Should dogs be allowed everywhere?

@abasket - that put a smile on my face!

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Nope.

(And I love dogs.)

I have two Corgis. I live in a rural area and walk them at least once a day, always on a leash. They have been attacked by neighbor dogs that were off leash. Fortunately, nothing serious. I have not called the police but have warned the owners that I will if there is a repeat, and they have since kept their dogs on leashes.

When we go away for a day or two, we have a neighbor who will take care of them and walk them. But for longer trips, the dogs come along. I don’t believe that it is fair to leave them home for those trips. On these trips, the dogs are always on leash (either a 6 foot or a 2 foot, depending), even in the car. We stay in dog friendly hotels. My wife and I will take turns going into places like grocery stores, visitor centers, gift shops, etc. where it is not appropriate to have dogs (whether it is allowed or not). We eat at restaurants that have outdoor seating areas and dogs are allowed (we ask if it isn’t posted, it usually is not posted). It constrains what we can do, but we view it the cost of owning dogs.

I love my dogs and consider them part of the family. You do have to be considerate of others, however.

It is amazing how many people will come up to us and want to pet the dogs when we are out. They love the attention. The people will usually ask permission, and I will always say “OK” unless they have food. The dogs can be aggressive around food sometimes, and so that’s a no go.

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Lovely! I can’t find a VRBO that allows cats, many allow dogs, but no allowances for cats.

The leafpile-jumping dogs story was on the national nightly news last week. Cute.
Personally I don’t see the reason to bring a dog into a big box hardware store. Unless there is something that has to be specifically measured for the dog in the store, it doesn’t need to come in. I have seen dogs relieve themselves on the cement floor and someone slip before it could be cleaned up. I love dogs, but unless the dog is planning to build something and needs tools/supplies in the store let the owner buy them :wink:

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That’s the same dog in the compilation I posted!

Yes it came from the news - but since so many of us admit not watching any televised news (see other thread) I thought worth posting!
:smiley:

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Stella rocks. Whenever I need a pick-me-up I go to Stella’s YouTube channel.

I bring Maggie to Home Depot to get her out of the house and work on her training around distractions. Others have told me they bring their dogs there to acclimate them to crowds and help with their socialization. Maybe I have been fortunate, but I have never seen a dog relieve itself at HD. Sadly, Maggie does not have opposable thumbs so she cannot help with household projects, though she does provide moral support.

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Maybe Maggie can wear these to help dust the floors

https://www.chewy.com/b/socks-boots-8390?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=187982379&utm_content=10442378979&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAuou6BhDhARIsAIfgrn5iGuU-OctMObqRlYm_1OtDPdBeKLpfyN7_qceJYaquI4zQfQGUmTcaAjpWEALw_wcB

We have a number of friends who have dogs that go to hospitals and nursing homes (I guess I think of them more of the same levels as “service” dogs). Yes, those types of dogs go through a lot of training. And are often identified by something they are wearing.

People who get their vet to sign off on off on their pet being a therapy pet do these types of dogs a disservice

I guess I was thinking of those people whose pet brings them comfort on a plane or in social situations , etc. but they are not trained through channels like you mentioned. So I guess I mean people who decide their pets are therapy pets vs trained/certified/ working/service ones.

Thanks for reminding me of these amazing animals!

Getting me some lumber…

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Appropriate mat in the cart

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I think what you are describing are emotional support dogs, not therapy dogs. A healthcare provider is usually the one to write a document stating the animal is an emotional support animal, and why. In all my years of practice I never had a patient ask for a letter. But I had a friend who asked me to write a letter for her and her dog :roll_eyes:

My kids have brought their lab, Millie, to HD/Lowes many times. Never had a problem with her peeing in the aisles. People are always happy to see her, and she loves getting pets.

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Who doesn’t love a Lab (or a Golden)? They are pet magnets.

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People with allergies. Both breeds shed which can be a problem, especially for people with allergy induced asthma.

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And there are people, especially kids, who are very afraid of dogs. Guess we should bring the dogs to the store and leave the kids home :woman_shrugging:

And this…. Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

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Which is why the standard poodle is the perfect dog.

Toby has met quite a few kids who were afraid of dogs and more often than not he helps them with their phobia. He’s smart, gentle, and patient.