To think The Range has made a stupid decision

Totally agree with this. We also have dogs. Love them to bits. Would not take them shopping, though.

seems to have the same effect on my son apparently! ours does a loo though - probably because it’s got a cafe. not sure dogs + soft furnishings work though

So true 😂 👏

Like many other PP’s I also won’t be shopping in the Range now, along with all the other places like JL’s, Cafe Nero etc. that allow dogs. When they started letting dogs in our local Wilko’s it was awful - yappy annoying dogs everywhere. Incredibly unhygienic. As a result I wasn’t particularly surprised or bothered when they all shut - I suspect the Range may also be acting out of desperation to increase footfall.

Also correct!

This.

I think most shops will change being dog friendly once the injury compensation claims come in. People who can't be bothered cleaning up after their dogs generally won't start now. Not fair on staff to have to clean up after dog mess, that's not in their job description.

I’m not sure it is a fashion, I think it’s here to stay. For years I’ve read threads on Mumsnet eg my mum and dad won’t come for Christmas because they can’t leave the dog and our child is allergic or school mum asking to bring dog on a play date to my house but I think dogs are dirty. I think there will always be people who want to take their dog everywhere. which for people who are allergic (I don’t know how many people that is) must be awful because while you can tell your mum not to bring her dog for Christmas you can’t avoid dogs totally.

I’m just wondering what will happen when cat owners feel left out and want to do the same. The first person who goes shopping in the range with their cat is brave!

As a dog owner, I’m quite happy to leave my dog at home while I shop etc.

We once took her to John Lewis, and whilst she was very well behaved, it was clearly overwhelming for her and we’d never put her through that again. I don’t particularly like taking her into any pet shop either… all the dog treats are far too accessible and I’m certain she thinks we’ve taken her to an all
you can eat buffet 🤣 I’m also very mindful that not everyone even likes dogs!

Big talk for someone whose home likely smells like dog arsehole

I'm not a dog owner, but I like them, and appreciate owners needs etc, but my goodness, the 'fashion' - because that's what it is - to take them literally everywhere is out of hand. The correlation between this trend and the owner type who have no awareness or care over the suitability and behaviour of the animals is akin to those who 'selectively parent' their kids. I was agog at the fella who had his bouncy puppy in a Hallmark shop recently - the type that's full of 'ornaments' etc practically at floor level and upwards...
In Aldi the other week there was a small dog essentially 'hidden' in a buggy/pushchair - making a right racket. The checkout guy was furious down his headset to mgt/colleagues. The store fell silent at the noises as nobody could tell where it was coming from. Of course, said buggy was being guarded by a child no older than 8 and not an adult to be seen.

I try to avoid places that accept dogs, fortunately the Range is easy to avoid anyway

I'm not even allergic, @Coffeesnob11 - but I went into Starbucks and someone had their big hairy dog occupying one of the sofas! I thought it was incredibly selfish and thoughtless. Who on earth does that?
I wish we could go back to the time when dogs weren't in shops and restaurants.

I'd try my best to not let my dog pee on someone else's property, but genuine question here. What did you expect them to do?

Dogs just squat when they're ready to pee, and short of carrying a pissing dog off that spot, there's not much to be done. You can't drag them by their collar if they don't want to stop weeing. If you have a solution, please share it to help dog walkers out.

The worst thing about this is that it will appeal to irresponsible dog owners only - because it’s all about the needs/wants of the owners, and not at all about the needs of the dogs. Being in such a busy, bright, crammed environment full of people and stuff, and (hopefully) not being allowed to grab at, sniff and lick the things around them is an overstimulating and frustrating experience for a dog, and meets none of their needs. No dog would choose shopping as their favourite thing to do. Think about the needs of the animal, not the people!

I am a dog owner, I have a toy poodle and although I know there is no such thing as a non allergenic dog, I am not allergic to her, unlike most dogs. I don't expect to take her everywhere not want to and all the dogs I am allergic to makes life miserable on occasions.
2 weeks ago I went to a family wedding with my mum. Booked into a very expensive room above an eating pub which I knew was dog friendly (not many choices anywhere nearby as they got married in a very small village) but failed to see anything on the website when booking that said the rooms were dog friendly too. This meant after we had dropped our bags and got changed, I spent most of the wedding with a dripping nose and itchy eyes because although the room was clean you can never get rid of everything. At breakfast there were 3 dogs so my whole weekend was spent with allergy responses (yes I do take medication daily but it can only do so much)
My local garden centre has recently put up a sign saying they will have to ban dogs if people don't stop them peeing up displays and letting them foul in the shop and not notify the staff. It's in the countryside in a well off area.
Other people's children can be annoying but I have not been allergic to any of them yet!
I want the high street to survive but I want to be able to go in without having an allergic reaction.

Same where I live. My house is on the corner of a road opposite a huge park so we get a lot of people going past taking their dogs for a walk. Absolutely vast expanse of pavement outside my house, not to mention a road with drains. A few days ago I went out to fetch something from my car to find a couple just standing idly by while their dog took a piss two feet from my front gate. When I objected the woman just said well what was I supposed to do? And the bloke said it’s ok, it’s done now. And off they went. Scummy bastards. And yes, dog shit absolutely everywhere. And don’t get me started on the number of people who bag it up and either dump it in my wheelie bin on their way past or leave it hanging from fence posts or tree branches on the footpath to the park.

I don’t understand why dogs going into The Range bothers you to this extent. There are plenty of things to stand up against in this world - inequality, violence against women, cost of living, gun laws. Dogs in shops??

Boycott the shop if you are that bothered and buy your tat elsewhere.

@ClaudineMallory I never understand the reasoning for someone putting their child in the actual trolley, if they are too big for the seat then surely they can walk. It's really not safe either, I will never forget the time, I saw a child fall out of one head face onto the concrete floor while the mum's head was turned.

While taking your child to a shop may be a necessity, letting them stand in a trolley is not!

Back to the point of the thread, I do have a dog and he is extremely well behaved and trained, however I personally would never take him to the shops with me, that's what I consider my own downtime.

And those that are allergic, what do you suggest they do?

It's only a matter of time 🤦‍♂️

Like a pp our Range has an Iceland within it, not separated and there are around 3-4 aisles of frozen and fresh food on view.

I can just imagine DS’s two year old Labrador in there, jumping up to look in the freezers, wanting a snooze on the fake beds and the sofas, knocking all the stuff off the shelves with his massive waggy tail, helping himself to the soft toys and balls in the pet section. Shudder.

there’s a time and a place for a dog, I agree with the pp who said dogs add nothing to a shopping experience either for other customers or the dog.

I absolutely despise this new “trend” also, and actively avoid “dog friendly” cafes after observing a Labrador lick a table clean in cafe Nero… ready for the next person to sit at it. Absolutely gross.

Some of these comments are very odd. Loads of shops allow dogs, and there is no wee/poo/biting round here. I do live somewhere ‘nice’ though, so all dogs tend to be trained and pleasant. Even the local larger town outlet centre allows them and it’s spotless.

I do think those who are afflicted by dog phobias need to try to address them. Dogs aren’t going anywhere and by choosing to remain untreated you’re only making your own life more difficult. It’s like being frightened of passing cars, you can’t avoid it so you should try and sort it out.

Shopping trolleys are not sterile. They get left outside in all weathers, and no doubt dogs, if not foxes, birds and squirrels etc come into contact with them. Your shopping is packaged. If not, I'm sure you'll peel or wash it. A parent shopping with a child is usually a necessity. Bringing your pet in to a shop is not.

Yes the do! Male dogs cock their legs everywhere. I wouldn't want to buy anything near the ground if dogs are allowed in.