I would like to take my puppy to as many places as possible to socialise him with everything, as well as him being able to acompany me to do jobs so he's not left at home. But so far, the only shops I have found to take him to are Pets at Home and the local butcher. Are there any other shops I can take him into?

Sarah

We took ours all over the place - WH Smiths, Woolworths etc. It was only later we saw the signs saying no dogs.

Nobody challenged us. Act confident and you'll get away with it.

what about the bank or post office?
mel :)

richard took archie to barclays the other day and he (archie not richard!) did a big pee all over the floor! serve them right for all their ridiculous bank charges!

:D
Mabe we should all have doggy protests in the bank ? :D

thats the only thing i worry about in a shop,what with pushing a pram,holding 2 kiddies hands walking 1 dog on leash at the moment,2 on wednesday,i think i need to be an octopus,i doubt i could do anything to stop him peeing if i wanted to :D
mel :)

We took Charlie to Cheshire Oaks (one of those McArthur Glenn Places) last week. While we were there, they did make a tannoy announcement saying that no pets were allowed in the shopping mall. However, as we counted five other dogs in the immediate area, and we were not actually inside any of the shops with him (hubbs waited outside, which actually fulfilled two requirements - 1, Charlie was attended, and 2, hubbs couldn't see how much i was spending ;) )we just ignored them. Saw loads of people who worked there as well, and no-one said anything.

On a similar note, i'm sure that when i was a child there used to be loads of people with dogs in pubs and other places - is it only recently that having a dog makes you a bit of a social leper?

i agree with dogs being excluded from shops selling food, so i'm surprised your butcher doesnt mind! But i wish i could take tilly to many more places, the local booze buster objected to her the other day, all they sell is booze (obviously) and i was just there to add credit to my electricity meter!
Local pet shop positively encourages dogs, he adores them and spoils them with a treat everytime they go in. Pets at Home allow dogs on leads. But i don't know of anywhere else. My local market can't stop you taking them round the outdoor bit, but won't allow them indoors, so maybe try your local outdoor market/carboot sales etc. where your pup will meet lots of people and witness a great deal of bustling and shouting!
I've heard on the continent people can take their dogs everywhere? I remember in belgium i saw lots of little enclosed sand pits on the streetsintended for dogs to use as toilets - a fab idea i think.
Lynz

Do many pubs allow dogs? We're not nightclub people and we only like quiet nights out to socialise. It would be good if we could take along our dog just so he could be with us and our friends (who he knows).

The only places we've taken him into are our friend's shop, he sells books, and pet shops (he always gets treats). We're a bit unsure about the embarassment of being asked to leave elsewhere, but it would be a bonus if he were allowed, for example, in the post office. Because he's quite unusual we can't tie him up outside for a minute for fear of theft - we once tied him outside a newsagent in our town for a minute to pop in and pick up and snack and a drink, when we came back outside someone was fiddling with his collar! Horrible world we live in.

If it were up to me I'd let dogs in all shops (except food stores) and only ask the owner to leave if they misbehaved...

Our first experience of taking Dylan to a pub a few weekends back was mixed. The weather was lovely, so we went to a pub where we could sit outside. Okay so far. Then we decided to order a bit of lunch. Dad went inside to order at the bar. Result: 'you can't eat outside and the dog is not allowed inside'. I didn't want to leave him in the car as A he would have been cooked alive and B he already hates the car and that's with me with him. In the end, I had to tie him just outside the fire escape and we sat just inside. Dylan wasn't too happy as he hates being without me (we're working on it).

Sarah

Of course what it boils down to is the attitude of the landlord. Most pubs I know seem to have more dogs than people at certain times of the evening ("I'll just take the dog for a walk before tea, dear!").

The law only prohibits dogs in 'food preparation areas' - ie kitchens - there is no law that bans dogs from restaurants or food shops!
:)

Hi,
If there are two of you out with your dog, the most simple thing to do is one go in ahead and ask. I'm sure shopkeepers appreciate the courtesy :)
We have Chihuahuas so it's easy enough to carry them while in shops, I appreciate not all dog owners can do this :)
Even shops that say "No Dogs" will often let you in if you have a tiny.
I would never ask if I could take them into a food shop.

Same with pubs, just ring ahead or walk in ask at the bar. Well behaved dogs are welcome in may public houses though you may be restricted as to where you can take them. Obviously not the restaurant!

