Where do you take your dog?

[klmama]

Pet stores usually allow dogs.  Some Home Depots do.  Dog parks.  Walking on sidewalks.  What else do you do with your dog?

[Arctic Bunny]

The vet, the camper, to my mom's when we lived out of town (actually, once since we moved TO town), farmer's market, the lake. When we had friends with dogs, the dogs would get together at the same time as the humans.

[Liz CA]

We take her on vacations with us and pretty much everywhere we are going to and will be staying overnight.

This is not entirely by choice even though she is a good traveler. She came from a rescue organization and gets a little panicky when she is left alone for too long. She has our work schedules down pretty good (every one knows that dogs have secret clocks and their own calendars) but should something unforeseen happen and we are BOTH late coming home, she gets very anxious which typically means she is chewing on something...

[dsmith]

Our dog loves to go for a ride in the car. He loves it even more if we go to a drive-thru that gives out dog biscuits.  :rolleyes: There are a few shopping centers that I know of that encourage people to bring their dogs. We stopped at one while traveling, and it felt strange to have him in a clothing store with me. I was afraid he would pee on one of the clothing racks so I didn't stay long.

[Frances]

Lots of walks and ball playing at numerous parks, hiking, outdoor restaurants, car rides for errands and outings when it is cool enough, camping trips, swimming in rivers, lakes, and the ocean, mountain trips to play in the snow. Except for camping, we don't take her on vacation. We have a friend with two rescues who has two country properties who takes her when we travel. It's like summer camp for dogs, and we know she has a great time. She gets to go hiking, camping, swimming, and boating.

[Carrie12345]

I would love to take my dog more places, but I'm in an area that requires combining errands, and dogs aren't permitted in all those locations.  I'm not driving 30 minutes to Tractor Supply and 30 minutes back without getting anything else done.  He's been to a few of the kids' baseball and softball games, but not all fields allow dogs, and I don't always remember which ones do.

 

Knoebels is a great amusement park that allows dogs, so we always bring him there.  He used to spend almost the whole time in his carrier (not scared, but a little overwhelmed.) A few weeks ago, he wanted out pretty much the whole time, checking out all the sights and sounds.  The only downside is that everyone wants us to stop so they can say hello to him because he's so stinking ugly-cute!

 

He does come on all overnight or longer trips with us, even though that limits what we can do. I'm always worried about his safety.  He's so tiny and helpless.  I haven't worked up the courage to board him.

[Laura Corin]

In addition to the previous mentions, I also take my dog to the pub.  Our local pub (a couple of miles walk across fields) allows dogs in the bar where you can also eat, but not in the more formal restaurant.

 

I do sometimes take her around town - I just tie her up outside shops.  Most often I'm running errands on the way home from work though.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Laura Corin

[Pink and Green Mom]

In my county in FL we are allowed to take dogs to any restaurant with outdoor seating.  We took ours exactly once.  It was such a pain we will never do it again.  He was overwhelmed (although I think he appreciated it when the waitress put a plate of ground beef in a dog dish for him).  Other than that, vet, groomer, kennel, and occasionally to my parents house (about an hour away)

[Pawz4me]

We got the current canine when he was eleven weeks old and he's always traveled with us (we have an RV). He's been in numerous campgrounds, hotels and outdoor restaurants. He went to some of the boys' baseball games. Despite being small and fluffy he's a fabulous hiker with very good stamina. We also do a lot of greenways and parks with walking trails.There's a historic district not far from us (as in a real tourist attraction--people pay admission to get in many of the buildings) and we go there just to walk sometimes. We also take him to dog-friendly relatives' houses when they're having family over for cookouts and things like that (don't worry, we don't do it unless we absolutely know he's welcome). In addition to the places you mention some Lowes stores around here are dog friendly.

[kewb]

I take my dog on walks. The occasional car ride to pick up a family member. He loves the car. The vet. Sometimes he comes with us on vacation and sometimes to visit family. My dh will occasionally take him to the coffee shop. Mostly he stays home because not everyone in public wants to be with my dog.

Never to the dog park. Too many people have not trained their dogs.

Edited August 4, 2017 by kewb

[wonderchica]

I've taken mine to a restaurant with outdoor seating when the occasion arose (walking around downtown while traveling). She enjoyed herself, laid down and the waitress brought her a bowl of water.

[stephanier.1765]

I don't take my dog out because she's blind and deaf and scares easily so I'm afraid she might bite someone out of fear. However, people here take their dogs into Walmart, ACMoore, and Target but with the dogs in the carts, not walking. Apparently the stores have no problem with it because I recently was talking to a woman with her poodle a few days ago at Walmart and she said she had been taking her dog into the store since it opened. So more than enough time for Walmart to have told her no. Last week, my son's gf took her 53 lb dog into ACMoore (in the cart) so it's not just small dogs being permitted.

 

If other stores are allowing it, I haven't noticed. I guess keep your eye out to see what other owners are doing. I wonder if there is a web page that lists stores that are more dog friendly than others?

[Lady Florida.]

