Should non-service dogs be allowed in stores?

[TrevorDoodle]

Recent posts have got me thinking about how I feel about NON-SERVICE dogs being allowed in

stores that do not typically cater to canines (i.e.  PetSmart, Petco, dog boutiques, etc...).

 

What about dogs in department stores, clothing stores, warehouses, big box, etc...?

How about going as far as allowing dogs in grocery stores?

 

Why or Why Not do you think dogs should be allowed in the types of stores mentioned above?

 

 

 

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Good topic! I am all for allowing my dogs into all stores. I realize it would get pretty chaotic if lots of people did this. But if a dog is well behaved, I think it's OK. I don't say well trained because sometimes I think my dogs have mostly trained themselves but maybe I don't give myself enough credit. At any rate, when they are walking with me on a leash the are better behaved, as salespeople have told me, than many children. Of course, at least in NJ, dogs are not allowed into stores with food. In Europe dogs are often in restaurants.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I can't imagine how a store that sells wearing apparel could allow Jack to walk around anywhere near the merchandise. When he moves in direct sunlight, you can see the little hairs flying off and floating all around him. What about all the customers who are allergic to dogs? Business owners are having enough trouble staying afloat in this economy. What are they going to do with a few dozen $200 black sweaters that are covered in dog hair? I actually would rather have dogs walking around in food establishments than in clothing stores. I don't have an opinion on whether dogs should be allowed in "big box" stores that don't sell food or clothing.
I have no desire to have my dog with me in a department store, and I'm sure watching me try to choose a becoming shade of lipstick or a pair of jeans that fit wouldn't be much fun for him, either. It would be convenient to be able to run certain errands when Jack is with me, rather than having to take him home and go back out, but my convenience is not the store owner or the other customers' responsibility.
I've lived with dogs for 52 years, and all of them managed to be well-socialized and happy, despite not being allowed in stores. I personally don't see the need for it.

[F, Calla & Luca]

The shedding and allergies could be a problem, of course. And since much of my shopping is online that takes care of most of it. But it's not a matter of need. For instance, some days I might work part of the day, and I want to spend some time with the dogs yet I have errands I want to do. For people who work full time this is even more of a dilemma. The dogs really enjoy being out and about. They love the attention they get. Certainly, if you're trying on clothes, dogs make things too complicated. If you're picking up light bulbs or something like that, no problem.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I guess all dogs are different, just like all people. Jack doesn't even particularly like to go to the pet supply store. He likes being out and about when it's somewhere he can run, move, play, feel the wind on his face, or send a few p-mails.
Considering how poorly-behaved many people's kids are in public places, I just don't have much hope that most people's dogs would be a positive addition to our shopping experiences. I'm sure that salesperson was telling the truth when she said your dogs were better behaved than many children.
What I would like would be if dogs were allowed in more outdoor places in my area. Outdoor eating areas at restaurants would be really nice.
In the next town, dogs aren't even allowed on any public park property or the schoolyards. Since my grandson goes to school in that town, it would really be nice if Jack could set foot on the school grounds. The reason given is that some children are afraid of dogs. Sigh. So I'm sure dogs in stores would not go over well.

[F, Calla & Luca]

In my town dogs aren't allowed in the parks!

[Adina P]

I'm mixed on this. I want MY dog to be able to go into most stores...but I don't necessarily want every ill behaved Rover there. I like knowing that there hasn't recently been dog pee/poo on the floor of the dressing room. That I don't have to worry about startling some ill-tempered pooch if I whip around the aisle too fast with my grocery cart and that food products haven't been slobbered on, etc. There are some good reasons to keep dogs out of certain areas/stores. And the hair on clothing issue...yeah...I agree with Karen. And there are enough people scared of or allergic to dogs that it would mess up their shopping experience.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

I see both sides of the fence on this one. I personally think it comes down to the responsibility of the owner and what they have gone to a store for and how long they plan to be there. Do I think you should take your dog to the mall at Christmas time while you do all of your shopping for hours? Probably not. Do I think if you need to go pick up a few things at Lowe's, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble why not? It all comes down to having common sense and knowing what you and your dog can handle. There are plenty of irresponsible dog owners as well as irresponsible parents with children in stores. If a store or a chain store is allowing dogs then they must feel that they can handle a situation if it arises and if someone is improperly behaving then they can tell them to leave. When it comes to dog hair on clothes well I just have to look at the amount of small children in stores vs the amount of dogs in stores - I can't tell you how many times that my girls reached out an touched clothing from their strollers with ice cream covered hands and I am sure others with kids can totally relate.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

