to bring dog in supermarket

[Name2change]

I have name changed as I know that most people will be inclined to think that this is ridiculous proposition as its societally unacceptable. I know the cognizant is not to bring them in because they could get out and get into things and cause damage or irritate people with allergens or for hygiene reasons etc etc but surely this applies to dogs who are on leads and being held and not ones in enclosed baby-looking prams that cant get out or get close enough to people to irritate them. I honestly don't see the issue with well behaved dogs who cant bother anyone especially when no one will even know they are there. I saw someone in the supermarket who'd done this a while ago, they bothered no one and ever since I've been thinking that this is something id like to do as I have a hidden disability that is made just that bit more comfortable with my dog just being there but I haven't done it as I'm too ashamed and would be anxious the whole time about being found out! I dont want any "YABU for getting her a pram", its a separate issue, she requires one and I'm not getting into a debate about it. AIBU to go for it or should I leave it well alone and forget about it?

MN seems to be the land of dog haters but that hasn’t been my experience in everyday life.

MN seems to be the land of well trained dogs and responsible owners, but that hasn't been my experience in everyday life.
Shame because if all dogs were well trained and under control, there'd be far fewer people having legitimate fear of dogs triggered by previous experiences.

"Friendly Dogs" are the worst. It's code for "my animal is poorly trained by an owner with weak social boundaries"

Supermarkets are busy, stressful places and are not suitable places for animals. For the animals' wellbeing. They are places with open food so extra, unnecessary contaminants are not welcome. People with allergies deserve to know that most indoor public places don't introduce unnecessary risks. Owners are distracted by the process of shopping and getting around the shop. Then there's the risk of shitting and pissing. You don't want a dog urinating into the chiller mechanisms...

The problem with entitled owners is the slippery slope. Dog A might indeed be well-behaved in its pram, and dog B may be be unintrusive in its owner's arms, if they can go in, why not the obedient labrador... the "friendly" cockadoodle... the Akita and its owner that no one's going to argue with...

Service dogs are exempt due to their high level of training (better than most humans) their low numbers, and because they make life accessible for disabled owners.

I don't hate dogs. I'm just fed up of the minority of entitled and feckless owners that ruin public spaces for everyone else including the quiet majority of sensible owners.

I love my dog. He's in the process of being well trained. It's a hard and long road (spaniel 😆)

Would I want to take him in a supermarket....no. He can stay home.

I wouldn't want to shop with him in tow, nor would I want to impose his presence on others.

It's not the place for dogs other than guide dogs. We have a guide dog friend and live near one of their big training centres. We see trainee guide dogs a lot. The hours and years that go into that training mean most pets never get to that level of training

But yes, YABU. People comparing to guide dogs YABU too. Proper assistance dogs are trained to go to the toilet on cue. Normal animals are not and the last thing I want when I’m doing a shop is someone’s fur baby doing a shit in the fruit and veg aisle.

I love dogs but I don't think they belong inside supermarkets. Assistance dogs are different as the owner requires them. If you don't require assistance from your dog, leave it at home when you shop. Dogs are lovely animals, but they don't belong everywhere.

How does your mother manage with guide dogs which are allowed in virtually all shops?

How often do you actually see guide dogs in shops though?

I very rarely see them in shops. The chances of bumping into someone with a guide dog is minimal compared to the number of people who own dogs.

I quite like dogs, but I feel that the fetishising of dogs here is getting ridiculous these days. You can't leave dogs alone all day because it is cruel, but surely it is possible to leave a dog for the short time required to do your weekly supermarket shop?

@TheGlitterati you could make most of those points about children in public places. I would prefer if most restaurants were child free but we can’t always have what we want. I have been in shops that allow dogs are they are always less noticeable than children in shops

Actual service dogs, that have some sort of ID should be the only ones allowed in places like supermarkets imo. There’s a huge difference between service dog and a pet you just like to be around.

I completely agree with this. My DD is extremely frightened of dogs after a bad experience when she was younger. Obviously someone with an assistance dog has a far greater need for that dog to be in the supermarket but in general, absolutely not.

Knew someone would make the dogs/children comparison. Completely ridiculous. Dogs are pets and way down the pecking order. Children are people who have rights and should never be compared to an animal. I know some dog owners are bonkers and like to think they have a ‘fur baby’ ( vomits slightly in mouth at that term) but actually what you have is a dog, an animal that carries diseases and should not be allowed in shops. The odd assistance dog is fine but before long everyone will thinks is okay and will be doing it en mass, so no. No dogs. Bad enough in restaurants.

People equate taking dogs into places as being the same as guide dogs but it isn't.

There are a relatively small number of guide dogs so you are actually unlikely to encounter one in the supermarket which reduces risk for those allergic or with a phobia.

Guide dogs are highly trained, they don't pee on the shelves or tear off and jump up at children. They are trained to avoid and ignore distractions.

If supermarkets allow any dogs in then we will have dogs peeing on shelves, dogs jumping at people, dogs running down the aisles and people with allergies and phobias will be affected.

I feel for your daughter but to tie up a dog outside a supermarket, or any shop is an absolutely stupid thing to do. So many dog-nappers out there you'd be inviting someone to take your dog. If your dog is not allowed in the shop it should be left at home. I agree with others that this lady should seek permission first, I don't see it as an issue if the dog is well behaved in a buggy, out of everyone's way, even those with allergies who would need to be in very close contact with the dog.

