Your views on leaving dogs tied up outside shops

[Sunflower49]

Apologies if there's another recent thread on this, I couldn't find one.

I never nip into shops and leave the dog outside them tied up. I've had friends/family say I'm silly for this.

My reasonings are;
-She's a pedigree and I'm scared of her being stolen, DP and I would be both absolutely gutted!
-She's a lovely natured dog but, she's still a dog and if somebody hurt her or scared her, she might give a warning 'snap' that would be misconstrued.She's usually fine with strangers, but a friend of mine once tried to pick her up about 5 mins after meeting her and she growled at her (I did scold said friend and say that was a dumb thing to do with a large dog ,or any dog,anyway)!
-If other dogs approach her and attack her that could result in a fight.

DM thinks I'm neurotic and paranoid. Friends have said the dog stealing thing is daft as it rarely happens. I don't know, to be honest how common it is.
I would prefer it if I could leave her outside shops to be honest-it would mean I could walk more often than drive, incorporate walking her into daily errands, not have to leave her at home when I nip out places...
What are your thoughts on it , generally?

My dog is almost 2 years and I have never left him tied up outside....basically for all the reasons you list in your op! Would make life easier if I did sometimes I suppose though but I'm too scared!

Blistory that is cute :)
I have just remembered a story my Mum told me about when my Sister was little, (over 45 years ago) she had left their (very friendly but very daft!) red setter tied to her pushchair outside a shop, and the dog spotted a cat and sped off, taking the pushchair with him, which folder up with my Sister inside it!

I wouldn't leave mine because ddog1 looks very cute but wouldn't want to be approached by strangers, so it would be a very stressful situation for her. Ddog2 would throw herself on her back and expect a tummy rub.

I see it quite often though, and assume that the dogs are generally friendly and therefore can be left.

However - to the person who left their Rottweiler tied up to the post where the shopping trolleys are kept: no. Just, no.
Even if he is the sweetest, soppiest thing ever.

OldBagWantsNewBag where I come from it is quite customary to leave babies outside if they are asleep. I suppose many have so many the idea of stealing one more is not so popular....

I suppose if I lived in a quiet little country village I wouldleave a dog outside a shop, the worst thing he could do is to lick someone but sadly, the reality of a London suburb is quite different....

No. Dogs have been stolen from outside our shops in Greater London and I wouldn't trust my two not to chew through their lead and come in looking for me!

Not a chance, I won't leave him in the garden either whilst we aren't there.

He is a Border terrier and when he was a pup I used to get stopped at least once a week by blokes driving battered transit vans asking to buy him off me It made me pretty wary. A border was also stolen from.my street when we'd only has ours a few weeks. In fact, I have only joined a page to share this week of 4 borders stolen this week (one in pup ) in yorkshire.

If they will break into someones property they will think nothing of stopping and taking a tied up dog.

Just read that back and just wanted to point out I don't think BT's are the only dogs that get pinched! It is just what I see lots if info about due to FB pages etc I use.

Apparently working dogs, in particular spaniels are among the most reported stolen along with pricier breeds like pugs and chi's.

Last november I was walking into tescos and noticed a lurcher toed up by the door. I went to get a trolley and said hello to the dog as I walked past. A young man walked by and stood by the trolleys as I sorted out my bags etc. He then untied the dog and walked off.

Seconds later and man came running out the shop shouting 'he's taken my dog!' The younger man was half way up the car park and dropped the lead and ran. Lurcher happily trotted back to her owner. The lurcher owner was beside himself and picked up his dog and kept apologising to her, over and over.

I don't know if the young man was ever caught.

I used to leave my childhood dog tied up outside my village shop but would never do it with mine now.

I would never, ever do it. I knew someone who left her daughter's puppy tied up outside the local corner shop 'for two minutes' and came out to find the dog gone. She was returned after a reward was offered; owner then left her tied up outside the same shop for a second time () and never saw her again. Her little daughter was devastated.

I've also seen a dog left tied up outside a shop on a busy road by an unlocked flexi-lead, and had to leap out of our car to reel her in from the road before she was hit.

It's just not worth it. So much could go wrong. Apart from theft, the dog could be attacked by another dog (or by people), could be frightened and snap at an over-friendly child, could panic and slip its collar and end up in the road. If you're not there, you can't see what's happened and you can't defend your dog if it's accused of doing harm.

When I first got my dog I did tie him up a few times outside our village shop - only about 5 times and never for more than 5 mins.

Today I took the dog for a walk in the opposite direction from our usual walk. The only times he's been that way are the times I took him to the shop.

As we got closer to the shop he was acting odd, skulking along the ground, tried to hide under a bush. I realised he was worried I was going to tie him up again. He was acting the same as when he thinks he's going in the car as he hates the car.

I felt really bad that he's been that traumatised by it he'd remembered from ages ago. As soon as we'd got past the shop he was fine.

As we got closer to the shop he was acting odd, skulking along the ground, tried to hide under a bush

I know, I feel awful. Never realised that he'd been bothered at all. Because of course he was always pleased to see me when I came out the shop!

He is quite a clingy, unconfident dog.

A friend of mine tied his puppy up outside the newsagents and he was attacked by a passing dog. Four years on and pup has serious fear aggression towards all other dogs due to this experience. Add to that risk of theft, and it's just not worth it.

Yes, Viva it would have been hard to tell before.