Dogs everywhere??

[travelin texans]

There's another topic started earlier about when & where those that choose can/cannot carry weapons on them or with them.
I know I'm going to catch hell about this, but surely we're not the only ones concerned about.
Lately DW & I have noticed that EVERYWHERE we go anymore (grocery stores, casinos, restsurants) that someone has a dog. Now don't get me wrong I love dogs/pets, but I don't allow mine at the table & I sure as hell don't want yours where I eat. Saw a couple at Wal-Mart with a small poodle looking dog on a leash, the man was looking a steaks in the counter & all the while little Fifi has her front feet up on the counter sniffing the packages, we DID NOT buy ANY meat from there.
I know some of the animal's are service animals & are necessary for those individuals, but if they are indeed service animals in my opinion they should be marked with the tags, collars, vests or something to indicate that it's so. If there's a law concerning this I'd like to know the particulars.
As I said we've always had dogs & other pets til we retired & started full time thing & it was difficult to come & go as we liked & trying find pet sitting, so once ours went to doggy heaven we didn't replace it. But in my opinion as much as I liked ours, they're pets not people, I'm not daddy & the wife is not mommy to the dog.
Ok! There's my opinion, so let the fight start!

[66joej]

Up here in the Frozen North we buy annuals ( flowers and such). Nothing grows all year long. So our local hardware store allows dogs on a leash in the store. We were looking at some plants when a large German Shepherd lifted it's leg and had a very substantial leak on a group of plants. Told the clerk but only got a shoulder shrug. Someone will buy them and wonder why they won't grow.

[Ken / Claudia]

Have had dogs most of my life, they are companions but, they are still animals and should not go everywhere the human goes unless it is for sight etc.
I do not like it at all seeing them in the restaurants or food stores. Mine stay home or when temps are right they stay in the vehicle and do just fine, in fact they like the greeting a lot when we met again.
Now they are on public transport and everywhere as you said. Now we have reports every summer of those dogs attacking people and other animals because they are not service dogs as they person claims.
My feeling is that many who take their dogs or other pets everywhere enjoy the attention others may give their dogs. They (the person) becomes special others look at them, others want to talk to them or pet the dog. Just look at their faces when someone says that's a cute dog you have.
Nothing like putting food into a cart a dog just rubbed his rear end in for the last 30 minutes.

[travelin texans]

Nothing like putting food into a cart a dog just rubbed his rear end in for the last 30 minutes.[/QUOTE]



That's my feeling exactly! Maybe instead of the little wipes for handles they should have huge towels or a cart wash.... or better yet leave the dog at home.
In the doctors office complex yesterday someone had what appeared to be a Burmese Mountain dog on a leash with NO markings as being a service dog barking at everyone that passed by. This incident is what prompted me to post this thread.
"Dog friendly" motels?? Do they use a few specific rooms for pets or do they put them in any room in the building? Not everyone takes the greatest care of their bundle of fur so therefore are those motels spreading fleas/ticks throughout the building?
They post signs "no shirt, no shoes, no service" how about one that says "marked/licenced/tagged service animals only"!
I will warn that if I or my family get bit by one that is not clearly marked as a service animal or warned that it's a crouch there WILL be police & lawyers involved.
I apologize for sounding like a old grump on this subject, I just think there should be some common courtesy where non pet owners are concerned with your animals. DO NOT take them anywhere with people food UNLESS they are a registered service animal.

[Northofu1]

I work in a community centre, we had an instance where one of my staff had informed a patron that dogs were not allowed in the building, of course after my staff member cleaned up the patrons dog's feces in the hallway. The Patron yelled at him there was no signage about dogs not being allowed in the building. If it had been me that cleaned his mutts crap up, and he yelled at me he would have been wearing it. . When I was growing up, only service dogs were allowed in any public buildings.

Society has gone to the dogs

[vampress_me]

“Nothing like putting food into a cart a dog just rubbed his rear end in for the last 30 minutes.”

Ewww! And up until now I’ve always looked at shopping cart seats as the only problem area - as in diaper bottomed kids with a diaper blowout and parents not cleaning up real well, if at all. Now I’m going to be looking at the whole cart and thinking “yuck!” Thanks....

And then there’s the other part of the dog everywhere mindset I don’t like. What about the people who are allergic to animals/dogs? They are just supposed to put up with the inconsiderate people who just have to have their precious poodle (or whatever breed) with them? Why should they have to deal with sneezing, coughing, itchy watery eyes, not being able to breathe? Doesn’t make sense to me.

