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?

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.

I feel the same way about children! Cats and children are similar in that they know who dislikes them (me) and approach these poor souls. With dogs, they probably want to run away from me, as I pester them!

I take my, very well behaved, dog to pet shops and garden centres and that's it as far as her shopping expeditions go. The time we spend in any of these places is short and she enjoys it.

But having watched over heated, tired and bored dogs being dragged around shopping areas like Brighton, sometimes in scorching weather, 'm firmly of the opinion that shopping and dog are better not mixed.

Leave them at home to relax then take them out for a walk that is dedicated to their needs when you get home.

I agree @NellesVilla . I seem to attract young children who want to have an inane cyclical conversation with me about Marvel or whatever whilst their parents look on, delighted at how social their poppet is being. Especially on trains. It's incredibly annoying and for some reason considered absolutely acceptable, if not positively adorable.

I'd love it if every dog I met was the same. Sadly my magic doesn't work on them. :(

Why do people who object to dogs think I want you to be delighted to see my dog? I couldn't give two hoots if you love my dog or want to see my dog. Why on earth do you think your opinion (and those of people like you) would matter?

If I bring my dog to a shop it is almost entirely for one reason alone: it is the most sensible and convenient way to arrange my day, because it is easier to pop into the shop while I'm out with the dog than to bring him home and go back out.

Really, the expectation that anyone be delighted to see him doesn't even enter my mind. Some people do give him a little smile when they see him, which is lovely. I've never had any trouble. No doubt there were some miseries who were silently whinging before they came home to post furiously on mumsnet. Not sure why those people think they get to dictate what I do and don't do with my dog.

Leave them at home to relax then take them out for a walk that is dedicated to their needs when you get home.

As has been said numerous times, if you're on holiday this isn't always possible as most holiday homes don't allow you to leave your dogs unattended on the property, and if you're camping you can hardly leave your dog in the tent while you go on a day out!

It's also MUCH easier to just be able to pop into the shops on the way home from a walk if possible, rather than walk the dog past the shop to get home, only to go right back again.

I am so glad I live in a dog-friendly area and nobody here bats and eyelid if you have your dog with you while you pop in to post a letter or do some shopping on your way home.

Not hard to believe that there are some people like you there.

But certainly hard to believe that they constitute sufficient numbers to affect businesses decisions - because for every customer lost because of dog friendly approaches, more are added.

Taking a dog on a lengthy shopping trip is not good for the dog. Can certainly agree there. Popping in to a shop for ten or fifteen minutes to pick up something you need while the dog is in your arms is absolutely fine for a dog.

I remember taking my tiny guide dog trainee pup all over pre jags, obs never got on the floor and we went at quiet times when they were young. That’s part of why they are so good along with breeding. She’s recently retired as a guide dog. We have a pet golden retriever he’s been to the garden centre and outside in arms. Not to any shops. I also don’t let him ‘approach’ anyone however the amount who come to fuss him can be a bit much he’s a good boy but he’s young and gets excited. I think if your pup if bundled up and out of the way perhaps you could find some shops it is allowed in? I know how much my boy casts at times so I would avoid clothes shops.

Exactly, pups are homed at 8 weeks usually. They wean them off mum slowly from 5 I think.

Just because people do, doesn't mean they should.

I've had an 8 week old pup who had been weaned at 5 weeks (we rescued her). She had rickets from having been weaned too soon and it took months to resolve. She also took a long time to settle and cried a lot.

I've also had a pup from a breeder at 12 weeks. I cannot even begin to explain the difference.

A decent and ethical breeder would not allow a pup to go before 10 weeks old.

and a 9 week old pup who has not yet been vaccinated certainly shouldn't be paraded around a shop in a sling like a designer accessory FFS.

Probably realised it was just an allegory.

I know! People have just confirmed that Selfridge's and Harvey Nicks are dog friendly.

