I understand both sides. I look at Jackson as my child and he goes almost everywhere with me that he can. He's bigger at 12lbs so anywhere that he can be on a leash and walk himself he goes. :) I can carry him but only for so long! I don't really see how it would be a problem if you bring your dog into a store with shopping carts and let your dog ride in the cart but a lot of places like Target, etc won't allow it.

I do agree that it's difficult because how can you tell one person they can't bring their Great Dane inside but you can bring your Yorkie? Great Danes are also peoples "children" and I don't think it's necessarily fair to allow some and not others when both can be equally behaved. So I think it's a tough call, hence why most places don't allow them.

I do agree that I've seen kids that act WAY worse than Jackson ever would. I also must say I get grossed out when I see a bunch of kids with snot running down their noses, coughing, etc and then I always end up getting sick :rolleyes: A dog could never get me sick like that! LOL.

I don't know, like I said... I see both sides.

Easily mandated eh? I can easily pick up my 50 lb hound and control her. Who's to judge if a dog is being controlled or if it was distrubing someone? Someone with an extreme fear of dogs may be distrubed just be the dog being there? Should it therefor be removed. The whole issue is MORE easily avoided by just not allowing them in the first place, thus eliminating any gray area and only displeasing a very small portion of society. :)

Oh I don't think you're crazy...I know lots of people who's dogs ARE "their kids." I just disagree with your logic that dogs and humans are "equal" and therefore should have equal rights in society. But hey, we all have different opinions. :)

Well, I do live in Tampa, which is only an hour from Disney!!! :D I will be your pup sitter!!

Again...that logic would only work if children/humans and dogs were veiwed as equals. And despite what you they aren't per society's standards. Banning all children from public places? Yeah, right? (And realisitcally, they likely never will be.) People say, "well if you don't like the dog, you can leave." The same rule goes--if you don't like the kid, you have the choice to leave.

I agree with you though. I would be embarassed as a parent to take my child out in public if I couldn't control them. And actually, I have left establishements more than once because of a kid I found annoying.

I don't get upset when people have different opinions. Sometimes, I enjoy those converstations best and learn something when I see it from someone else's point of view. :)

I agree with you 100%. I see both sides to this. Kaji is my baby boy and I love him more than I've loved anything. I know he is cleaner than most people out there. But.... if I were to see someone's dog sitting in a cart in the meat section of a grocery store sniffing at the meats while his/her owner's back is turned, you can bet I'd be grossed out. How do I know their dog is clean? I know Kaji is clean and well mannered, but how does everyone else know?

It reminds me of my mom's cousin's wedding. She had a more traditional American wedding (RSVP, no kids) and that pissed the entire family. We're Mexican and in a traditional Mexican wedding there are no seating charts!!! :p About half of my relatives didn't go to the reception because no kids were allowed. My brothers and I were because we had a rep for being well behaved (and I was 15 ;)) which made many more people very mad. If rules were made for some and not for others, you stand a chance at making people very upset.

And as a side note, I've never been bitten by a dog, big or small, but I've been bitten by a kid. I even asked him why and it was because he liked me. I guess that's what I get for working with kindergarteners!

If you can fit your fifty pound dog in a purse, more power to you. I think there's a fairly obvious difference between a dog that fits in a shoulder bag and a Great Dane, and this common sense can be applied to retail establishments.

In fact, this common sense IS often applied to retail establishments. Many apartment buildings only allow dogs weighing < 20 lbs, and even some grocery stores allow dogs as long as they are in a carrier. So it's in practice now in many places. Things don't have the stay the way they are just because, well, that's the way they are!

:thumbup::thumbup:
AGREE once again!

Its not like you have to make rules that say NO DOGS, NO KIDS!

Just tell ppl not to be idiots and use their better judgement, and follow the rules that a specific retail store has set up. If that judgement is poor and the rules are not within their guidelines, then kick them out.

I would hope that someone who had their dog there wouldnt be letting their dog close enough to meat that they would be able to "sniff" it. I keep Roxy on her leash in the kids seat, and she could never reach the meat.

Same with a kid. I dont want to see a snotty nosed kid picking up my future meat product. lol. I see them all the time poking at the meat under the celaphane. It makes me insane.

This is what I think.

Make the laws that you must have proof for all shots... children or dogs... Your animals and kids must be maintained, clean, and act properly according to store standards. If they are not, they will be asked to leave the property. Child & Family, or Dog & Owner.

Doesnt matter if its a dog or a child. If they dont abide by the rules, they need to be escorted out.

Personally how good would a dinner be if everyone brought their pets and had them sitting and spit dripping while your eating dinner.

I get frustrated too because it's hard to get someone to watch 3 dogs but I don't think bringing dogs to church or any where that serves food would ever be a good idea.

LOL...that's already the case. Stores already have the legal right to ask you to remove your kids if they are being disruptive and destructive. Individual stores have the right to decide whether or not they allow dogs in--most apparently choose not to, for good reason. From the stores' standpoint, cons of allowing dogs would far outweigh the pros. And, those who are strongly in favor of it are a very small minority, so I don't see standards changing anytime soon. (Thankfully.)

Dogs are DOGS. That will never change. You can dress up, pretend or treat them like a baby. Either way they will always be an animal a dog. I love animals, I love dogs. I love my dogs and treat them like babies but they aren't babies and it would look so silly if everyone was allowed to bring their dogs EVERY where their kids can go.

No offence I hope no one takes this the wrong way because I truly love my dogs like they are my babies but the reality is they are NOT my real children and shouldn't be compared to children. Yes they are family and companions but children and dogs are two different things and you don't compare the two.

I agree there. I don't buy the prepackaged meats for that same reason. I can't stand the thought of anyone poking it for fun! But the problem is not everyone contains their dogs the same way we do. The same way not all parents contain their children. I know a lot of people that don't even do basic obedience with their dogs, and then they're amazed at how well behaved Kaji is compared to their furkids. To me it's common sense and one of the responsibilities of being a pet owner to teach our pups "right from wrong" so to speak. Same with parents. But your suggestion sounds a little to "big brother." It just wouldn't happen, way to much regulation and little freedom. Then there is the question of those parents to skin and furbabies that don't vaccinate because of allergic reactions, or because they fear that the mandated vaccinations are way to much and fear over vaccinations can also cause problems. Are those people just to sit at home and never go out because they don't meet the rules?

LOL...but that's not what you said, now is it? You said "picked up and controlled." How well would that go over? "NEW STORE POLICY: Only dogs in purses allowed." The typical dogs-are-accesories-mind-set that we try to educate people against. All the more motivation for millers to keep pumping out smaller and smaller dog.:thumbdown But hey, if you think America can be trusted to use their "common sense" here...well, good luck with that!

My personal opinion is to stick with pleases the masses and just don't allow them, period. But that's just me. :)

Ive got to mention the one place we holidayed in England called the Isle of Wight which near where we stayed with Tia the pubs allowed dogs and not kids!When we were in there a family walked in and were turned away as they had toddlers, now they know how we feel with our dogs. It was great.Mobile phones wern't allowed either lol They took it back to the old times where dogs were always allowed in pubs , food or not.Tia laid right next to me and hubby while we tucked into juicy steaks. Needless to say we will return.:)

This is what we do. We do camp alot with horses and our two dogs. When we go to family get togethers out of state the trailer goes with us along with motorcycles then and both dogs. We park it in family's yard and hook up. That way we have our own bed and private area. Home away from home.:D