Dogs and shopping

lostinrates

I'm after some opinions.

My smaller dog is an active little guy and would like to come out and about with me more.


I was thinking of starting to take him on the smaller errands runs I do. We've never had to face this issue of leaving our dogs outside shops etc because it would not have been appropriate with the dogs we had, but this guy.....I think he might get more out of more stuff. As country dogs our dogs get ex recode outside of towns and almost always get left at home when we go into them. But perhaps this is a habit that should be adjusted for better stimulation for the little one.

DH is 100 percent against leaving him outside shops, (because he fears him being stolen) and I admit I am a little wary. But I think the chances are he is more irresistible to us rather than anyone else. :rotfl: I would not consider it unless we are agreed its acceptable. I will also of course, be looking at his tolerance and training for being left tied and alone. He sit /stays out of eyeline we have a foundation in place.

What are other people's views/experiences and things to think about in making this decision.

PasturesNew

There must be thief-proof collars out there.... if not, make one? You won't easily be able to change the mind of another over something - and if you're the one that's wrong then it's too late.

http://www.retrievatracking.com/tracking_anti_theft_dog_collar.aspx

Not cheap though.

elsien

Personally I wouldn't leave a dog tied up outside a shop unless I could see him the whole time I was inside and rush out to intervene if necessary.
My issue isn't so much the dog being stolen (although I do have concerns about the dog being stolen as a bait dog rather than because someone wants him as a pet), it's more the being approached by kids/idiots who either feed them inappropriate stuff, wind them up, try and stroke them, or whatever. Although I'm biased due to having had scary looking dogs where parents tend to take things the wrong way when their little darlings poke said dog in ear, pull tail etc and the dog objects by barking or jumping.
I've left gitdog outside the newsagents while I popped in for a paper, but I did have my foot in the door to keep it open so I could see what was happening the whole time. Anything more than that is a no for me.
Although it possibly depends on where you live as well, to a degree.

aileth

I wouldn't leave our dog tied up outside at all. He has a rather 'unique' appearance and to me that just makes it all the more likely that someone would pinch him, combined with the fact he is super duper friendly and would go up to anyone tail wagging.

When we visit my parents, my dad takes him for walks and leaves him outside all the time. It drives me absolutely nuts, but thankfully he's stopped doing it since coming out of the shop one time and a homeless man had taken quite the shine to him......

catkins

I would never leave my dog outside a shop and hate it when I do see dogs left.


It seems that almost every day I read about dogs being stolen - from outside shops, in cars, in gardens. Dogs are not always stolen for a reward or to breed. They can be stolen to be used for fighting.


Why don't you and your DH go into town together and one can go in the shop while the other stays outside.


Me and OH regularly take our dog into our nearest town and have done since he was about 12 weeks old. We like him to meet lots of people and have also taught him to sit quietly while we have coffee sitting inside or out (we often go to a tea room that allows dogs inside)

Kinski

It's not something I would do either, when Arran ( sheltie ) was a pup I had a baby sling for him so I could take him into shops with me, he was in asda, tesco, b&q, loads of small shops that wouldn't normally let a dog in. Not once were we rumbled and it meant I didn't have to leave him home on his own. I have known dogs to disappear from outside shops , there's been at least 3 dogs taken locally, the owners did get the dogs back but it was very stressful for both the dogs and the owners.

Person_one

Sorry, I don't do it either.

Small, pedigree dogs can be worth a lot of money, and although mine are oldies and neutered so worth about 5p I don't trust potential thieves to know that!

I agree with Elsien too, no way would I leAve them at the mercy of random strangers while I can't see them. 99% of people would probably just walk past! but it just takes one idiot to wind then up! or kick them, or let them loose for a laugh.

Mine come out and about with me if I'm running errands in the car sometimes. They live the car and as long as the weather isn't extreme and I'll only be away a few minutes at a time, I think the risks are much lower in a locked car.

lostinrates

catkins wrote: »

Why don't you and your DH go into town together and one can go in the shop while the other stays outside.


)

Because he lives and works over a hundred miles away five days a week when I'd be doing this. I am essentially single five days a week.

Tbc, I would ONLY consider doing this in small towns and the sort of small high street shops where one can see outside. I'm NOT talking about leaving him outside while I go to a supermarket or clothes shopping and trying things on. I'm thinking while I little about local towns once a week maybe waiting outside a green grocers or a butchers (oh, what cruel temptation) or a bakers.


After this post he and I went to a small local town for a potter about in the environment. We went into two shops together because the shop keepers invited me in seeing me looking through the windows, (One was a pet shop, one was a shoe shop).

He really enjoyed it, and also enjoyed fusses from passers by,:).


Its a very dog friendly town and there are a lot of 'dog parking spots'
(Horrid term) and a lot of it is pedestrianised.

I wish we were more dog friendly in uk and well behaved dogs were allowed in more non food shops!


I agree with the point about him being approached or fussed while I was not there. I had thought of a jacket with 'please don't pet me' on it? . Or some such. A bit twee I know....and might well be ignored. But worth more consideration. Thank you, that's a really good thing to think more about, as its something I consider a lot with my dogs when I am with them.

He certainly found this more stimulating than the other walks we've been doing, even with the other dogs, recently and quickly fell asleep in the car on the way back.


In the mean time I think I'm going to explore some of the towns better with him on a lead, window shopping but also just pottling. It would be interesting for him anyway.

lostinrates

Person_one wrote: »

.

Mine come out and about with me if I'm running errands in the car sometimes. They live the car and as long as the weather isn't extreme and I'll only be away a few minutes at a time, I think the risks are much lower in a locked car.

Mine Like the car too. They all do, but while the others settle, he bobs about a bit. I'm happy to take him out in the car too, I'm just thinking about other ways to stimulate him (and get out myself!)

Edit, and no need to apologise. If I were easy with the idea and not aware of concerns I'd be arguing b,ind with DH. I'm in agreement with all the points raised, but wondering if they are counter able with some controlled measures....like restraint over when and where for example.

aileth

How about putting a muzzle on him and maybe a fluorescent jacket saying 'DANGEROUS DOG' on it. Bet that'd put off the people who want to fuss him and probably the thieves!

krlyr

I wouldn't do it for various reasons. Risk of theft (remember dogs aren't just stolen because someone wants them - dog thieves know that YOU love your dog so they are sometimes stolen for ransom), someone harming the dog (heard a horrible case of a dog being snatched and drowned in a nearby river), someone claiming to have been bitten, someone actually being bitten (animals can all be pushed beyond their limits) and so on.