[xrated]

We take our 7 month old puppy with us to CERTAIN places that allow dogs (other than service animals), but we have rules that have to be followed. 99% of the time he is being carried by Peggy or I and that one percent might be for example...in the outdoor section of a Lowes....garden/lawn chairs and tables, etc....where we might let him down to walk on a 6' or less leash. He brings a lot of happiness to our lives, but we also know that is not the same for everyone and we try to make sure that he does not, in any way, cause others to be annoyed or concerned with his presence. He is kind of a dangerous dog though.....when I'm holding him and someone comes up to see if they can pet him, I always warn them of the dangers......1. His wagging tail may beat me to death. 2. He may lick the person to death. It is like many things in this world, a little bit of common sense goes a long way.

[66joej]

Thank goodness you hang on to him . Those Min Pins can take a man's arm off!

[DocWMB]

Having badges, collars, vests or even ID Cards for Service Animals is a waste of time, because counterfeits are all so readily available on the web, and, since they aren't required by law, their presence frequently indicates the animal is a fake . Legally, current law allows businesses to ask 2 questions of owners... 1) Is this a service animal? (Only dogs and horses may be) and 2) What service is he trained to perform for you? You cannot ask about the disability. Emotional support animals are NOT Service Animals. Service Animals are trained not to potty indoors, or cause disturbances, and if that happens, they may be legally asked to vacate the premises. A Service Animal should not be approached or distracted while doing it's job. If there are a bunch of folks fawning all over a pet, you can be sure it's not really a Service Animal.

[travelin texans]

Thanks folks! This went much better than I anticipated. From our observations we're in the minority of rvers that don't have a dog/dogs, so I was expecting to be nailed. Just glad we're not the only ones thinking it's all "gone to the dogs"!

[SAABDOCTOR]

NOPE I AM WITH YOU TOO. I HAVE TWO DOGS THEY GO WITH US EVERYPLACE BUT NEVER IN THE FOOD STORE OR EATING ESTABLISMENTS. I LOVE DOGS ALMOST MORE THAN SOME PEOPLE. BUT I WOULD NEVER THINK THAT ALL PEOPLE SHOULD LOVE MY DOGS. WHEN WE GO FOOD SHOPING ONE OF US STAYS IN THE CAR WITH THE PUPS.

[Ruffus]

Hey TT
Service dogs are suppose to be vested and ID'ed and a real trained service animal would not be peeing on plants in a store or up on a counter sniffing the meat. The problem here is that people can go on line and register their animal for fifty dollars as a service animal because of the way the ADA is written. The other problem and really the biggest problem is that the people at the stores and restaurants and other establishments are not trained or do not know the law because they have never taken the time to read it and are scared that if they refuse a person and their dog they will be chastised in the news or even lose their job. It's really a shame that our law makers did not research what they were writing when they passed the law. Those of us that need them appreciate what was done for us and but the law needs some fine tuning because human nature is that if someone can take advantage of a law and save a dollar they are going to try.
A disabled Vet's point of view.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Ruffus

Hey TT
Service dogs are suppose to be vested and ID'ed and a real trained service animal would not be peeing on plants in a store or up on a counter sniffing the meat. The problem here is that people can go on line and register their animal for fifty dollars as a service animal because of the way the ADA is written. The other problem and really the biggest problem is that the people at the stores and restaurants and other establishments are not trained or do not know the law because they have never taken the time to read it and are scared that if they refuse a person and their dog they will be chastised in the news or even lose their job. It's really a shame that our law makers did not research what they were writing when they passed the law. Those of us that need them appreciate what was done for us and but the law needs some fine tuning because human nature is that if someone can take advantage of a law and save a dollar they are going to try.
A disabled Vet's point of view.

I think owners of service dogs need to be careful of what they wish for. In my conversations with lawmakers about the ADA regarding service dogs, the language is left open and rather vague for a reason - to give deference to those with disabilities that require a service dog and not cause them a hard time. If the law were written with a hundred qualifiers before you could use your dog then it would become so onerous to try to take it with you that you couldn't, or wouldn't, and those that didn't want that animal with you could make your life miserable trying to prove the law allowed you to have it. That is what the law is trying to avoid to my understanding.

In my earlier post I mentioned that the business owners just asking the 2 questions allowed by the ADA would deter a lot of abusers and I think you agree. Personally, I don't think more laws trying to complicate the use of a service dog are required. I do think that if it is an issue for a business owner they should learn the law and ask the questions.

