[Blue Fox]

Following this starting in another thread I thought perhaps it deserved it's own thread.

Apparently in Europe dogs are allowed almost everywhere eg. restuarants, trains, shops etc... They seem to hold their dogs in higher regard than we do at least here in Oz, they are part of the family and are seen in public always.

When we took T to the vets last Tuesday they didn't keep him in so we had both dogs when we went for lunch. The Hotel down there has a lovely outdoor area where dogs are not allowed (no dogs in eating areas in Oz). So we put them outside the area and sat close to the edge where we could see them and had our lunch. They were quiet and well behaved and realistically could have been under the table and no-one would have been any the wiser.

I am in two minds about this. I would love to be able to take the boys everywhere we go, but I understand not everyone has clean, well behaved dogs and if those dogs are allowed into these areas then it would be chaos and very unpleasant for all concerned. Perhaps the establishments could have a right to ask those people and their dogs to leave if they were unruley.

I understand not everyone likes dogs, but I don't like children and I have to put up with them screaming and throwing tantrums when I go out to eat or in the supermarket. My dogs are not as unpleasant as many children!

Anyway thought this might be an interesting thread - what are youur thoughts on dogs in public places.

 

[mercymoon]

Great thread! :high5:

Oh man, I just got to rant about my own experience first off.
Last year at our towns annual OUTDOOR festival, I walked my
dog all the way from our home to the town square leashed and
everything of course only to be told by a cop when I got there
he and all dogs had to go home. That was a bunch of bullsh*t
if you ask me, the dogs wasn't hurting any one and if they did just
happen to use the bathroom you could of always clean it up.
My dogs walk around uptown and on the court square year round,
so why the hell would I care about some stupid yearly festival tourists
flock to that ain't worth a damn anyways?! :banghead:

But almost every city does have dog friendly spots. Public parks,
beaches, outdoor landmarks are all good destinations when your dog
is in tow. Other good dog spots are waterfronts, flea markets,
pedestrian streets, outdoor cafes, etc.

Also public transportation in some cities are suprisingly welcoming
to dogs...of course there is an additional fare for your dog. :tongue:

 

[Cardi2008]

We bring Cardi almost everywhere we go: Home Depot, Lowe's, Michaels, The Craft Store, Burlington Coat Factory, the mall, everywhere. We don't take him to places where there is food of course (unless it's an outdoor resturant). He is smaller though, walks at a close heal on my right side, and is very well behaved. So no-one ever has a problem.

 

[SECRETO]

I agree its ashame that there are places more dog friendly than other's. Around my town the only real places to take your dog is the park and pet stores which is blah already. Same old thing!

I have been tempted to look into getting Eli certified as a therapy dog. With that being done I may be able to get Eli in places that dogs aren't always welcomed. I understand that some establishments just aren't appropriate for dogs but so many usually are and I would love to include my dogs in more.

When my son was in the hospital end of 07 and most of 08 we had to travel to Palo Alto (Stanfords Children's Hospital) and stayed there the majority of the time. When we took breaks out of the hospital we would go to the nice mall down the street. People there in Palo Alto take there dogs shopping in Macy's and eating at all the outdoor restarant's and etc. It was so nice and dog friendly. That part of town is very high end and pretty. No issue's with doggie mess's or anything. I just wish my town was dog friendlier like that.

 

[Sam I Am]

Our area isn't dog friendly either. Just pet stores basically. Used to be able to take them into home improvement stores but not too long ago they put sign up saying only service dogs. We have a big lagoon with a sidewalk around it in our main park and we used to walk around that all the time, but a couple years ago they banned all dogs from it. I guess people who don't have dogs were complaining about the dogs not being picked up after. I had never seen a pile of dog poo at any time, but there were always large piles of goose and duck poo. They haven't banned them, LOL! They did just recently open a dog park back in NOV. We haven't been to it yet. We do have a HUGE dog park (unfenced) that is attached to another large park with miles of hiking trails and creeks. Sam loves it there. I wish I could take my dogs into places like Walmart especially in the summer, when you can't leave them in the car. We live in the country so when we go to town we like to accomplish a few things while we are there and if its hot, the dogs have to stay home, so a quick stop at the park isn't usually an option.

 

[WonderPup]

Well lucky you if you have a dog friendly beach. If you get caught with a dog on the beach here, it's 500 - 1,000 dollar fine - PER DOG. They don't play around either, there is no warning just the ticket, period. There are a few places where you can have dog on the beaches here but you have to purchase a permit and be a resident. My wedding was on the beach and we budgeted the 1,000 dollar dog fine into the wedding plans Luckily the establishment that we found for the wedding owned the beach in front of their restraunt and had a large inclosed outdoor deck so Wonder was allowed down on the sand and at the reception. LoL, the beach police's H.Q. was right next door to where we had the wedding, they watched from their deck, and my mother was concerned they may try and remove the dogs (we had three total in attendance). I was like, just let them try.... my grandmother just had a heart attack on the beach, my new hubby (an EMT) just met her as he was personally loading her up for transport to the hospital, I'm not getting my father daughter dance because dad is really shaken up and following granny to the hopsital, my dress is making it hard to breath, and these shoes are KILLING me.... let the cops come on over and ask Wonder to leave... I dare them.
*Bride-Zilla assualts officer over dog*... it wouldnt have been pretty I'm afraid.

