Shop allows dogs in and my item is ruined

[shedidwhatnan]

Argh. Still annoyed even typing this

Visited a store of a well known aspirational brand today.

They let dogs in and have water bowls outside, encouraging dogs to 'take a sip' and then goes on to say all dogs on leads or dogs in arms are welcome inside

I had just spent good money on something and stopped to have a look at something on the display table near the exit.

The owner seemed to have been having a browse next to me and her dog proceeded to go right next to me! My paper bag from the shop got wet

The store assistant noticed, giggled and went to get some stuff to clean up. No mention of my bag or compensating me when I said 'Oh dear, it's on my bag now'. She just said 'ha, what are they like!' Then ignored me and started chatting to the owner who whilst the cleaning stuff was fetched, kept apologising to me over and over

And in truth, it isn't the dog owners fault really. The ultimate blame is with the shop for allowing dogs of any kind beyond guide dogs into the place.

I asked for a clean bag. Discovered my item also got wet. Shop assistant said 'oh, hopefully it'll just wash out!' And that was that

I was so embarrassed and upset that I left

AIBU to think dogs shouldn't be in shops? I can sort of see the appeal to have a tasteful sausage dog allowed in but not medium+ size breeds!

“Some people just aren’t training their dogs”

fixed that for you.

Funny that since I have one of my own. A Labradoodle that looks more lab than poodle! She's gorgeous. And well behaved. But I wouldn't take her into a shop.

Seriously?

I would class myself as a dog lover but there is no way I would walk out with a brand new, pissed stained item. I would have told the assistant ‘you wash this one then and I’ll have a new one thanks.’

They wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.

What aspirational brand was it?

What an utterly silly and ignorant comment.
“All people who take dogs into shops and cafes are thoughtless idiots”
Who is ‘we’?
It may be a hard pass for you, but isn’t for an awful lot of people. Nearly a third of households in this country own a dog and everything suggests that this is on the rise. Dogs are now big business. Where we live, most places are now ‘dog friendly’ and from my personal experience, it’s rare that I’ve seen a problem or a disruptive dog. More than that, when we are out with our little cockerpoo, she gets tons of attention from people who want to say hello and cuddle her, specially families with children. She’s well trained, but I’m yet to meet a single person who seems irritated by her presence.
There are dog owners who are a PITA and they should rightly be criticized, but in my experience, they are the minority.

Good luck, op.

Show them this thread if they get arsey about it.

If they are inviting dogs in, they have to be prepared that a lot of dogs are completely untrained and will defecate and urinate indoors.

A Watch repair shop I know had a dog shit in his shop- the owner just walked out. I didn't own a dog at the time and took son's watch in for repair and saw a dog turd on the floor.

Unsurprisingly the watch repairer no longer allows dogs in except for guide dogs.

I freely admit that my life does revolve around mine. I work of course so OH is main carer in the day (retired) and when I’m not working I’m out with her - at the park, seeing family (lots of dogs and she loves it), at a cafe, at a dog friendly beach, in the countryside….

She is very much loved and an integral part of our family.

I find it sad that some people might subject a dog to being owned and just took round the block and then be shut away in a kitchen, no play time and no fun. What’s the point in that? Love them as family or don’t have a pet. Same kind of theory applies for all pets, though clearly a guinea Pig might not fancy a puppicinno or a pup cake.

Pic of my own pooch! As proof I'm not a dog hater or trying to tarnish their good name

But there are an overwhelming amount of badly trained not trained all dogs around with careless owners

I have lost count of the amount of times I've been walking and a dog zooms up to me/jumps up. And the owner just shouts 'don't worry! He/she is friendly'

I dislike dogs in shops. Internet shopping is the answer. I always spoke for local trade all this keep the shows in our town. Not anymore.

It really is no wonder we have people who just don't bother to take responsibility for themselves and their dogs when they never have to face any concequences because everyone is so keen to blame anyone and everyone else.
I mean why bother adjusting your behaviour/training your dog/taking responsibility for it when someone else is fully expected to foot the bill for you!
The dog owner is responsible for the dog, no one else, and if we just blame everyone else then this crap is going to continue. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Thank goodness then that someone else’s opinion of me is none of my business 🤣

Yes that was silverburn shopping centre. I used to work there many years ago. I’m glad dogs weren’t allowed in when I did.

