by some dog that I was not expecting in the cereal aisle.

[Granger]

Store should be service animals only. You start allowing dogs, then it will be rabbits and some idiot will take it farther and bring in their pet snake. I don't see why people can't leave their animals at home.

I agree. IMO the norm etiquette should be to leave your pet at home. However, I would rather see a pet (leashed and walking) in the store for a quick errand than left in the car.

I think this can be taken into a much broader arena...the rights of all individuals only go as far as the next individual. So when your rights violate another persons rights they (your rights) have gone too far. I think this could be seen as a issue in larger society, a disrespect/disregard for other individuals.

I think as a society we have lost a common respect for people.....showing a little respect to others could go a long way.

I feel the greater issue is with owners than the pets. Owner responsibility, like parent responsibility, is key.

We have "no dogs off leash" sign in our park next to our house. Countless times we have chosen to leave because of unleashed dogs. It is not a dog park. My neighbours continually apologize for their unleashed dogs jumping on my children. If they were trained and leashed (or unleashed in an appropriate area) they would not have to apologize. I choose to bite my tongue and leave in both cases. I do so for my children's safety. I don't feel me being the dog police will benefit.

Anyway, I really like how the above poster put it.