As far as the IDs and vests; one poster said it was a dead giveaway that they were "fake". That's not true. The animal should have the vest and ID anytime it is "working". My dog knows the vest and she's trained to know it means she's working in public. And yes, any dog that pees on flowers, raises up on counters, runs all over the place or anything else like that IS NOT a service dog. YMMV

[POBOYPCB]

Love my own dog, but don't think I can require you to! I'm a great fan of REAL service animals, i.e., seeing eye dogs, those who alert on pending seizures, etc., but the " emotional support" thing has become a farce. I recently encountered an "emotional support" CHICKEN in a store. Try housebreaking that one! Those laws need some fine tuning!

[md_procouple]

I guess it time to "jump" into the fray... My wife and I both have a medical condition, and have had 2 service dogs over the years, our last one has gone to "Doggy Heaven" and we are expecting a "New" dog. We choose to have a small to medium size dog because of our lifestyle. Yes our dogs have been service trained, Yes they are tagged, and well marked as service dogs. We have on special occasions allowed a person to pet our dogs, but ONLY after they have asked ( Normally an older person or ones with very small children), No we do not allow our dog to be the center of attention, after all he is "working" We have and still do put our dog in the "Cart" more for his safety then ours BUT we also have a small bed for him to use while there. All of our service dogs are well trained, and behave better than most peoples children. The bottom line... We would rather have our dog with us than most peoples kids. By the way We have even taken our dog on cruises without a problem. and like we stated, they have both behaved better than other peoples kids !!!

[Fishsizzle]

We have 5 pups and own a dog daycare. We see it all, all day everyday.

We love our dogs, only store they go into is Home Depot. And we never use the check outs that have food.

I have to say, I’m really grossed out when fingers from kids that have been who knows where are grabbing at food and the throwing a fit for Mom to put it in cart only to have said parent on the phone texting away. Only to put food back on shelf.

I almost hurled today as the checker at Safeway rubbed his runny nose 10-15 times while bagging my groceries.

My pups aren’t perfect, but we work with them constantly to be good and quiet.

[KHBama]

Originally Posted by Fishsizzle

We have 5 pups and own a dog daycare. We see it all, all day everyday.

We love our dogs, only store they go into is Home Depot. And we never use the check outs that have food.

I have to say, I’m really grossed out when fingers from kids that have been who knows where are grabbing at food and the throwing a fit for Mom to put it in cart only to have said parent on the phone texting away. Only to put food back on shelf.

I almost hurled today as the checker at Safeway rubbed his runny nose 10-15 times while bagging my groceries.

My pups aren’t perfect, but we work with them constantly to be good and quiet.

We have 4 dogs and own a Boarding/Daycare as well. I see posts about not liking to see dogs at restaurants? In my 41 years, I've never seen a dog at a restaurant. We take 2 camping with us every time we go. They are just as well behaved as our children.

[ptooti]

I think if you saw some of the people cooking in the back of those restaurants some of them have way more disgusting gross habits than any dogs and are handling your food...ick and I have seen more rotten kids than dogs terrorizing the campgrounds again its the parents whether they be kid parents or dog parents some good and probably more bad.

[FlyingAroundRV]

I could not agree more with the general thrust of this thread.
Why oh why can't people leave their dogs at home? I get that you like your pet(s) and I don't especially mind dogs, it's just that when I go to a restaurant/shopping or (I'm going to really cop it for this) camping, I want to enjoy myself and not have to deal with other peoples' mutts sniffing or peeing on my leg etc, or (and this is the biggie) barking or howling all the time.
I just came back from a trip to the outback and at one of the parks we stayed at, some people tied their dogs up to a tree while they went swimming in the water hole. The whole time they were swimming, the two dogs barked continuously. Every now and then the people would roar at their dogs to "shaddap!" which did exactly ... zip.
I get that you like your pets, but why do you have to inflict them on everyone around you?

[notanlines]

Since Travelin Texan found it necessary to be so grumpy, I think I'll just jump on the bandwagon and pound one more nail in this coffin. Earlier it was said "Emotional support animals are NOT Service Animals." I concur 100%. If you can't feel good about yourself in a restaurant without Fifi at your side then stay in the car. No way I'm buying in to the term "Emotional Support Animal." Bogus as a football bat!
We have on occasion visited Bisbee, Arizona. A fun little city and very dog-friendly. As near as I know dogs are welcome in most of the casual bars and restaurants in town (probably not all.) There you know it in advance and can deal with it.
I don't know where America is headed, but why is it so hot in here, and what exactly is a "hand-basket?"