We occasionally took our dog to pet stores but while he loved cats, he was afraid of dogs.  :lol:  For that reason there was only the occasional trip to the pet store and never to a dog park. We nearly always took him on vacation, whether we were camping or staying in a hotel. We also took him to family gatherings, but everyone else brought their dogs too (he was okay with family dogs, just not strangers). 

[Mimm]

Nowhere. The vet and the groomer and we board him when we go out of town. He finds all of this upsetting and would rather stay home all the time. :)

[Mimm]

I don't take my dog out because she's blind and deaf and scares easily so I'm afraid she might bite someone out of fear. However, people here take their dogs into Walmart, ACMoore, and Target but with the dogs in the carts, not walking. Apparently the stores have no problem with it because I recently was talking to a woman with her poodle a few days ago at Walmart and she said she had been taking her dog into the store since it opened. So more than enough time for Walmart to have told her no. Last week, my son's gf took her 53 lb dog into ACMoore (in the cart) so it's not just small dogs being permitted.

 

If other stores are allowing it, I haven't noticed. I guess keep your eye out to see what other owners are doing. I wonder if there is a web page that lists stores that are more dog friendly than others?

 

There's a sign in my Walmart that dogs are not to be in the cart, so carts stay clean. I appreciate that. I put my food in the cart, and I'm not generally germaphobic but c'mon.

[Teacher Mom]

To the pet store, training seminars, Home Depot, Lowe's, outdoor eateries (tables outside--she stays under the table on her mat), downtown walking mall, local boarding school, walking track around high school, walking around the park, hotels that allow dogs, and the vet. We are currently in therapy dog training so I hope to one day include nursing homes and the veterans center.

 

I never take my dog to the dog park. Too many untrained dogs and owners. The dog park here is more of a fight club than a play ground.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Teacher Mom

[DawnM]

We don't take our dog places.  My friend told me I am a bad pet owner!  :laugh:   Someone is usually home with her.  DH works from home 3 days per week.  College boy is home a lot.

 

We have 2.5 acres so it isn't like she doesn't have room to run around.  And we have woods in the back, so she goes out exploring a lot.

 

We just never go to the pet store or drive anywhere for walks.  We have a great neighborhood to walk in if we want to walk.  

 

This trip, she did ride with us from NC to TX where we left her with friends, so she is out and doing new things now!

[Mom22ns]

My dogs don't get to go many places with me. One is overly friendly, and the other guards too strongly. We walk a couple of miles every morning and another mile every evening in the summer. In more pleasant weather we walk 3-4 times a day. We occasionally go to parks with walking trails for longer walks and they love going hiking with me. They go to the vet of course and about once a year to the kennel. They've both been to pet supply stores, and overly friendly has been through obedience classes at Pet's Mart. The guard dog is terrified in the pet store and anywhere else strange and really prefers to be home. He was abused, dumped and lived as a stray for awhile before we took him in and is still trying to gain confidence.

 

They both love running errands with me, but don't get to do it often because I, like someone above, usually combine errands and it is rare to have all dog friendly errands or short enough car waits that it works. In cool weather, they get to come more because they can hang out in the car if I have short trips in and out mixed with places they can go or drive-throughs which they think are awesome because so many give out milk bones  :lol: .

[TheReader]

We go for walks every morning, and sometimes also a bike ride or 2nd walk in the evening, as well as the humans going in the backyard with the dogs to play a few times per day (and we're mostly at home, so they are with us all the time anyway). 

 

As far as taking them places outside the house, any place dog-friendly. So, for ex, on the weekends we seek out dog friendly activities -- going to the beach rather than the neighborhood pool, or hiking/walking on trails at a local state park, things like that. We will take the dogs in the car with us sometimes if we're dropping off/picking up one kid or another from somewhere. We sometimes take the dogs with us when we visit my in-laws (who do the same when they visit us) so all the dogs can play. 

 

Right now, the puppy (9 mos) is still new-to-us (we've had her just under 4 wks) so she goes to training class once/week with us, and of course we take them to the vet as needed. If we go camping, the dogs come. We don't take them on other vacations, but they either get to stay home (if it's a weekend or less) or they go to the in-laws, which they love. 

 

We don't take them in any humans-only places, such as stores, restaurants, etc., although there are some pet-friendly locations where I *could* take them (ex: our local Half Price Books welcomes dogs...). 

[Guest]

During the spring, winter, and fall, we take the dog pretty much everywhere.  She happily stays in the car while we go shopping and we will take her in stores where we can and where we only need small items.  It's kind of hard to wrangle an excited 70lb thing while carrying a 50lb bag of feed. :)  During the summer, she stays home because it's too hot during the day; during the winter, it's fine because she's a chesapeake/golden retriever mix and has a ridiculously long thick coat.

 

She doesn't get walked too often; and when we aren't home, she's inside.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Our dog loves to be out and about, but he is a big dog, and friendly to a fault. Not everyone loves a big dog getting into their space.

 

Other than his usual 2 walks a day (one of which often includes a trip to one of a couple local upscale pet food stores where he is practically a celebrity and milks it for all he is worth), he goes on errands where one person can stay in the car or if we are picking up or dropping off, and outdoor eateries if they are having a pet friendly event.

