Should people carry their little dogs into stores?

Depends on the dog. Like Benjamas, my Poodle. She thinks that the best way to travel is right up there on my shoulders. If I allow her, she would like to sit on top of my head. Actually she did try that once.

 

I think dogs shouldn't be allowed in stores without the expressed permission of the stores owners. There are certain stores that allow dogs, however this is made clear and those who don't want to shop with dogs will stay clear of them. Yes the store may lose out on some business but could make up for it by marketing to those who would like to shop with their dogs.

 

I think small dogs should be allowed to go anywhere their owners go. Maybe there can be some rule where they have to stay in their carriers or something. I am biased because I have two small Yorkshire Terriers. One is a teacup and one is a miniature. I have put them in my purse and no one could tell they were there.

 

There was a lady in my class in college who would bring her chihuahua to class with her every day. The dog slept in her purse. Honestly, I don't think anyone even noticed for the first couple weeks, as it never came out and only growled if you got close to it. Certainly, someone doing that better have pet insurance, because if that dog does bite someone, they could get buried in debt from it. I've heard stories where peoples' dogs have bitten kids faces and it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in reconstructive surgery.

I don't mind people bringing pets into stores in certain circumstances. I don't think it would be appropriate to bring your dog to the grocery store for example. But a place like a pet store, sure.

Also, lets not forget that some people need their dogs to be with them - especially if it's a dog for the blind, or some other kind of assistance. People who are allergic to dogs or irrationally terrified of them do exist, but they are an outlier, and that's worth factoring in too.

 

I don't find anything wrong with them being in pet stores either. I think that's pretty much the ONLY place they should be. I don't really see why the woman in that college class found it acceptable to bring her dog into a classroom like that. Yes, it may have been on good behavior, but what was the point? And what if something happened? It just seems out of place.

 

I think that it depends on a dog . My Homer is small and I can carry him in my purse, but I wouldn't take him to the store because he is naughty and full of energy and I know he would not only bark at everyone but he would also try to jump on the floor and run away because new places are always exciting for him

 

I have never liked the idea of taking a dog to a public place, no matter how much I love it. I think we have to be more considered with the other around us in public settings, some people don't like dogs or are allergic to them. Where I come from no one carries their dogs around, they always leave them at home. Seeing a person carrying a dog around into a store would be a rare sighting.

 

I often wanted to take my girls to work with me at my store but it is not allowed. I still think I sneaked Remy in way, way back in a dog bag I have. Remy is a good girl for those things. She is not noisy and up in your face like Zola. She knows when and where.

I don't think I mind people bringing their pets in the store especially if they have already gone to the bathroom. Still I could see it becoming a problem.

 

I love my little dog and I know she would love to go to the store with me. She loves greeting people and getting attention. However; there is only one store here that I would ever take her in and that is a pet store called Pet Smart. They encourage pet owners to bring whatever kind of pet they have into the store with them. They definitly do not belong in restraunts, grocery stores or any other kind of store unless they are service dogs. And the various reasons others have mentioned are why,,, pet dander that can kick up allergies, people afraid of animals and the dogs getting over excited by the attention they can be paid by strangers. Plus some dogs just do not care for strangers and can react to the attention in a negative manner.

 

Yeah, totally agree with you! Something else I forgot to mention is the issue with service dogs. I mean, if I was a person in need of a service dog and there was a person with a dog that was annoying or distracting my service dog (even tho service dogs are trained to ignore that kind of things), I still find it kinda dangerous. Better safe than sorry.

 

When you look at the bigger picture it could be a situation that could get totally out of hand and even with something like allergies, it could turn into something very ugly. Like I said earlier it's not allowed here in any of our malls etc. When I travel I see it sometimes. I often want to go Pet Smart when I travel but I don't make it a priority as I fear I might spend what I do not have. It comes as no surprise that they would allow pets inside.

Here where I am right now in this office all alone, I've imagined having the girls here with me. My husband isn't going to let it happen, so I could keep on dreaming.

 

Yeah!! There are people with very severe allergies I know a couple folks who are very allergic to certain foods, so allergic they start to swell really badly if they touch it. Some people have allergies to animals that are as severe as those bad food allergies. In my home country isn't allowed t take dogs to malls either, I have never seen someone trying to do that either But the country I'm going to... well, I have seen people carrying dogs around a lot!!! I once saw a woman with a pet stroller there

 

Miami is where I do a lot of my shopping for my store and time and time again I have seen people with the dogs in stores. They are always a hit with people passing by. I am yet to see any of them with the dog strollers. I feel if I had to get any I would be quite a spectacle in my country.

 

I've never even taken a pet to PetSmart with me. It's one thing if I go to a friends house. But no, I wouldn't carry a pet into a store like that

 

I do not think it is appropriate to take any dog, other than a service dog, into any kind of a store unless there is a sign posted saying it is allowed. I have a small dog that I would never take into a store other than our Pet Smart pet store where it is allowed. You never know how a dog is going to react when aroung strangers in a busy place. Someone may want to pet your dog and you just cannot be 100% sure that your dog will not react inappropriately no matter how friendly he/she normally is. Plus there are the health department rules concerning animals where food is present.

 

I agree, Joyce. Dogs shouldn't be allowed inside places where food is prepared, unless they are service dogs, but taking little chihuahuas in your bag when you go to the grocery store is just not ok. A lot accidents can happen, if you know what I mean.