I was at TSC and a lady brought her GSD in with her while she got dog food. The dog looked a bit spooked, and suspicious, plus she had to carry her bag of food. I was thinking, why? Such a hassle. I would never take my dogs into a store because–yikes, just yikes…:eek:
Do you take your dogs into stores?
Well, it’s getting hot and leaving the dogs out in the vehicle is quickly becoming a bad idea.
She might have been in a bind.
I don’t take dogs to the store.
Didn’t even take them to Petsmart/co when I had them.
Since you can’t really take them anywhere around here, they were not the best in public (vicious cycle…)
But then again, I prefer not to take my kid either…
(not kidding, really!) because I like to concentrate on shopping.
But I don’t see a big problem in like a TSC or Hardware store…
My Australian Shepherd loves to go into tractor supply. He has since he was a puppy and all the folks there know him. He walks nicely on a leash even beside the scary little float I use for carrying bagged shavings, dog or horse feed or whatever else I want to buy. He looks forward to his cookie at the cash register too. The first time I took him there he was a little spooked but he has since realized that there is nothing scary in there. I consider it a valuable place to socialize him…there and Petsmart (which on a saturday afternoon is to dogs what chucky cheese is to kids)
Petsmart, her favorite place! Petco, TSC and local pet stores. If we take her with us then more often then not she’s going in. She loves people, children and other animals. She extremely friendly. She travels with us and travels well. Long trips she rides in a kennel.
I’ll take Tinto to Petco for an outing. It’s right down the road and he gets to choose his own toys. But otherwise, no. Even though he’s exceedingly well behaved, shopping is enough of a hassle when it’s just me.
If we’re traveling, and Tinto’s with us, and we’re visiting art galleries, I always ask first before bringing him in. Some galleries offer him a bowl of water and a biscuit. Can you guess which are my favorite galleries? And which ones I’m more likely to buy art from?
Ah. I posted about this on Off Topic Day. I take mine into Petsmart, but no where else (well, once into a big farm store on a 100 degree day…but that was unusual for us). We’ll eat on a patio that allows pets, but my dogs don’t go everywhere we go. We plan ahead–they stay home unless we know that the temps are ok for staying in the car or the place we are heading is good for pets. I’m too busy shopping to worry about my darn dog, too!
I abhor the new habit of taking “fur children” into every store one enters–groceries, clothes, home care, etc. Really? They are not an accessory, they are an animal. The lady in Winco Grocery last Saturday was the winner–dog flying on the end of a flexi lead, under people’s carts, sniffing this and that. Gag!
I will take puppies to stores that allow dogs. It is great for socialization. I usually don’t bother once they are adults though.
My one Aussie girl comes with me wherever dirty farm boots are acceptable. :lol: That’s places like hardware stores, TSC, my local grain co-op, Home Depot, etc. She is always on a short leash, but she loves interacting with everyone and the employees at all the regular places love her…always have a cookie waiting at the register. She LOVES my grain co-op because they all gush over her and she gets to show off her tricks! Gets visibly excited when she realizes where I’ve stopped the car. 
Anywhere where I’d have to make some attempt to look a little bit cleaned up? Nope, she either stays in the car if it’s a quick trip, or she doesn’t come at all.
And I know all the bad apples spoil it for everyone, but she really is a well-behaved dog. My OTHER dog, on the other hand, stays at home because he is just a mess in public (past abuse issues, very fearful of men and protective of me) and it’s better for everyone if he just stays at home on the bed. At most, he gets to ride in the car while I go to the bank drivethrough.
Agree GFAG
I used to take my iggie to stores - he was very polite and was always welcomed by employees. No groceries or indoor restaurants. The big dogs stay home. I wonder why people want to take ill-mannered dogs out in public - seems like it would be a big hassle.
I take mine to Wylie Waggs in Middleburg all the time! She loves being able “to pick out her treats”. She is a doxies tho, so if she gets into trouble, she just gets picked up.
[QUOTE=Rockfish;5569989]
I take mine to Wylie Waggs in Middleburg all the time! She loves being able “to pick out her treats”. She is a doxies tho, so if she gets into trouble, she just gets picked up.[/QUOTE]
Mine also shopped for his treats. He would start at the end of the row and check each bin. Always picked the same thing.
[QUOTE=Megaladon;5569825]
I was at TSC and a lady brought her GSD in with her while she got dog food. The dog looked a bit spooked, and suspicious, plus she had to carry her bag of food. [/QUOTE]
Sounds like she’s trying to socialize a shy dog. Why “yikes”?