We have a retsraunte here that has "yappy hour" every thursday night and you can take dogs onto their outdoor deck. Some customers made a big deal over it a few months back and they had to stop doing it for a while. The saving grace was that the dog loving public here is starving for places to take their dogs and went crazy so the powers that be were kind of forced to grant the restruant permission to hold the event.

We have several parks that we can take dogs too, and we have a huge Dog Daze event every fall which is always fun. It's great. Dogs are always welcome at outdoor festivals and parades and such but never in restraunts (unless it's a service dog) and not in stores, except home depot for some reason?? I wish we had more places we could take them We do have a dog park though so thats something

 

[kathyd]

For the most part, dogs aren't allowed in businesses here. That being said, I guess it's at the discretion of the business. In the village where I live, the post office and Home Hardware encourage dogs to come in by keeping dog cookies on hand. The post office also has a camera and takes pictures of it's canine customers and displays them right by the counter.

There are several off-leash dog parks in the area and dogs are generally allowed to be off-leash on trails. Most provincial parks require that dogs are kept on leash, but many of those have beaches and people let their dogs run off-leash on the beach. There used to be park personnel issuing fines but these days the parks aren't well staffed so that's less of a risk.

 

[Jako]

Last year at our towns annual OUTDOOR festival, I walked my
dog all the way from our home to the town square leashed and
everything of course only to be told by a cop when I got there
he and all dogs had to go home. That was a bunch of bullsh*t
if you ask me, the dogs wasn't hurting any one and if they did just
happen to use the bathroom you could of always clean it up.
My dogs walk around uptown and on the court square year round,
so why the hell would I care about some stupid yearly festival tourists
flock to that ain't worth a damn anyways?! :banghead:

Same thing happened to me! I got him all brushed up and he looked great; then I had to drive him all the way back home. Of course my dog is a lot bigger than yours. But I later heard that one of the vendors had to pack up all her stuff and go home because they wouldn't let her keep her dog in her stall.

 

[T o d d]

Being allergic to animal dander I`m glad we don't allow our animals in restaurants or shopping centers.

It's not that I mind the animals themselves... but to me it's like smoking... it is uncomfortable for a lot of people to breath with them around It's sad to be like this.

-Todd

 

[Sam I Am]

I never thought about that, although dogs just being in the same room with me doesn't bother me, but if I went somewhere that allowed other animals like cats, rabbits things like that, I would be a mess. No fun! Good point.

 

[mercymoon]

Being allergic to animal dander I`m glad we don't allow our animals in restaurants or shopping centers.

It's not that I mind the animals themselves... but to me it's like smoking... it is uncomfortable for a lot of people to breath with them around It's sad to be like this.

-Todd

My hubby is the same way Todd, good point.

 

[SECRETO]

Being allergic to animal dander I`m glad we don't allow our animals in restaurants or shopping centers.

It's not that I mind the animals themselves... but to me it's like smoking... it is uncomfortable for a lot of people to breath with them around It's sad to be like this.

-Todd

That is a good point. I certainly don't want to be bothered with cigarette smoke so i guess that makes sense with the pet dander issue for people with allergies.

 

[JerriShaw]

Don't Beat Me Up...

I've lived in Asia and Europe & of course, all over here in America. In Asia, several breeds of dog are raised to be eaten -- so not a very dog/pet-friendly area over there... And in Europe, many people do bring their dogs with them everywhere -- but if asked to remove the dog, it is done with politeness & understanding...

Here in America, most people are not polite or understanding towards the feelings of others. So asking a man with a german shepherd inside a grocery store to leave more often than not would result in a rude altercation taking place... Which happened to me in California. Why is your German Shepherd in with my food???

Me personally, I love my Pixie and she is a member of my family. But she is still a dog -- not a human. She doesn't have rights. And she doesn't trump a child. So when people say their dog is more well-behaved than a child so should be allowed in a restaurant, that's not logical to me. An animal does not belong in a restaurant for simple sanitation/cleanliness issues...

I also don't think dogs belong in stores. Not in grocery stores, not in the malls, not in Home Depot -- no. I don't even like animals in the pet stores... They pee and poop and even after you clean it up, it is still germ-infested. I never take Pixie to these places -- worms, fleas, ticks, the stress of being around all those smells and sounds -- she enjoys it as much as she does the vet!

I think owners should consider the comfort of their pets more than many do. A pet is most comfortable in its own home and own territory. Trips to the park, around the block, or whatnot become routine and enjoyable. But the MALL??? How in the world would any pet benefit from an afternoon at the mall? Why would a pet need to be in Home Depot? I've even seen people in our local Bass Pro Shop, trying human t-shirts on their labrador and then putting them back in the pile!!! I took the shirt to the manager and told her what I'd seen...

Sometimes I think people go completely nuts with their pets & need a reality check. Imagine if I had purchased that t-shirt for my cousin, who is HIGHLY allergic to non-poodle breed dogs...