I believe that some restaurants in on the continent allow dog's in, and the village we used to live in the landlord has a Basset hound that always wandered round the bar in opening hours,but there again he was a local celeb and wandered round the village and treated it as his own.If they allow them on the continent, as part of the EEC could be same thing happen here.

I get very mad about the 'no dogs anywhere ever' rules all over the place!

My local town centre has been going through an upgrade in the last 6 or 7 years. Before this, you could walk a dog around the entire town centre, not a problem. Admittedly most shops still didnt let the dog inside, but it was better than it is now.

Since the 'upgrade' designed to attract more ppl to shop here, more than 50% of the centre is now a covered mall, with no dogs signs all over it.
Stupidly, the pet shop is INSIDE the mall, so you cannot take your dog in, so if you are buying a collar, or something you cant even try it on!

I think this will backfire eventually though, as teh rents on teh shops are now so high most of the shops that have been there for the last 23 years are leaving, and the vast majority of the ppl that live here, cant actually afford to shop here at all. Even if the shops did sell useful stuff, which they dont!

I cant really see any good reason why dogs are banned from shops, apart from those that sell fresh food, ie green grocers!

What germs and dirt is a dog bringing in on its feet and coat that a human isnt?

The thing that REALLY gets on my wick, is when shop owners (mostly the managers of big chain shops) say 'the law says you cant bring a dog in here, because of health and hygiene regulations' which is in fact rubbish!

Mmmm, rant over!

Em (who takes her dogs into the paper shop, the off licence, the video shop, the launderettes adn the pet shop, because they are NOT chain stores, and have nice reasonable sensible owners!)

Most restaurants on the continent (France certainly) allow dogs in - as do the supermarkets and hypermarkets. Seems odd till you get used to it!
:)

To be honest I've never understood why well behaved dogs aren't allowed in restaurants and cafes in Britain. I wouldn't imagine that any of us ban them from sitting in our kitchens or dining rooms when we're eating at home.
Given the choice of sitting at a table next to someone with a dog or someone with a couple of noisy kids - I know which I'd prefer !

I can guarantee you that my dog (and probably your dog/s) is cleaner and better behaved than most children :D :D

Most dogs are better behaved than my youngest child who has more energy than any human has a right to :(.
Anyone know any good training classes for unruly children???? :D :D

Seriously tho, I can't see why a well behaved clean dog should be treated any differently to a child, and if dogs are banned from establishments what about some people??? I have been unfortunate enough to be shopping at a supermarket when a whole family came in, they were filthy and they stank!!!! I'm sorry there is no other word for it :( They cleared the shop in ten minutes yet no one told them to leave.

Perhaps if the dog has a bank account it makes a difference???? :D :D

Not having a go at smokers but when you are in a restaruant and they have finished a meal and haveing a gigarette.and you are just starting your meal, and you are sat at the next table, I known I would rather have a dog sat next to me than that.

I know I may have put this badly but I hope you know what I mean

I think the problem is the definition of a well behaved dog !

If you look at children in restaurants then some peoples view on a well behaved child is different perhaps to mine ! I cannot stand seeing children running round in a riot in a restuarant, it really gets my back up !

I used to take my girls in our local pub and they were allowed to go in as everybody knows that they are well behaved and will not make pests of themselves apart from sitting looking longily into peoples eyes when a packet of crisps was being consumed !! Gosh haven't been in a pub for nearly seven months :0 The landlords have gone since we haven't been in due to the drop in profits ! :D

Lucy

One of the problems letting dogs in is that some owners let their dogs pee anywhere. We were in Pet City a while ago and a child was letting her dog pee up against a display. The parents just grabbed the child and dog and went into the next aisle and pretended that it wasn't them. I know that at some indoor shows etc, some people let their dogs pee anywhere. If I owned a shop or restaurant I'd be pretty unhappy if that happened. Unfortunately, it is the few that spoil it for the majority :(

Daisy

I used to take our old grey Buffy to the Jolly's pet store - dogs are allowed in them, and she got to meet other furry friends (and she got to taste test the food in the buckets, not really supposed to, but the manager liked her a lot!).
That was really handy as we got to try collars and things on her, instead of buying them then working out they didn't fit. And she got socialised with lots of people and other dogs, something she wasn't too hot with when we adopted her. :)
Lisa
xxxx