No, dogs should not be allowed in any shops, except properly trained assistance dogs.

Dogs 'go' over produce that's on low shelves.

Is there produce on low shelves? Ours isn't low (below about 3' height, Sainsbury's). I'm assuming most people don't want to bend so low.

Going to reply in a sec. When's your assignment deadline?

Our local shopping centre now allows any dog in as long as it is ‘well behaved’.

When I go there with my relative who has a guide dog it is a right pain as quite often we walk past a pet dog who starts barking and getting excited as soon as they see another dog.

It’s really distracting and disorienting for my relative and their guide dog (the guide dog never reacts as per its training).

Sometimes the barking sounds loud and aggressive even if the dog is small and my relative has no way of knowing if the dog is a danger or not. The owners don’t usually engage, even to offer an apology.

Occasionally the owner will let their dog come up to the guide dog and sniff its bum - ‘oh, X is just saying hello, they’re friendly’...ignoring that the guide dog is there to do a job!

So I’m in favour of assistance dogs from nationally recognised training programmes being allowed in shops but not other dogs, I’m afraid.

There should be more programmes available to help train pet dogs of disabled people so they can safely accompany them to shops.

However Guide Dogs receives no government funding and the waiting list is very long right now. I expect similar holds true about other organisations such as Dogs for Good, unfortunately.

Then where does it end?

Assistant pythons, Assistant rats?

What about the cat?

He's not just taking it into shops. He's walking around with it in a busy city, around traffic, crowds, people with dogs that might bark at it and frighten it ... there would be all sorts of hazards for the poor cat if it got spooked and ran off.

And a poster upthread said she'd seen it had a swollen belly. I hope it's been seen by a vet recently and has a vet plan. I feel the same about a lot of little dogs as well. I hear far too often that they've been attacked by bigger dogs or been spooked/excited and hit by cars.

I would not want to continue shopping in a supermarket where dogs were allowed (apart from guide dogs, which are always incredibly well-behaved anyway). That is for reasons of hygiene, but also other shoppers should not be subject to people's pets in case they are allergic.

Not ‘virtually all shops’ - just ‘all shops full stop’.

We had a local couple who had a parrot each on their shoulders. They used to go in and out if the shops. Presumably they thought they were cool. The big streaks of bird shit down the back of their tee shirts made it less cool.

I work in a supermarket and have called security before when seeing a non-service dog in store. It's always a dog small enough to be hidden under a coat then put on the floor once clear of security. There's reasons some place must be animal free for safety and hygiene reasons. Supermarkets are barely safe enough for young children wandering around nevermind dogs who aren't used to the sounds and other things in a supermarket. Service dogs are trained to be desensitised to these types of environments and behave in a way the average pet won't, they're working not there for a jolly.

I have a dog, she would be absolutely fine in the supermarket during a quiet evening but it's not hygienic. She can't help but sniff interesting smells or leaving hair (and she's got a lot of it) on things she's brushed by. If you want to take your dog out choose dog friendly businesses like pet stores and the occasional garden centre.

We are fortunate that online shopping as increased the accessibility of these items to people who might find the supermarket anxiety inducing with their pets.

Well I'm a big animal lover, more dogs less humans in supermarkets would be brilliant.
As far as shops and the law goes "assistance dogs" have to be registered.
I don't know you obviously or where you live but taking a dog to my local town, even though I have panic attacks would be the last thing I would do, I see too many people dragging dogs around town on a hot day, or terrified dogs on the bus.
If you know your dog is comfortable, not anxious and she enjoys it then absolutely fine by me.

owner of dogs here…. Am sorry but don’t think dogs have a place in supermarkets, food shops and am not crazy about hearing that dogs are in cafes….( live abroad where this is against the food hygiene regs, thankfully). One well behaved dog in a pushchair leads onto lots of dogs some not very well behaved, some people are genuinely scared of dogs, some dogs owners have no regard for how their pooch behaves and perhaps some dogs helping themselves to extra treats …. Formally trained assistance dogs only pls. Plus with the amount of dog owners in the UK surely this would lessen the space at busy times for customers.

If you have anxiety about people looking at and talking about you then bringing a dog in a pram with you is absolutely not the way to go. It's unusual so people are going to look and comment about it.

It sounds like it would be very stressful for the dog to be enclosed like that in an unfamiliar environment, supermarkets are very bright and can be loud and are full of smells that might be unsettling for the dog.

I don't think pets should be in supermarkets in general but if they're unobtrusive like in a backpack I wouldn't object. Wheeling one down the aisle in a pram is going to invite people to stop and stare and try to interact with your dog, I don't see how that can possibly be less stressful than going in to shop alone.

Take a dog to a new area the first thing it will do is mark a territory by peeing on something, outdoors this isn’t a problem usually, indoors, no thanks. A small animal carried I guess isn’t a problem but not on a lead, there should not be a general acceptance of support animals because it gets ridiculous.

No. Bringing random pets into supermarkets is ridiculous. Guide dogs are highly trained and completely different. Where does this nonsense end? Presumably you’re writing this anyway because you’ve seen the articles about the man with his ‘support’ cation Sainsbury’s.