Yeah, I take my dogs everywhere I can. Lowe’s, TSC, the feed store, etc. I enjoy their company. And they like getting out - especially my BC/LGD cross who loves children. I don’t have any around the farm, so he only gets to play with juvenile humans when we go places.
But there seem to be so few places that allow dogs anymore. The mall used to be the best place to socialize puppies - now of course they’re banned. Go figure.
Nope…my Border Collie Reno has never been in a store. I had a puppy once that was vaccinated and still got Parvo (most likely from a Petsmart trip). That was one expensive and heartbreaking lesson. Reno stays home on the ranch and is very happy :yes:
I just don’t see the need to take him to a store really but I know alot of people take their dogs with them everywhere.
Depends on the dog
Depends on the dog and the location. I always used to take my certified therapy dog with me to Petsmart or the feed store. He of course was well socialized, and it keeps their chops up if you keep doing stuff with them. I might take my younger border collie cross with me to expose her to more things (while being very vigilant about her reactions and kids running up to her etc.) to help prepare her for therapy dog evaluation. Where I live, you cannot take pets inside a restaurant or food store…
I have three dogs- one of them, Valentine, has gone to work with me from the time she was a puppy. She is incredibly obedient, and loves people. It would not occur to her that she shouldn’t be with me. She is a big favorite at our local tack shop, and has been known to go shopping there, on her own. Oh, and at the feed store as well. They had toys, too. In both cases, she took her selection to the counter, and put it up there.
She has also been in hospitals. She has a service dog vest, and is wonderful on her visits-- especially to see me, and the SO when we were each hospitalized.
She is also the world’s best farm dog–well, actually that isn’t a dog-- that is my kid, with four legs.
As part of intensive “proper PET behavior” socialization work, I started taking my young Malinois with me everywhere dogs were allowed. He loves to get in his truck and go places now, so we continue to do it. He is nearly 3 years old and the super-strong guarding instincts are starting to show themselves, so I am definitely continuing this, as he needs to be more pet and less guardian.
He walks politely on his leash, even if I need to tie it around my waist to leave hands free for toting feed, doesn’t jump on people, pee on things, bark or growl at other animals/people, or anything else “uncivilized.” And he does seem to enjoy the trips, so it’s a pleasant outing for him, as well as continued socialization/training.
It is possible the woman described in the OP was attempting similar socializaton work with her dog. As long as he is leashed and under her control, and the store in question allows dogs inside, I don’t see a problem.
If I only have one, I will take them into Home Depot, Lowe’s or Petsmart. If I have the two, I can’t multitask on shopping and keep track of the corgilicious.
My Dover store will let you bring in the dogs, but I would hate to have them ruin anything, so they stay outside near the door…which I think they prefer…they can smell delicious grilled hamburgers at the Burger House next door and beg a fry or two off of some poor sucker.
[QUOTE=pAin’t_Misbehavin’;5570065]
Sounds like she’s trying to socialize a shy dog. Why “yikes”?[/QUOTE]
Yikes to the idea of my dogs going into a store. Ugh! :eek:
Too big, slobbery, with excess energy, plus not nimble at all (would definitely knock over displays and be afraid of them).
I don’t think she was trying to socialize her dog because her hands were full, she wasn’t paying attention to him, he was lagging behind a bit. From my interpretation she wasn’t actively working on something. But who knows?
I don’t mind if people bring their dogs into stores, I guess with mine I was thinking about how difficult it would be to remember everything and keep them under control. I would also be concerned about liability in today’s “sue happy” world. Times aren’t what they used to be.
Thank you for all your input…
The dogs begging for fries made me laugh
Only service dogs deserve to be in all stores
I believe in socialization. Seriously. I take my dog inside Petsmart, Petco. I take her to the dogpark, to the people parks, the kiddie playgrounds, the downtown pedestrian mall, etc. I do not take her inside stores like Lowes or Home Depot where she’ll likely encounter a service dog. I think it’s rude to assume that my wants are more important than someone else’s needs. I cringe when I see someone obviously abusing the service dog rule and bringing their pet into service dog only stores. I’ve heard stories of frustration from people with disabilities having to deal with idiot pet dog owners. So I keep my girl at home when I’m out dong the shopping.
I take my dogs everywhere. If they are allowed by the management that includes into stores. My dogs are incredibly well socialized and incredibly well behaved. In part because of all the places I take them. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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