I do have to say that dogs can totally do fine in cold weather with limitations/accommodations. Those of us in colder climates still walk our dogs 2-3 times daily (if the temperature gets in the teens or below they may be “just do your business” walks) Our dog has a supply of coats from a raincoat to sweaters to fleece/down coat for the weather. Again, our job as pet owners to plan ahead with the right equipment!
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And Musher’s Secret to protect paws from salty sidewalks and cold.
My little guy adores the snow! Much prefers cold weather to hot.
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Yes, our dogs do just fine in Maine winters. We do bring them in frequently when it’s below zero, but that’s about it.
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I don’t love dogs, I’m sorry to say. I’ve been bitten by a dog. Many people are horribly allergic to them.
People began taking their dogs everywhere in Covid and it’s worse than ever before. My friend went to the opening of a new store the other day and had her German shepherd and her lab with her, in the store. These are NOT service dogs. I don’t understand it and it makes me irate. Leave the dogs at home, please.
Why should people be subjected to a barking or yapping dog that pees on the floor of the supermarket? If you’re walking a trail and there’s a dog on a leash, no problem. Genuine service dog, no problem. I am very fed up with it. I don’t bring my cats into the store, with or without a leash.
Don’t get me started on dog poop bags and irresponsible owners.
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Dogs aren’t allowed on the boardwalks in NJ during most hours. I live in a walking town with plenty of sidewalks and homes close together. In spite of having signs in my garbage cans, folks use them for their poop bags (it’s an issue here). We still have garbage men, not automated trucks, stuff at the bottom usually remains in the can. My neighbor put signs up too, so people started leaving their poop bags in front of her cans. I have a dog, I always bring her poop bags home.
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^^^ This x1000
There is an elderly woman in our neighborhood that always tells me I can put my poop bags in her trash. She absolutely loves dogs. I keep telling her it’s a me thing, not a her thing. I feel my responsibility as a dog owner is to pick up after my dog and dispose of it at my own house.
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People use our bin all the time to throw out poop bags. I’m OK with it as I have my own in there anyway. I’d much rather that than people not pick up after their dog.
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No! All pets need to stay home imo. My dog roams our yard , goes on lots of long walks and plays fetch once a day on a grassy field where dogs are allowed.
Twice now I’ve seen people out with their cats and I sat next to someone on an airplane with a cat in a carrier but she took the cat out- I’m allergic so no thanks!
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Our trash removal co will NOT pick up trash if it is not completely bagged and tied up in one bag in the can. Period. If someone puts their doggie doo bag on top of our garbage neatly tied in a large bag and the garbage man notices, our trash does not get picked up. Happened a couple of times. Makes me very angry.
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D1 and SIL had their two dogs in their wedding last May. They are very responsible dog owners and spend countless hours training their pups so they great pets. They don’t take their dogs everywhere and obey the rules, but so many people here in San Diego don’t. Their husky was attacked by an off leash dog when he was little and that owner’s only response was he hasn’t done that before. We were just at a brewery last Saturday with the pups and they just laid happily under our table getting pets from everyone. I love dogs, but I have gone to the store manager of my grocery store several times when dogs have been in carts or taken a dump in a food aisle!
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My D has been bitten twice by dogs and pinned by a 3 rd dog. She still loves dogs. I’m more wary of dogs but am OK around well-behaved ones. I do wish people kept them home most of the time and took them for leashed walks when they’re not at home. It’s more considerate for the rest of society. I especially don’t want them at places where there is food and a high density of people and activity.
Genuine service animals are fine. It’s a crime that people abuse the designation and brag about it. Real service dogs are VERY well behaved and never a problem—the emotional support ones are definitely NOT trained and can be a problem.
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I love cats and have 3, two of which had traveled by plane to relocate. That said, we paid for their travel and made sure they stayed in their carriers all the way. Of course procedures vary by airline and can change, but when I was booking travel for our cats, the airline had a policy that if a person with a severe allergy had already booked travel, the cats couldn’t be booked on the same plane. If the order was switched, the person with allergies would have been given a notice and a choice of an alternative flight. But that was ages ago!
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I now carry a hiking stick with me when we walk our leashed dog. She got bitten by an off leash dog at a gathering of campers and H proceeded to fall after kicking the dog to get off ours. The owner was not concerned at all.
The telescoping stick is convenient and very effective. All I have to do is open it and wave it on the ground back and forth when the other dog is approaching. They really do not like the stick. I yell ‘no’ or ‘go home’. I gave up on ‘call your dog’ as it is met with ‘he’s friendly’ or one time ‘love your neighbor’!
I carry bear spray. I’ve had too many scary encounters with dogs.
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Only if it’s a poopless dog. Otherwise, there are some limitations 
We live in southern France, and in France dogs really do go almost everywhere, except the supermarket and hospitals. They go to restaurants and ride on trains, they are in the pharmacy and the post office, and they don’t cause any problem at all. I think it’s really down to people training their dogs well and also knowing their dogs well, but we enjoy it as does our dog.
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I love the south of France but please correct me if I’m wrong, most of the dogs I recall were little. I don’t remember ever seeing someone’s pitbull at the cafe or anyone walking on the beach with a german shepherd.
I’d get a bigger stick to hit the owner with…
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We met a guy on our local trail who said he was so fed up with aggressive, unleashed dogs attacking his leashed tiny dog he started carrying a bat. Then someone told him that his bat looked overly aggressive and suggested a cane. So he carries a cane now… he said he plays “dog crap golf” with it - meaning using the cane to flick dog doo left on the trail by irresponsible owners into the ditch below.
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So, what I’ve seen just this week alone, here in the Bay area of CA, was a dog sitting in the grocery cart! at Trader Joe’s; two dogs on leashes in Costco; 1 dog in Carter’s kid store; 1 dog inside the bank; 2 dogs in Nordstrom’s; 1 at the Post office. Of course, all seemed to have a “service” vest…BS.
They are everywhere–except our Farmers Market, where they are very strict–thank God. I complained a few months ago when dining out and a french bulldog was sitting ON the booth behind me. I haven’t flown without at least one dog on plane in ages. My biggest eye roll was when we were in Palm Springs and saw one in church. Really?
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