Since when is it acceptable to bring your dog EVERYWHERE?

[Anonymous]

At the DC Home Depot yesterday saw a couple with a small chihuahua. So it happens here sometimes.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't bother me so long as the dogs are well behaved.

[Anonymous]

I see dogs in the airport all the time: you can't check them into their crates hours and hours ahead of the flight, so people walk with them until it's time. Of course, the peeing was not okay.
I did recently see two large huskies uncrated on the plane itself, which I thought unusual: the couple traveling with them had bought three seats and there was a husky in a seat and one on the floor. I wanted to ask if they were service dogs because personally I would love to fly with my dog in the cabin, but would never check her as baggage. (I feel for the people with allergies, but I have the same problem when I get on a plane where there is a cat in an underseat carrier. I'd love there to be separate pets-allowed and no-pets flights.)

I agree with PP saying that some of these "therapy dogs" are cheats, but the bottom line is there is no standardized badge or harness for a service or therapy dog: all the dogs you see in stores, airports, etc. could very well be therapy dogs. (Poor behavior should be a giveaway, though.) Often store employees are afraid to ask, let alone protest, for fear of getting sued.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see dogs in the airport all the time: you can't check them into their crates hours and hours ahead of the flight, so people walk with them until it's time. Of course, the peeing was not okay.
I did recently see two large huskies uncrated on the plane itself, which I thought unusual: the couple traveling with them had bought three seats and there was a husky in a seat and one on the floor. I wanted to ask if they were service dogs because personally I would love to fly with my dog in the cabin, but would never check her as baggage. (I feel for the people with allergies, but I have the same problem when I get on a plane where there is a cat in an underseat carrier. I'd love there to be separate pets-allowed and no-pets flights.)

I agree with PP saying that some of these "therapy dogs" are cheats, but the bottom line is there is no standardized badge or harness for a service or therapy dog: all the dogs you see in stores, airports, etc. could very well be therapy dogs. (Poor behavior should be a giveaway, though.) Often store employees are afraid to ask, let alone protest, for fear of getting sued.

I've never heard of the flying in the cabin thing. We have a dog and flew him from point A to point B a few years back when we first adopted him (never after that) and they told us 15 pounds was the limit for in the cabin. In a carrier under the seat and he couldn't even poke his head out once we were on the plane. Otherwise he had to go in a crate with the baggage. We followed all of the rules and were glad he's only 14 pounds.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who mentioned the dog at Dulles who peed in the restaurant. I fly all the time but I've never seen anyone get on the people movers or the tram to the terminal or just wandering the shops with a leashed dog. You can't bring your dog on the metro, why would it be okay to walk a dog around a crowded airport like it's the park?

[Anonymous]

I see this in Home Depot all the time. I thought Home Depot had become pet friendly or something. There is always someone with a huge dog in there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a real estate agent and have had people try to bring their dogs into open houses three times in the past year. Bethesda and Chevy Chase.

This is insane!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where were you? I've never seen dogs inside retail stores in this area unless it was a pet store.

OP here--I'm not in the DC area anymore, but should it matter? Especially at Sephora. Yuk. It's not like there is a Petsmart next door to it or anything either.

OP, this is a DC Board. Why in the world would you post about some new phenomenon you've noticed in Missoula or Portland as if we're all supposed to be on the lookout for it in DC?

[Anonymous]

Where were you? I've never seen dogs inside retail stores in this area unless it was a pet store.



I have noticed this in more affluent urban areas of Virginia and DC.

Not in DC. Nice try with the trolling, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Where were you? I've never seen dogs inside retail stores in this area unless it was a pet store.



I have noticed this in more affluent urban areas of Virginia and DC.

Not in DC. Nice try with the trolling, though.

Trolling? Whst does "not in dc" mean anyway? The poster is correct, it's more common in the affluent parts of DC at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Therapy dogs". You can basically buy a certificate that says your dog is a therapy dog-- the qualifications are minimal-- and then use it to bully your dog into all kinds of places. Enough people still don't know the difference between service dogs (highly trained) and therapy dogs (didn't jump on or bite the "tester" for 10 minutes) that you can get away with it.

All kinds of crazies out there saying they need their therapy dog with them to lower their blood pressure or ease their anxiety or some BS. Having extensive experience with actual service dogs, I hate these people.

As a person who has loved ones with extensive experience with both service AND therapy dogs, this is just rude. Most of the entitled asshats in stores are just that, asshats, not people with therapy dogs. The point of therapy dogs is that pets are good for people with chronic illnesses, and the "certification" usually allows those people to get to have pets in rentals that don't allow them because it IS good for their health. Sounds like maybe you need one yourself for your anger issues.

[Anonymous]

Regardless of if they are "therapy dogs" or not, you may not bring an animal into a restaurant or other food establishment unless it is a legal service animal. It is a violation of department of health rules to have pets indoors in venues where food is served. Pets can be in outdoor food venues. Passengers are welcome to bring pets into airports and other such locations, but they should not be allowed to bring those pets into the restaurants. I would report this incident to the Va department of health.

[Anonymous]

I live in AU Park and take my dog to the bank, hardware store, bookstore, Apple Store, soccer games, etc. She's a well behaved Jack Russell and is extremely well behaved. People have not complained because you cannot resist the cute poochie-ness of this dog. No one can. I'm serious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Where were you? I've never seen dogs inside retail stores in this area unless it was a pet store.



I have noticed this in more affluent urban areas of Virginia and DC.

Not in DC. Nice try with the trolling, though.

Trolling? Whst does "not in dc" mean anyway? The poster is correct, it's more common in the affluent parts of DC at least.

Pets are not welcome in the stores for the poors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a real estate agent and have had people try to bring their dogs into open houses three times in the past year. Bethesda and Chevy Chase.

This is insane!

Thank you! You should have seen their faces when I insisted they couldn't bring the dogs inside. I was floored, and I have two dogs now and have had (big) dogs all my life. I understand loving dogs, but I do not get needing to be with them all the frigging time. When I asked all of these people to leave the dogs outside while they checked out the houses, it was like I asked them to leave their kidney outside.