I do pamper my Pixie and I do love to take her on walks in the woods and parks and the beach (in off season) and on trips to see family. But I don't get taking a pet to a restaurant or a store or a place built/run/maintained for humans.

And I'm not even going to get started on how many times I've been in PetsMart & such and seen people with their dogs being atttacked by a more aggressive breed......

Pixie loves car trips, she loves to be with us, she knows that if she isn't going it's because she wouldn't want to anyway... I tell her "we'll be right back" and we are... She knows that I am her protector and defender and that I love her with every breath I have taken over the past 12 and a half years since I first laid my eyes on her & I will keep on loving her until my own death. I love my dog and she loves me -- but that doesn't mean she needs to be at my side in a store, restaurant, grocery or theater (yes, it happened to me in Memphis, a lady brought a chihuahua into the movie theater)... CRAZY!!!

 

[mercymoon]

Imo

I also don't think dogs belong in stores. Not in grocery stores, not in the malls, not in Home Depot -- no. I don't even like animals in the pet stores... They pee and poop and even after you clean it up, it is still germ-infested. I never take Pixie to these places -- worms, fleas, ticks, the stress of being around all those smells and sounds -- she enjoys it as much as she does the vet!

Okay. But have you forgotten the dogs that travel with those who are
disabled to the stores and such? Pet therapy dogs, dogs that can tell
when their master is going to have a seizure or an attack of some sort,
dogs with jobs basically...I think they have a right to be there as long
as they are certified.

Honestly all dogs are different imo, while yours might not enjoy going to
the home depot or mall (lol) other dogs may enjoy the trip, every time
my hubby or I open the door to the garage all three of ours rush in- they
want to go too and hate being left home alone! But, I have never taken
my dogs inside a store before and more than likely never will because
I believe there ARE certain boundaries. My dogs get to go to the park,
in the back yard, walking all over town leashed, relatives house...and
that's about it. I used to take my dogs to the local pet shop also where
dogs were allowed, the owners loved it when you brought your pets in
and even gave them treats when they left- my dog was also comfortable
the whole time and even liked meeting the other dogs there. I haven't
been in awhile though, we only went to buy snake food, lol.

I agree with you somewhat however, some people do need a reality check
and take it a little to far with their pets though and push the limits.

 

[JerriShaw]

Oh absolutely a service dog is different! I have seen one service dog & that was at a Yankees baseball game... But Lord knows it seems to me that around here, everybody has their dogs everywhere... I just saw a woman with 2 Yorkies at the Farm Fresh grocery store over the holidays! The dogs were in the cart -- Good Grief -- So the next person to come in and use that cart............... It just seems ridiculously out of hand...

 

[mercymoon]

Oh absolutely a service dog is different! I have seen one service dog & that was at a Yankees baseball game... But Lord knows it seems to me that around here, everybody has their dogs everywhere... I just saw a woman with 2 Yorkies at the Farm Fresh grocery store over the holidays! The dogs were in the cart -- Good Grief -- So the next person to come in and use that cart............... It just seems ridiculously out of hand...

Yeah, that's taking it a little too far...that's not right. :shot:
Your town must be VERY dog friendly!

 

[roxy25]

Great topic

Well in Los angeles we are dog friendly most part. I just found out that people can bring there dogs to Frys ( the one in the valley ) I was shocked to see big dogs in the store while my bf and I where window shopping for mac computers.

There are a lot of stores who do not care if you bring dogs in. Of course there is a catch [email protected]@(!*@&(!*& like I said most places are dog friendly BUT only if the dog is small or not a pit bull or some other breed people are not scared of. This really ****es me OFF!!!!! I see people walking in with there yorkies or mixed breeds but if I brought my bf's pit bull Jasmine with me they will ask us to leave !!!! it has not happened to me yet but , over in west hollywood every one is into pocket pooches or purse dogs ...... I have yet to see a german shepherd , rottie , or pit bull in a store so there must be a reason why !

I can't wait to bring Enzo to some of these places and see what they say , if they ask me to leave I will tell them NO because I see people with small dogs.

 

[mercymoon]

There are a lot of stores who do not care if you bring dogs in. Of course there is a catch [email protected]@(!*@&(!*& like I said most places are dog friendly BUT only if the dog is small or not a pit bull or some other breed people are not scared of. This really ****es me OFF!!!!! I see people walking in with there yorkies or mixed breeds but if I brought my bf's pit bull Jasmine with me they will ask us to leave !!!! it has not happened to me yet but , over in west hollywood every one is into pocket pooches or purse dogs ...... I have yet to see a german shepherd , rottie , or pit bull in a store so there must be a reason why !

yeah, that is some straight up bull crap! People can be dog prejudice!
I don't think if they will allow ALL dogs, they shouldn't allow any dogs
at all.

I for one am also a lover of the bully breeds! :banghead:

 

[JerriShaw]

Yeah, that's taking it a little too far...that's not right. :shot:
Your town must be VERY dog friendly!

You might call it dog "friendly", but I call it "nuts"... HAHA!

 

[mercymoon]

You might call it dog "friendly", but I call it "nuts"... HAHA!

Yeah that's a better word for it! :tongue: