Was asked to leave a shop today because of 'hygiene'

[ShakeWellBeforeOpening]

Took my dog for a walk this morning and went via the local town as had to get a few things. Went into one shop with dog - big welcome and fuss made of .

Went into local small branch of well know chemist (no no dogs sign and nowhere to tie her up outside) wandering up aisle to get one thing when shop assistant told me that I could not have dog in there , I asked why and she said 'hygiene' .

I wish shop owners / retailers would get their facts right about dogs in shops - funny how my dog is allowed in pubs and some cafes round here.

I know it is at their discretion but spouting 'Hygiene' reasons is really annoying when with well behaved and trained dog.

[yesbutnobut]

It depends where you live - if you go to Hampstead you'll find lots of admittedly small breed dogs in Boots, Waterstones, Whistles, Jigsaw, French clothes shops like Sandro, mobile phone shops, Space NK etc etc. Not in food shops though.

[pigsDOfly]

Quite a few of the shops where I live allow dogs in. A while ago I was passing a local pharmacy and a member of the staff who was standing outside having a cigarette invited my pooch in to have a treat. Apparently they keep a supply for all their regular doggy customers. I must admit I was rather taken aback. It felt quite strange walking my very damp dog across their nice clean shinny floor. Didn't see any horses, so they do have some limits it seems, or maybe it just wasn't a horse day.

[happygardening]

Where we live we too can take dogs into a variety of shops including cafes (one even has a dog menu), pubs, our small department store, stationers, iron mongers, gift shop, card shop, clothes shop, the bank and even the butchers!! We have 4 charity shops 3 welcome dog one doesn't. But we cant take a dog into Smiths who loose out to the stationers the pharmacist and the small Co op. I personally don't mind but do tend to only patronise those that have tie rings outside so we have two bakers both equally good but only one has a tie ring so I buy my bread there. The Coop have four tie rings and a couple of bowls of water. I never buy a coffee from the cafe that makes me sit outside with my pooch. Nearly everyone has at least one dog in our small rural town and I'm surprised how short sighted some shop owners are!

[Greensleeves]

that sounds like a real pain in the arse harry

pharmacies often are frequented by people who are ill or under the weather as well, picking up prescriptions or buying remedies etc. Not a good place for a dog to be in that respect either.

[harryhausen]

My ds has such a severe allergy to cats and dogs he's been hospitalised a few times. We try and avoid anywhere we can that's 'doggy' but am aware we are often in the vicinity of a dog. We just steer well clear and make sure the antihistamines are up to date.

In the place where we go to discuss/pick up his medication (a chemist!) I really wouldn't appreciate to come across a dog there, no matter how well behaved they are.

I love dogs. Therein lies our family tragedy.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Dogs

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Probably cos if u let one in you would have to let all in. And whereas I agree that a well trained clean house trained dog would pose less of a hygiene risk than the state of the people I have to serve. I think a mangy flea ridden , muddy, dusty mutt would put me off ( yes I know it's not digs fault! All dogs should be properly looked after :( ) point is no shop keeper could let one in and then turn the other away given that those who don't look after the dog properly fail to see what the problem eith th state of their dog is.

As it stands I'm obviously unlucky cos I see dirtier people than I do digs :o

[Greensleeves]

I see your point panda, but lots of people do think the hygiene thing is a good enough reason.

My point is that OP isn't entitled to an explanation. Her dog doesn't have a right or a reason to be in a pharmacy. She hasn't helped herself by arguing about toddlers and guide dogs either.

[PandaWatch]

They could exclude all the gross people!

The OP questioned why her dog wasn't allowed in the shop on the basis of hygiene. My point was I fail to see what added hygiene risk there is to allowing a housetrained dog in a shop over and above that posed by all the gross people.

There are other very good reasons for not having dogs in shops (even just "we don't like having dogs in our shop because it makes people uncomfortable"). Hygiene is a rubbish one IMO.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

In all honesty though I have wished many a time u could use the hygiene excuse on people :o

I used to work in a pub and frequently had regulars who were always in need of a bath and they were allowed in. However dogs weren't. I did make an exception once though the dog was absolutely gleaming shed clearly just been bathed and groomed and was probably the best behaved customer I'd ever had :o and the quietest

[Greensleeves]

Nobody is disputing that people can also be gross

but you wouldn't get far excluding people from a shop, would you? There is no reason for a dog to be in a shop unless it is an assistance dog.

[PandaWatch]

I was in a bakery the other day where there was a woman with an assistance dog. There was also a man picking up bagels, squeezing them (presumably to test their freshness) then putting back the ones that weren't to his liking.

Only one of these two people made me leave without buying anything.

[PandaWatch]

I think it depends what you're used to as well as some areas are general more dog friendly than others. I've been to some more rural areas where nearly everyone seems to have a dog where they seem to be welcome anywhere.

[Greensleeves]

I think we should have a prize for "most passive-aggressive OP of the year"

[Wowserz129]

It's pretty much an unspoken rules no dogs in shops unless its a guide dog. I don't want someone else's dog boring around food I am about to buy. Bolk

[ShakeWellBeforeOpening]

That's my point Panda is that 'Hygiene' is a poor excuse .

However I have seem from the power of MN and much clutching at pearls - to steal your phrase - that taking a dog into a shop is a no no.

[PandaWatch]

I can't really understand all the pearl clutching about the OP thinking "hygiene" is not a good reason to not let dogs into shops. I have frequently been in shops where people have coughed without covering their mouths or sneezed without using a tissue. Most people wear outdoor shoes in shops. A horrendous amount of people don't wash their hands after going to the toilet and touch products in shops that they don't take, leaving their germs behind for someone else to pick up. People who put their handbags on the ground/seats of public transport frequently put them on tables in restaurants/cafes. Food is often prepared in restaurants/cafes by people not wearing gloves who will touch their mouths, rub their eyes, touch their hair etc whilst doing so (all massive cross infection risks). The only thing that most housetrained dogs will come into contact with in a shop is the floor (which has already been walked over by lots of dirty, germy shoes). So where's the added hygiene risk?

However, I would not expect to be able to bring my dog into a shop because that's just not the done thing. And I think it would be highly impractical to have loads of people wondering up and down shop aisles with their dogs in tow!

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

To be honest, if I walked into a shop wearing my dog walking clothes I am probably as liable to leave behind dog hairs as the actual dog itself!

[Blistory]

It's just a matter of asking though isn't it ? If the shop don't mind then fair enough and if they do, then also fair enough.

Doesn't really merit an argument IMO

[NorbertDentressangle]

"If no dogs is the default, why do shops feel the need to put "no dogs" signs up?" .....maybe because they found that there was an element of entitled dog owners who thought it would be OK for their dog to go everywhere with them, regardless of what shop owners and other customers want or expect.

[McKayz]

No actually they aren't. My children have never been sick in a shop. My dog however would leave fur everywhere if I took him into a shop. So I don't.

[Greensleeves]

It's a question of priorities though isn't it? Yes guide dogs present a hygiene issue but this is outweighed by the need of the disabled person to be able to access the shop

Your dog has no social value to anyone other than you. You don't have a good reason for taking your dog into a shop.

[ShakeWellBeforeOpening]

No they just are sick everywhere.

[McKayz]

Toddlers tend not to leave fur that can make other people sick everywhere they go.

[ShakeWellBeforeOpening]

I do understand the difference but they still lick their own arse - I was respondng to

It is vile to allow a creature that malts, sniffs other animals shit and licks it's own arse to be anywhere near new clothes that people are presuming they will buy clean and shit-free.

Assistance dogs still do this don't they ? Or have they trained them to use wet wipes for arse cleaning