Today in Aldi

[User884721]

a woman asked me to hold her dog at the checkout while she packed her shopping. Was I BU to say no?

The woman in front of me was unloading her trolley onto the conveyor belt with one hand and holding a dog under her other arm. Is it a pug, the one with the squashed up face? Anyway, it wasn't happy and was wriggling around.

She asked if I could hold the dog so she could pack her shopping properly in her bags. I said no. She said she couldn't put the dog on the ground because it didn't like the feel of the floor under its feet. I still said no. She then took absolutely ages making a point of packing her shopping with one hand. At the checkout. While holding a dog.

The checkout operator told her dogs were not allowed in Aldi and she replied "well that's why I'm carrying her". Nothing more was said.

I know mumsnet will probably be divided into those who would be delighted to hold a stranger's dog then pack up their loose fruit and veg. I'm not one of those people.

Would you have held her dog?

No way would I have done that well done saying no

My dog refuses to walk on some surfaces, He’s usually fine with different types of flooring indoors but can be funny about some types of outdoor decking.

My best one like that, was at my local little sainsburys. A woman was walking round with a live parrot on her shoulder! (As in not a toy!). All I could do was look on in bemusement.

I wouldn't have held the dog as I don't really like dogs and wouldn't want him slobbering on me or leaving hairs or dog smells!

I have 2 dogs, one of them is nervous of a wet slippery floor and is careful at home. The other slips and slides on it but it doesn’t bother her.

I don’t take my dogs to shops even if allowed, hard work for me, stressful for them and annoying for others. The only exception is a pet shop, only very occasionally though. I wouldn’t take them to a restaurant but have the odd time gone to a pub and had a bar snack.

I love my dog and wouldn’t leave her tied up outside a shop but I also wouldn’t take her into the shop.
Definitely don’t think you’re unreasonable to say no. She should have been challenged more really.

I would've said no to holding the dog and I'd be annoyed with Aldi staff for allowing her in the shop with a dog.

I'm a dog person but no, I wouldn't have held a stranger's dog. And if a dog insists on being carried because it doesn't like the 'feel of the floor', the owner needs to take it to a behaviourist.

I am so sick of dogs in shops/bats/restaurants etc and i would call myself a dog lover! You're not h reasonable at all

Of course YANBU. I love dogs but the woman shouldn't have had her dog in the store.
I'm not sure I'd want to hold a stranger's dog while doing my food shopping anyway.

I have once or twice held a dog's lead to be helpful, once during a production of two gentlemen of Verona.

I'd have put it on the conveyor belt to give it some exercise.

Well if she's carrying it, it's not going to sniff any of the food packaging or wee anywhere.

What are people's real objections to a small dog that's being carried?

What harm do you think it's going to do?

I'd have happily held it, but you're NU not to want to.

For fuck's sake, what next?
Yes if it was a baby l would or l would offer to help her pack even, but a dog in a supermarket??!! Stupid woman.

I absolutely adore dogs but I would not have held that dog only because it would re-enforce the craziness of that woman and she'd do it again and again.
Dogs have no place in a supermarket. Full stop. Unless they are guide dogs on a job.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that there were notices indicating that the only dogs allowed supermarkets were guide dogs. Now they’re allowed in any and all shops, cafes, restaurants, hotels, unleashed on beaches, parks and general areas and are clearly far more important than the comfort of people who are affected adversely in whatever way, by them.

That's almost worse than Aldi. At least most of the food is in packaging and you can wash an apple under the tap. I'd hate to buy clothes with dog hair on them. I don't have an allergy but I can imagine that could be quite serious if someone did.
If I saw a dog in a clothes shop I don't think I'd go in at all. Unless it was a tiny one in a bag. But then I probably wouldn't notice it. If your dog is big enough to be noticed it shouldn't be in a shop.

We get them in the food shop I work at. I hate it and do always say that they're not allowed and they always offer to pick them up just no if it decides to wee that would be even worse. My job description does not involve making sure that products are free of dog hair, dander or piss.

If it needs explaining there's not much hope. Dogs have been known to wee while being carried.

Presuming this is true…

No, I wouldn’t hold anyone’s bloody dog in a shop.

The dog shouldn’t ever have been in the shop.

WTF happened to common sense? If owners can’t tie up their dogs outside (because they’re all going to be stolen - sure, yup 🙄) then they shouldn’t get a dog in the first place.

I love dogs but no, I don't hold dogs I don't know.

I would've done it but I'm the type to make a fuss over any dog who will let me 😂

It is a cheeky ask though so you're not BU at all, if it's not your thing.

Nope!

I'm a cat person and I don't ask people to hold my pussy in lidl...

Carrying a dog doesn't mean it's allowed jn the supermarket. She should have been challenged before she reached the checkout and told to leave. Don't know what's going jn with society nowadays, so much entitlement and so much disrespect for the rights of the rest of the general public

All of this

No, a thousand times no. I love dogs but I wouldn't want to hold a random one with it's dirty bottom on my arm. Ugh.

Stupid woman, leave it at home.

I mean, obviously you know full well she was being unreasonable, because dogs aren't allowed in Aldi anyway. Whether or not people would/wouldn't happy to touch a dog isn't really relevant; she was still being unreasonable to have ignored the no-dogs rule and to ask other people to hold her dog for her.

But as I say - you already know that and just wanted to start Mumsnet's billionth dog-bashing thread.