Look, I do get it. I'm not a big fan of the stroller/purse/frilly dresses just for fun "fan" either. Jackson is a dog. I know this lol. He gets to live like... a dog. He runs, plays, rolls in mud sometimes, sniffs poop, does agility, goes hiking, yada yada. I personally wouldn't ever carry him in a big, he's too big, and I would likely only use a stroller for health issues because, well, he loves to walk. And it's just not 'my thing'. But most are not harming their dogs, so live and let live. I'm just happy these dogs are being loved and taken care of.

I only have him, and I travel between houses a lot, so I often have him with me while running errands etc. I don't mind leaving him the car (if it's not hot) to run into a gas station or a Chipotle but otherwise, I won't do it.

But honestly, yeah I do enjoy bringing him out and about "For Funsies" and honestly? There's NOTHING wrong with that. He gets stimulation out of it, socialization, exercise and a mental workout. On days that he otherwise would be sitting at home bored, I will bring him with me if I can. And lastly, it IS fun, I enjoy having my companion with me whenever I can. He enjoys it, he's well trained, he's well behaved. It's kind of why I wanted a dog.

I am perfectly respectful that not every one is a dog person. I totally get it.

And the kid/dog comparison is apples to oranges. Yes I realize kids will never be 'not allowed' at places (except maybe fancy restaurants)... they're human children beings! Dogs CAN be left at home alone w/o a babysitter. So there is a big difference there. And yes kids, and adults alike, can be gross and disgusting so I don't see the big difference. As far as I know, there hasn't been a huge outbreak of disgusting diseases in Europe because of dogs. And Europe is far more accepting of dogs. They're allowed inside most pubs.

But why not enjoy every second I can with what I consider to be "my" kid? Yes, I am single and have no children of my own. Jackson is very clearly a dog but for all intensive purposes, he is also my 'kid'. He is a member of the family.

He goes on vacations with us, to the beach, camping, to Gettysburg every year, etc. Some trips he can't go on and that's fine. And some people may not be so inclined to WANT their pet with them, or choose not to, and that's fine too!

Here he is enjoying going out to eat with us:
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And in the car wash waiting with us
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And in our hotel room with us
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I simply ENJOY including him in my life's events, if the time is right.

I am not talking about illegally sneaking him into places or getting fake service dog vests or anything of the sort.

If we're ever asked to leave, we will. :)

Hehe he is very cute....looks to be quite the gentleman!

Don't worry, I won't start any rumors. :p It may not be that way in all cities, but it seems to be true here. Places like Calabasas, and Thousand Oaks where the houses are well above the $1million price tag seem to allow dogs everywhere. Even the grocery store! :eek: I live in a slightly nicer beighborhood than before, no where near as ritzy as the places mentioned above, and there are a few more stores where I can comfortably walk in with Kaji in my arms. I guess it depends on the area?

Honey loves shopping at tj Maxx and hobby lobby with me :D

I think a lot of it just comes down to the employees.

A few times Lola has been asked to leave stores she's been in many times before.
For example she's been in 3 burlington coat factories locations, at least twice each, she's been in the one we go to most often about 10 times but last time we were asked to leave as soon as we walked in by the loss prevention guy. Usually the employees (including managers) there gush over her, so I think it was just that guy.

:yeahthat: Kaji and Jackson lead similar lives! With just a carrier difference between the two. ;) Most family vacations and shopping trips are planned to include him. So far, it has worked out fine and Kaji enjoys being with me as much as he can, and I enjoy being with him. He's such a good boy! Loves brunch/lunch since the servers or my friends order him his own meal from the dog friendly menu. :)

Another reason Kaji gets to come along with me most places, he gets physically ill if left behind due to anxiety. I don't worry as much about Kaji throwing up 10 times while I'm gone and becoming dehydrated since being with me stops all that. Even if it wasn't for that, Kaji is usually with me as much as possible when I'm not working. I just love spending time with him. :love: He's had quite the adventures. He even got to meet a seal in Santa Barbara.

Oh... To the person who said people are allergic to perfume, YUP!! That's so annoying. Most perfumes give me migraines, which in turn cause me to lose my sight in my right eye if the migraine is sever enough. OR they give me a rash. I avoid the Macy's perfume counter at cost!! I don't like having random people spray random liquids at me!! But at a regular store, walking through, smelling a strong perfume and losing sight for a few minutes is really a huge inconvenience. I hate it!

Yes they do sound like they lead similar lives! And I know we've talked about before that's the reason we were so hesitant to add another dog into the mix, it's just so easy with just one!!

Poor Kaji, I'm sorry he has such bad anxiety. Jax definitely has his quirks and anxiety issues but not to that extent. :( He's okay being left at home alone, but he's a lot more needy at night. If I work for 6-8 hours and come home and go out to dinner, I'd like to include him rather than leave him alone for another 2 hours. During the winter, sometimes I just skip going out to dinner if he's been home alone all day, it's just not fair to him.

Definitely perfume but not to mention cigarette smoke! How many years were us non-smokers affected by cigarette smoke in restaurants? Last I checked, second hand dog smells didn't cause cancer... some people are DEATHLY allergic to peanuts. Some restaurants have them up front, or heck even laying all over the floor (Texas Road House). One whiff of the peanut smell and the individual with the allergy can go into anaphylactic shock and die. But, should we ban them?

There's a lot of things that people don't like or are afraid of or whatever but we can't go banning them, can we?

Wow, how cool all these stores allow them! I wonder if that's nationwide or if some local stores make their own decisions...?

In the case of Home Depot it is up to the manager of each store.

Ah! Good to know.

I've heard that Home Depot allows dogs so I got really excited. When I went there to get something, I took Magnus/Zoey with me. Got to the door and saw the "no dog" sign... I was so disappointed... Needless to say, I ended the trip much earlier than planned.

What bothers we with people hating on strollers is my dog does get to be a dog and still rides in a stroller mostly for her knees but also because at the pet events I use it the most at in my opinion it's just not safe for them on the ground when there small because people don't watch where they are walking and I don't want my dog stepped on and if she was even smaller I would be terrified she could even get hurt worse from being stepped on. Callie actually really really enjoys her stroller and if you don't watch her when it gets set up she will try to jump in it her self. But real dogs can ride in strollers my dog definitely gets to be a dog but still rides in a stroller and wears clothes because she gets cold easy. She chases rabbits, she kills bugs, she loves to dig and rub her face in the mud, she likes to roll in the grass especially when it's freshly cut, she is 100% potty trained, she is a well behaved dog and is trained to do many tricks. I feel you can give a pretty good balance. Callie is my baby but I let her be a dog and yeah she is spoiled but I still expect her to behave well. Dogs do not live forever our time with them is limited and I am going to enjoy every last minute I can with her because anything could happen. I am not forcing her to do anything uncomfortable or hurtful to her.

First of all...orchlens and tractor supply are both SUPER pet friendly!
Second of all....I'm a single mom, when my kid is to sick to go to school or just sick in general she is to sick to go grocery shopping! Or anywhere else for that matter. If I need food that bad we order pizza...delivery!
Third of all....my yorkie is my baby! I do hair bows, I do cute carry bags, I take her every where possible with me! Because that's my choice! I choose to include her and she loves it!!
I am lucky because I live in a very high tourist town and lots of places let pets in.