This one really made me think. My guys now love to go with us in the car....it's something that has been evolving. So, as a result, I like taking them whenever it's practical. Guinness is very well behaved in any store....Murph is very a much a work in progress (although I've seen great recent improvement). So, the selfish part of me would love it if they could go into most stores. I don't think they belong in grocery stores or any store where there is exposed unwrapped food. That said, I'm not totally sure it's fair to to others. I think of my daughter who has a three year old son who is scared to death of dogs (not ours). I believe it's a stage he's going through, but he gets extremely frightened and literally screams if he sees a large dog of any breed. She has to pick him up and carry him until they are out of sight of the dog. So, shopping for her would be a nightmare if dogs were allowed in all stores. I also think of allergy sufferers and the impact to them. What about when the dog has an "accident"...there is the clean-up and sanitation issue. I'm sure that would be a major concern for many. What about the people who bring untrained dogs into stores causing lots of potential issues for shoppers and store personnel - clearly a potential liability. I think Adina's idea (in a different group) that would require some sort of proof that the dog is trained and friendly (such as CGC) would address some of the more significant barriers, although difficult to administer. We've developed a pretty broad list of stores that are allowing dogs currently....and maybe generally speaking, we're not in such a bad place. I am going to keep trying to bring my dogs into stores where I believe it makes sense, and where I don't believe I would be inconveniencing others. If I'm asked to leave due to store policy, I will respect that....the law right now gives the store owner this right.

[Camilla and Darwin]

I am pretty conflicted this issue.

My younger sister Naomi had the exact same issue as your daughter's son, Jane. When she was 8, she was terrified to see any dog, and would scream and cry if she saw one, she simply could not control her terror. My parents live in a farming community and a lot of people just let their dogs run free out of the yards. Dogs that are NOT friendly pet dogs. She has been "mauled" (jumped on, tackled to the ground, scratched) at least twice. I think this is due to her screaming and running tendencies. She had to have my mom drive her down to the bus stop every single morning, because there was two loose dogs that ran on our street. It got to the point that any leashed dog would make her terrified. She is now completely comfortable around Darwin, thankfully. This was due to A LOT of work by her, and I . And Darwin!

Anyways, it has really, really opened up my eyes. Some people don't like dogs. And that isn't a sin. Whether they are allergic, scared, grossed out, or it isn't their culture. Just because I love my dog doesn't mean everyone else does! If she was to see a dog in a store like walmart, she would be totally taken off guard. She is VERY embarrassed about her "episodes" and I can only imagine how devastated she would be if people were around to witness her fear.

At the same time, I feel that people kind of have to suck it up, you know? I hate screaming kids at the grocery store, but of course I have to tolerate them. Just because people don't like a certain thing, doesn't mean that it should limit the freedom of everyone who DOES like it. Does that make sense?

I wish that we could weed out all the well behaved dogs, like through the plan Adina suggested, but people ALWAYS try to take advantage of systems. I think that it is easier for many stores to have a no dog policy, because they can't hand pick every single dog that comes in, it would be way too much work!

I hate hearing, or seeing people that try to pretend their dog is a service animal. I mean those people who sneakily buy vests and badges online to make their dog look like one. All the people who bring their dogs in and try to pass them off as "necessary therapy" dogs, have made it MUCH more difficult for real service animals to go in and out of stores without prejudice or harassment.

I do think therapy dogs are important, but you don't always NEED your therapy dog, everywhere you go. I recently saw a woman trying to take her dog into a walmart, saying that she had "severe melancholy" and that her dog was a necessary therapy tool for that. COME ON!


At the same time, I love to take my dog to places like Old Navy, Barnes and Noble, and Lowes. Yes, I think that someone with allergies would have a problem with dogs rubbing on their clothes. Because Old Navy is an open store, we can always stay away from the clothes racks for that reason. But You can't always avoid it, and a lot of people don't even try. It's fun to have him with me and we always meet a lot of people. The people who clearly don't want to be near Darwin walk around me, and that is that. I always keep him in a heel position, so I have control over him.

This is pretty all over the place, as I am clearly not a very good debater. In a nutshell, I think we need to make some kind of change to the system. Too many badly behaved dogs (and owners) are not only making it hard for us good dog owners, but making it a nightmare for businesses who are trying to please both crowds. And good owners should use discretion when taking their dogs places. If you think your dog will be badly behaved, or caused problems for other shoppers, don't take them!

[TrevorDoodle]

I live about 30 minutes away from a decent sized city which has the PetSmarts, dog parks, etc...and I like
to take my dog with me when I go so he can get to enjoy going to these places that my city does not offer.
There have been many occasions when I needed to run quick errands at stores that do not cater to dogs
but I couldn't because I had the dog with me and it really gives me severe anxiety to leave him in the car
alone. I would love to be able to take him into a department store ..say to return something...or grab 1
specific thing that I walk directly to. But just plain shopping or browsing with a 90 lb dog is a little overboard in my opinion.
I think the reason some people get away with shopping at these stores is because stores may not have a
problem with the little dog carried in a purse but they can't discriminate allowing my 90lb miniature
pony/dog. I believe it is up to the store to make the rules - think about the position they are in by allowing dogs.
Crazy liability - barking, peeing on floor, biting, snapping, shedding, getting loose and knocking over a toddler,
destroying inventory, dogs fighting, FLEAS, muddy paws...etc.........Also, there are the customer issues like allergies and fear. Not all dogs or owners are responsible. I would love for there to be some kind of certification for good dog/good owner where BOTH the dog and the owner would have to pass a test and possibly even provide that they have so much of their own liability insurance. Anyway, I guess my point is - NO I dont think all dogs should be allowed in these stores but they cant discriminate - so until there is a way to distinguish good dog/good owners then I believe certain stores should not allow them.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Very well put; I totally agree.