Like a pp, I had a guide dog puppy to train. For a puppy that is a pet dog, you would be wise to expose them early on to things that they will experience as an adult dog, not swanning around a shop. So, sit in the bus station with them. I used to take my pup to the railway station and just sit on a bench on the platform whilst the trains come and go. Then take them on a short train trip. Sit by a busy road and watch the traffic go by. Start early with travelling in a car (appropriately restrained). You can play desensitising sounds at home; thunder, fireworks. You have to work at it but it will give you a relaxed, laid back dog.
I have a retired Guide Dog now as a pet. He’s bombproof, travels long journeys on trains and nothing bothers him, including fireworks etc. It’s a joy to have a dog like that.

People seem to be confused between "can I" and "should I". Yes, you absolutely can if the shop allows it but please don't do it if they are wildly unpredictable or jumpy, that's not fair on staff and customers.

I take my small dog into dog friendly shops but she's always in a bag being carried. If she's somewhere where we're eating she's in another bag that opens up like a dog bed so she can still people watch. She can't get out and most people don't realise she's there as we make sure she's had a walk beforehand.

I'd hate dogs walking around in a shop on a lead for me to trip over.

We usually leave her at home though, its only if we're on the way to somewhere and have to nip in to get something.

That cannot be a serious comment?
The same as racism?

Not your comment, @Livpool - the one you responded to by @NellesVilla - I can't believe someone would actually draw that comparison.

I've had an 8 week old pup who had been weaned at 5 weeks (we rescued her). She had rickets from having been weaned too soon and it took months to resolve. She also took a long time to settle and cried a lot.

But @FrangipaniBlue, it's clearly not the case that all eight week old puppies end up with rickets and take a long time to settle in. You say yourself your puppy was a rescue - do you not think that had something to do with her health and behaviour?

I've also had a pup from a breeder at 12 weeks. I cannot even begin to explain the difference. A decent and ethical breeder would not allow a pup to go before 10 weeks old.

That's just a matter of opinion - it's perfectly legal for puppies to go to their new homes at 8 weeks so it's not fair to criticise OP for doing it, IMO. We got our puppy at 12 weeks so I'm not an advocate for all puppies being re-homed as early as possible, but I wouldn't pick at someone who did re-home that early either.

and a 9 week old pup who has not yet been vaccinated certainly shouldn't be paraded around a shop in a sling like a designer accessory FFS.

But that's not what OP is planning on doing!

Socialisation is vital for young puppies, and being carried securely in a sling for comfort and reassurance is a great way of allowing that to happen.

Wilko’s allow it in 2/3 of their stores - including dogs not on a lead

It's a dog. It should be at home and left at home. Surely you can leave a dog for the day at home in the backyard? Even 1 hour to do some shopping? It doesn't need immunisations.

A 9wk old puppy tiny enough to be in a sling I'd bet more people with coo than complain. Its definitely better to get them used to the human world as early as possible.

Err... no, you can't leave a puppy alone in the backyard for the day. 🙄

Even adult dogs shouldn't be left all day 'in the backyard'.

The dog will be distressed if left all day by itself and will likely bark and whine; lovely for the neighbours.

Of course an adult dog can be left in the house for an hour, ideally no longer than 4 or 5 hours is fine, but a nine week old puppy shouldn't be left alone at all.

Oh for goodness sake of course it can! No one who had a full time job would ever have a dog if not. Dogs are supposed to be in the backyard and if trained properly, have a large enough yard and/or toys should certainly be able to be left alone at home in their own yard!

I hope your next door neighbour gets a dog that they leave all day in the backyard 😂Good luck with that.

What country are you in?

It's certainly not the norm anywhere I've ever lived for responsible dog owners to leave dogs alone in their 'yards' all day.

It would be very frowned upon.

I can understand Pets at Home for a little socialisation trip, but not a department store. It wouldn’t occur to me. It might also blow her mind, one of mine was overwhelmed by a large, empty pet store, I had to take him out, it was just too much for him. He’s not the most resilient puppy, we’ve had to build up to things with him.