It was a good decision to end the dog friendly trial. More places need to follow suit. I was looking at a waffle brunch place on social media the other day and I saw half the pictures were of dogs sat up on the table and I immediately took it off my list of places to eat at.

OP you’re right, it’s not a good idea to have any dogs in shops and I’d have been fuming if that happened. Dog owners wonder why I give them a wide berth in indoor spaces. Hope you wrote a letter of complaint to the store?

re. guide dogs they are far less likely to do that stuff and if only guide dogs were allowed in that would drastically reduce the amount of dogs overall in public indoor spaces meaning the chances of these sorts of incident would be negligible. I worked in retail and hospitality pre-2010 when I was younger and didn’t have any issues with a single dog since it was guide dogs only back then and very few would even be around.

My ex partners parents had this huge dog that was poorly trained and they’d act all surprised when shop keepers told them to keep it out. It was absurd they needed to be told. In fairness I don’t think it would piss in a shop but it would run around it possibly causing an accident or at least frightening people due to its size and speed.

Take it back. I am a dog owner and would happply take her into a pub after a long walk and I know she will sleep. But never around the shops. Lots of people are scared of dogs including my own children when they were younger. Plus allergies. I don’t know if dogs appreciate going into shops on their walk either tbh.

My moneys on the White Company- saw a dog pee in the Truro store last year and it put me off as it was next to dining wear I was looking at and floor wiped but no interest in checking items on the shelf for contamination!

The dog owner is responsible for the dog, no one else

Fraid I agree

Yes this was partly due to the shop allowing dogs in. But the same thing could easily have happened in the queue for the bus, or waiting to cross the road. In those cases your beef would be with the dog owner, and it’s the same here.

“Excuse me your dog peed on my newly bought item, I’d like you to replace it please”.

Good on you x

An absolute beauty!

Yes, it’s owners that haven’t trained their pups. Not all dogs, and not all owners.

Hopefully you’ll get your purchase replaced.

What an utterly silly and ignorant comment
Two thirds of households don't own dogs and that means a hell of lot don't care for dogs around them

You banging on about "your little cockerpoo" is exactly what I mean! You've grown an expectation that everyone will love her and want to cuddle her. Thats because you surround yourself with those kind of people. Well a whole fucking lot of us don't want her anywhere near us when we are eating! Thats the "we"...the people that are staying away from cafes while you clog the place up with non paying dogs. It obviously hasn't occurred to you that other people are staying away from those establishments because she's there. The dog doesn't have to be disruptive to be a problem...it's just the presence that puts other paying customers off.

I don't mind dogs in shops, but it's due to their policy your purchase was contaminated, and they absolutely SHOULD have replaced the item for you, no quibbles.

Same. There’s a gorgeous flower shop in my
high street I used to pop into and I was walking past it and this huge wolf looking dog was stood in the entrance staring at me . I’m not sure if the owner or a customers but it was so intimidating I just kept walking. I wasn’t intending to stop by that particular day but would have went in at some point, after that I didn’t go in again and try to walk on the other side when I walk past the store in case the dog is a regular there 😆

Also walked into a brunch place and an unleashed dog wouldn’t leave me alone, I called over a staff member who pulled it off me but it kept coming back lol I assume the idiot owner was sat round the corner on their phone or something. I eventually just left.
Next time I went for brunch in London I called round about 15 places before I found one that wasn’t dog friendly! Most don’t indicate it either way in their website. In my small-ish town unfortunately there’s no choice, everywhere allows dogs.

We need clear signs on every shop and restaurant so everyone knows where is dog free and where is dog friendly. I feel that would be fair for everyone. I feel as if only those who wants dogs around are being catered for currently.

I wouldn’t have left the shop without them replacing it. As a dog lover who prefers them to people hates them being in shops. I’m not sure the dogs particularly enjoy it either!

Why comment on it then

More businesses need to be aware many of us feel like this and are staying away due to dogs. Maybe then they’ll start catering for us too. Right now they just keep focusing exclusively on those who wants dogs around.

I know you think that was a really clever dig at me but I don’t even own a dog 😂😂😂

PS I don’t think you understood what I wrote.

I wouldn't go into shops (or cafes etc) that allow dogs in.

It always amuses me the number of establishments that advertise themselves as "Dog friendly". That's a definite "No thanks" from me and a few Mumsnetters too it would appear.