AIBU to question non-assistance dogs being allowed in Primark?

[FlimsyMimsy]

Coleen Rooney apparently has a new range in Primark. I saw the start of a video by someone who fancies herself as an influencer checking it out with her Cavapoo. Since when are dogs allowed in Primark that aren't assistance dogs? Is it crazy to think dogs are now ubiquitous?

Thats why i shop online.

John Lewis Chichester - 2 big dogs in the soft furnishing department sniffing and possibly drooling on the cushions .
I love John Lewis but I turned around and went elsewhere.

Assistance dogs are less than 1% of the UK dog population so the chances of those of us who are allergic having to share a space with an assistance dog are very slim. If any old dogs are allowed, the chances are high!

From experience the response you get is “it’s due to customer demand that we allow dogs” or words to that effect.

“if people have limited time, and are out with their family walking the dog/nipping for a meal and want to pop into the shop, there's no way round it”

And yet, somehow people managed it before the current cult of dog began, in the time before dogs were allowed pretty much anywhere. Miraculous.

I grew up in the country near a market town. An awful lot of people had dogs. When they went shopping or for a meal they left the dog/s at home or in the car/Land Rover, or tied them up outside.

They didn't take them inside.

I no longer see my stepdad as he can't leave his lurcher/great Dane at home

Exactly, but apparently “there’s no way round it”.

We used to leave our dog outside shops in the 1970s/1980s as they were safe then but there is no way on earth I would do that now and risk them being stolen these days

Why are dogs more likely to be stolen nowadays than they were in the 70s and 80s?

Me and DH take our dog to coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, garden centres and some shops like DIY shops but never clothes shops. Mind you he would never ever pee or poo in any of those places and he does not slobber (some posters seem to think all dogs do).

He walks on lead by our side and is quiet and well behaved. In eating places he lies quietly under the table.

He honestly loves being out and loves that so many people make a fuss of him and tell him how gorgeous he is.

Yes some dogs misbehave but that is because the owners let them. Bit like children. I am sick of going into shops and seeing children running around screaming, playing hide and seek among clothes rails, pulling items off shelves, touching everything.

In eating places they are also often running around getting in the way of staff and customers. It's an accident waiting to happen with hot drinks and food,

We went to a local coffee shop at the weekend. We sat and ate our food with our dog laying down so quietly most people had not realised he was there. On another table was a couple with 2 young children. They are very very noisy and when they left their table and the floor around it was absolutely covered in bits of food, screwed up serviettes. They left their plates, cups, glass, cutlery etc all completely scattered across the table. Quite a lot of the customers commented on the family and the mess they left behind. Two of the staff said they would far rather people like us with a well behaved dog than the awful family

Same reason that people are more likely to be stabbed or shot I guess. People are scum these days

Goodness knows why anyone needs to take their pet on a shopping trip.

Big dogs especially, lick, drool and slobber over stuff. I wouldn’t want them doing that in my shop!

There aren’t many assistance dogs and they are very well trained. It’s also a fair trade off in terms of needs - the needs of a blind person to have a dog in a shop is greater than my need to avoid an allergen.

i don’t think that’s true of “emotional support” animals or people taking their pets round the shops.

I have 2 dogs and I love shopping, however I don't mix the two! I would be all kinds of anxious the whole time. Not fun for me, other customers, or the dogs!

Not all dogs big or small drool and/or slobber. In fact the majority of dogs don't do either.

I love dogs and have had dogs for almost 50 years but I would not want one that slobbered or drooled.

As I said, I would not take my dog into a clothes shop.

Right. I bet your dogs don’t urinate, defecate, bark or smell either. They’re just sweet little blessings on God’s green earth.

👏🏼

Exactly!

I love dogs. I have dogs! I've no issue with dogs being allowed in places like cafes, pubs, restaurants etc as often dog walkers make up a big part of their income (especially in places popular with walkers or holiday locations).

I'm all for them being allowed into the services at motorways because otherwise you can't stop for a pee.

But there's absolutely no need for anyone to take their dog in Primark.

I had this problem a while back- it was August bank holiday, services were packed, I was driving alone with my dog and it was over 30c. If I left him in the car who knows how long I would have been because of the queue and it would have been cruel/ dangerous. No shade either! Luckily he is small enough to pick up, so I just carried him in to the toilet stall so I could go!

Nobody said anything but I didn’t know what else to do!

In the 1970s, dogs were allowed into all shops other than food shops. I looked after my mother-in-law's dog for 6 months in 1974 and took her everywhere with me. Nobody objected.

My what a clever post! Dogs are different believe it or not, you know like people and children are. Some children are lovely, lots are not

Yes my dog urinates and defecates but not in a shop, cafe, restaurant etc. He rarely barks and only does so for a reason i.e. someone at the front door.

He doesn't drool or slobber (most dogs don't) and no, he does not smell. Again, NOT all dogs smell although all the dog haters insist they do. Different breeds have different types of hair/fur and some do not smell. Most of my friends have dogs and some of their houses do smell and some don't. Also my MIL loved telling us when we had cats that our house smelt of them but she actually said she could not smell our dog. Believe me if the dog did smell she would have said so

Grrr I knew someone would read it like that but I was attempting to be concise and obviously failing since I’ve written another long sentence 🤣. I have also mentioned before about the dog who sits on the upholstered seat in the pub lapping water from a half pint glass. Sometimes I feel like I’ve stepped out into a parallel universe.

What expensive restaurants as it would be helpful to know so as to avoid as I'm allergic to dogs.

Marks don't allow dogs and I did see a dog owner get asked to remove it's dog in a food only store. I don't really shop at John Lewis anymore because of this change in policy.