 

If we are going out of town (driving) and staying with family who has dogs, we can bring him. He absolutely loves to go to my sister's house on a farm. He stays pretty close to the house, but loves to play fetch where he can run full out (and can beg my nephew who has an arm like a rocket) . We forget how fast he is living in suburbia.

 

He just loves going for a ride in the car. We can't say or even spell that word anymore because he just gets too excited. Heck if anyone puts shoes on or grabs the keys, he practically begs to come with.

 

We don't do dog parks either because of the poorly trained dogs, mean owners, and the fact that our dog does not have the best recall when he gets too focused. Even hot dogs don't work in those situations.

 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[Alice]

We don't really take her anywhere. We walk her every morning for a couple of miles and in the nicer weather usually go on at least one other walk a day. We have a large fenced in yard and she spends a good portion of the day outside. Most days someone is home a fair amount so she has company. On the weekends if we go on a hike we will take her but we don't take her on errands. 

[nevergiveup]

We take our husky (who found us) for walks down the road (around 4 miles round trip) or through and around the farm fields (farmers/owners do not mind) or to my friend's who has over 100 acres and 3 German Shepherds (all are buddies).

He's spoiled.

[gingersmom]

At 6 1/2 I like to joke that my dog is in semi-retirement.

 

She used to go to daycare 2 days/week. Now she is homeschooled.

 

She goes for walks, annoys the cats, barks/chases things in backyard and sleeps.

 

Her favorite car rides are to McDonalds for French fries and Baskin Robbins for an after dinner ice cream. She has also recently discovered the doughnut shop and is quite happy with it.

[Um_2_4]

I don't take my dog out because she's blind and deaf and scares easily so I'm afraid she might bite someone out of fear. However, people here take their dogs into Walmart, ACMoore, and Target but with the dogs in the carts, not walking. Apparently the stores have no problem with it because I recently was talking to a woman with her poodle a few days ago at Walmart and she said she had been taking her dog into the store since it opened. So more than enough time for Walmart to have told her no. Last week, my son's gf took her 53 lb dog into ACMoore (in the cart) so it's not just small dogs being permitted.

 

If other stores are allowing it, I haven't noticed. I guess keep your eye out to see what other owners are doing. I wonder if there is a web page that lists stores that are more dog friendly than others?

 

Actually, I asked a manager at walmart about this. They do not allow pets, but due to so many people claiming medical reasons for having their pet with them, they are no longer allowed to confront people bringing in pets (fear of HIPPA and lawsuits). It has become a large problem here. I watched a chihuahua the other day start peeing on an endcap in the grocery section  :huh: . I can't think of the last time I ran to Target (with groceries) or the grocery store and DIDN'T see a non-service dog inside the store.

He said in some other states they have been successful in enforcing that only actual service dogs that are certified and trained. (Forgot which group does the certification, but like guide dogs for the blind or the group that has dogs for paraplegics, ie working dogs.)

Edited August 4, 2017 by Um_2_4

[Ivey]

Our dog, Chloe, weighs 11 pounds and is very safe/calm around all types of people and animals. We never "trained" her or had her certified, but she could easily be a therapy dog. Chloe gets out 2-3x every day. 

 

- 30-minute walk around the neighborhood every day

- any of our kids' sporting events/practices that take place outside

- any outdoor family outings

- MIL's retirement home 2-3 times/week  (the residents love Chloe and complain if we visit without her) 

- several neighbors/friends ask that we bring Chloe along to play with their dogs when we visit

- she comes in the car with me if I'm picking one of the kids up (exciting) but not if I'm dropping them off (sad doggy) 

 

We don't take her anywhere we would have to leave her in the car or tie her up outside, for fear of someone calling the police or just taking her. She's that cute. 

 

At 6 1/2 I like to joke that my dog is in semi-retirement.

She used to go to daycare 2 days/week. Now she is homeschooled.

She goes for walks, annoys the cats, barks/chases things in backyard and sleeps.

Her favorite car rides are to McDonalds for French fries and Baskin Robbins for an after dinner ice cream. She has also recently discovered the doughnut shop and is quite happy with it.

 

We like to say that Chloe is "unschooled" and that she should be learning to read any day now. :p

[kroe1]

Our dog never goes anywhere. She used to run 3 miles with me everyday, but, now she is too old. Why does a dog need to go somewhere?

[Pawz4me]

Our dog never goes anywhere. She used to run 3 miles with me everyday, but, now she is too old. Why does a dog need to go somewhere?

Because they need mental stimulation. To some extent that can be provided at home but I'd say the vast majority of pet owners don't come anywhere close to providing their dogs with enough appropriate mental exercise.

[stephanier.1765]

Because they need mental stimulation. To some extent that can be provided at home but I'd say the vast majority of pet owners don't come anywhere close to providing their dogs with enough appropriate mental exercise.

 

I try to make sure to give my indoor cats mental exercise too. By play, of course, but also by putting bird feeders near windows and supplying puzzles and interactive toys. It makes me feel bad to see them bored.

 

In a way I think of my pets like I thought of my children when we homeschooled. I make sure they have the best learning (training) and social opportunities I can supply.