Can I take a puppy into a shop?

[manzolini]

A non-food shop so like matalan, new look, next etc as long as she is in a sling and doesn't touch the floor?

Hundreds of them do!

Off the top of my head - in our area:

Waterstones
Joules
Fat Face
Rohan
Blacks
AlpKit
New Look
The Post Office
WHSmith
Costa
Starbucks
John Lewis
Trespass
Wilko
B&Q
Garden centres (all our local ones are independent and allow dogs)
H&M
The local candle shop
Argos
Lush

The vast majority (99%) of independent pubs, cafes and restaurants around here also have doggy menus, biscuits and water bowls.

@TooBored1

Er, I work in one of those stores and they DO NOT have a policy to allow dogs in...assistance dogs aside

Where on earth do people get this misinformation from? A managers discretion may allow it, but if there's an 'incident' or even a complaint, well dread to think what could happen

You work in retail, chill out. Dread what could happen

PP didn't say it was a nationwide policy - she was naming stores in her city that allow dogs.

I suspect a lot of it is it area dependent. I live and work near the Lake District and I'd say 95% of shops and cafés allow dogs - because lots of locals have dogs and tourists bring their dogs, so it makes sense.

Most holiday cottages don't allow you to leave your dogs unattended, so tourists bring their dogs everywhere.

Waterstones in my area. Plus one shopping centre is entirely dog friendly and provides strollers for shoppers to push their dogs around in. Some stores in the 'dog friendly' shopping centre do not allow dogs in and it is always entertaining when disgruntled dog owners get a bit wound up about this

Lots do. Especially in “touristy” areas like central london

eg. John Lewis, Liberty, Barbour (they have a “Barbour Dogs” program and all their shops are dog friendly - they actively welcome dogs!)

No

Which one?

I spotted a dachshund in a handbag in the co-op earlier. Staff didn't say anything even at the checkouts. Dog was promptly put on the ground to walk again when they were outside!

Why would you even want to take a puppy into a shop, not gonna lie when I see people carting dogs everywhere they shouldn’t be I just think they do it for attention, leave it at home like the normal person, I’m sure when it’s had it’s jags it will manage to socialise just fine and won’t ever be in a shop then, I have a dog and love him very much but he would have absolutely hated to be stuck in a baby sling carted around a store and honestly as a shopper I would be quite disgruntled if I came across an animal in a shop particularly a clothes one. There’s rules etc for a reason stop being selfish to other peoples needs they could be allergic or fearful.

Completely agree about the training. One morning when I was volunteering we had a guy come in and ask whether he could bring his trainee guide dog pup in to have a sniff round the shop while we were quiet. Not a problem. The dog behaved impeccably, they were in and out in 5 minutes.

That is not the same AT ALL as it being a free for all with everyone bringing their "furbabies" and "doggos" for a mooch round Next or Ikea .

What makes dog owners thing it's OK to take their dogs everywhere with them? It's an animal. You love your animal - fine. But these unhinged dog owners think everyone else has to be just as delighted with encountering their mutt.

Puppy socialisation window closes around 14 weeks or so; they need to be exposed to different environments when young, or there's more risk of them becoming too shy and uncomfortable in new situations.

Dog-friendly shops are a great place to do this, especially if you plan to take your dog with you to shops in the future. Obviously if the puppy is anxious in the sling that's a different situation. Many are perfectly ok in slings/strollers though.

And like many posters have mentioned there are lots of shops which welcome dogs.

I honestly don't understand how anyone could be bothered by a small puppy in a sling. Surely you are concentrating on doing your shopping?

They've become all crazy , in 2 years time they'll be back moaning that they can't leave the dog alone for an hour because it cries

Or they can't go anywhere because no one wants to dog sit because it cries

Or they need to remove the dog because it's so codependent it doesn't like the kids/partner new baby etc

Obviously if the puppy is anxious in the sling that's a different situation. Many are perfectly ok in slings/strollers though

I can't believe I'm reading things like this, written about dogs. Dogs!

Why? How else do you suggest a puppy should be carried around before it's safe for them to walk on the ground?

Most puppies don't get their second vaccinations until they're 12-14 weeks, at which point the socialisation window closes and their 'fear period' starts. Beyond that it's very difficult to socialise a puppy to make them completely confident and self-assured in new environments.

If you have any other suggestions on safe ways to carry around puppies, do tell us.

What makes dog owners think it's OK is that the shops / cafes / train companies etc say it's OK.

If you have an issue with this take it up with the relevant business, not individuals who are just going about their day.

But I don’t believe for a second all these dramatic posts you see on here from people who say that they wouldn’t go into a shop or a cafe if dogs were allowed. Maybe if it was full of badly behaved dogs, but if the dogs are just unobtrusively lying under the table there is absolutely no reason not to go in

I can hand on heart guarantee if I was walking into a clothes shop and seen a dog in there I would take my money elsewhere, Same for pubs and restaurants, I would not eat there.

Is that really hard to believe?

There’s rules etc for a reason stop being selfish to other peoples needs they could be allergic or fearful

Yep - and many shops have rules that say dogs are more than welcome 😉

I'm not overly sure but tbh id bloody love to see a puppy whilst shopping!

@XenoBitch yes, but assistance dogs are few and far between by comparison, and I tend to shop on weekends/busier times when those owner don't tend to be out.

If everyone started bringing their dogs out with them I'd really struggle.

I try to avoid dog friendly pubs/cafes for that reason.

Nothing against dogs/dog owners - just my immune system is not a fan of them! ☹️

100%. I’m a dog owner & definitely would not take my dog to shops/pubs etc only time I ever have is in summer to a local pub with a huge garden & he was short leashed to the table. Many children are fearful of dogs & in my experience some (not all) owners who take their dogs into shops/restaurants are of the opinion that everyone loves them & let them approach strangers for a sniff or stroke & personally I don’t want a dog I don’t know to approach me or my children

Yes - that is exactly the same as racism 🤦🏼‍♀️

I prefer to take my custom to dog-free establishments not only to avoid dogs, but to avoid the lunatic fringes of the dog-owning brigade with views like this.