Can I bring my dog?

I get this question multiple times a day when I post about taking Pax to different places. So how do I know where to bring him and where I can’t? First off, I just take him. If I’m not allowed in the store, it’s probably better for my bank account and respect the wishes of the store no problem. I’ve been bringing Pax to various locations since he was 8 weeks old and attached to my hip in his sling. To me this was an essential part of his development because he was socialized with sounds, smells, small children, the elderly, men, women, other dogs, birds, cats, and most importantly Nordstrom’s- duh. Now here’s the thing, when your male pup is going through its puberty stage it might want to mark a lot of , so it’s probably not the best time to take your puppy to Bloomingdales. Also- self-check time; is your dog polite in public? Is it well trained to not bark, bite, jump, or run from you? Think about how hard that will be on YOU to take your pup with you. Although, it seems like the best fantasy of having your furry bestie with you while at ALDO looking at shoes… it’s A LOT. You guys, dogs don’t speak English (WAH!!), and they have leaf ADD where they see one flying by and they are distracted immediately! One time Pax was so over shopping at Forever21 he saw a bird outside, somehow wiggled the leash out of my hands (that were full of clothing), ran out the door, I followed him with ALL THE CLOTHES and the alarms went bonkers!! I dropped all the clothes on the ground, chased my dog, and had to come back in and tell them I wasn’t stealing anything and my dog just felt I didn’t need to tell me I didn’t need another romper. Have you ever been in a store and your dog had to poop in an aisle? Can you imagine being in IKEA lost in the maze of kitchen sets looking for a poop bag? Truly, truly, truly ask yourself, is this worth it? It can be exhausting to bring Pax out sometimes. Sometimes I feel like I’m more on guard than when he’s not there, and I’m checking the video feed every 5 minutes. Luckily, Pax is very well behaved. He sleeps under my desk at work, lays down while I’m getting my hair done at my salon, and stays right by me in the store. This took training, dedication, and trust between us! Look into a local trainer to get some tips about choosing to take your pup in public places! 

Also, before you head out, google the stores or even call and ask can I bring my dog? Every store, city, state will have their own rules that regard dogs in the store. Additionally, many stores leave it up to the manager to decide to allow dogs or not. Some restaurants will be ok with it as long as you are sitting outside and some places will have a dog-friendly menu! It will ultimately depend on the owner and rules of that specific place. San Diego is exceptionally dog-friendly; we are fortunate. At one of the most beautiful malls in the region, they have dog water bowls outside almost every store. Restaurants have dog-friendly menus; you can bring your dog to many different bars and even take them to the movies! So you’ve thought about it, and your pup is well behaved, doesn’t need to pee on everything, and you want to go to the mall… 

Here are some ways you can find out about dog-friendly places in your area: 

1.     Bring Fido- this app tells you local spaces and places that allow dogs
2.    Google – this platform can tell you just about everything about everything

Here are some US National dog-friendly places (again, these may differ in your local area!)

1.  Nordstrom
2. Home Goods
3. TJ Maxx
4. Lowe’s (Depends) 
5. Home Depot
6. Forever 21
7.  Pottery Barn
8.  Macy’s
9.  Bass Pro Shops
10. Barnes and Noble
11.  LUSH Cosmetics
12. H & M
13. Anthropologie
14. Gap
15. Party City
16. Bloomingdales
17.  Urban Outfitters
18.  Free People
19.  Petco
20. Petsmart
21.  Tuesday Morning
22.  Hobby Lobby
23.  Ross
24.  Bed, Bath, & Beyond
25.  Footlocker
26.  Sephora
27.  Ann Taylor/Ann Taylor Loft
28.  Tiffany & Co. 
29.  Bath & Body Works
30.  Hallmark
31.   Bebe
32.  Old Navy
33.  The Apple Store
34.  Warby Parker
35.  Saks Fifth Avenue
36.  Tractor Supply Co. 
37.   Some IKEAs
38.  CVS

Do you have any to add to this list?! Write in the comments if you know of additional places! 

References:   Bark Post- Dog Friendly Stores

When Rover Goes Wrong. A Dog Mom’s Truth.

Getting a text message from your rover sitter at 4am that your dog is pooping on the carpet, stealing food from the other small well behaved pup, and running around like a banshee is kinda comical slash a complete SH*T moment. It is so hard being in another country on a different time zone and praying your dog is being the perfect angel you claim he is! Basically, Pax is pushing all the boundaries and likes to be the boss. He’s not alpha but he sure does like attention. He’s not taking no for answer and decides if he doesn’t get what he wants he poops on the rug. #SMH....Their dog is 7 years old and the size of Pax’s face- ehhh probably not the best match. Pax keeps trying to play and the dog is just not into it...He even snaps at Pax to get him to go away. I know this is the truth because our 8 year old family dog does the same thing to him.

So how do I stay semi calm while my dog is at home running a muck. First is to not freak. Recognize there is not much I can do and be ok with not being in control. Looking at what I can control is step one. The next step is to not take it out on the rover sitter and think it’s her fault. Through instagram Pax looks perfect but I hate to break it to you...Pax isn’t perfect. SHOCKER! So, I called the babysitter, and was a complete betch to start with because I want to instantly blame someone else for the fact that he’s going bonkers and after hearing her voice and how sweet, kind, compassionate she is about the entire situation it instantly shot me back into reality. Man, It’s gotta be really hard for her to tell me things are not going well while we are abroad and she’s worried about her dog and pax getting along. 

I wonder what it’s like to be a dog in a new space. Does it feel like you’ve been abandoned so you poop on the rug? Do you feel constant anxiety waiting for your parents come back? If there is another dog do you have to become the alpha to let them know who’s boss but it’s really just due to your anxiety? 

As a dog Mom it’s challenging not knowing what he is thinking or feeling. I also wonder if I think too deep into all this and need to recognize that he’s a pup NOT a human haha. Being a psychologist I am fascinated by human behavior and in this case, dog emotion and behavior. It’s such a blessing to be tuned into these things...anddddd it’s a curse to be so tuned in as well.

Thank goodness for the dog Mom community- I am grateful. I am grateful for those who can relate, offer advice, laugh it off with me. I am grateful for the other dog mom’s, like my friend, Raechel, who went to pick him up and is with him now. 

Learning lesson here: When you interview dog babysitters- make sure that you are HONEST about your dog. Make sure that their dog and your dog are compatible. Make sure that you explain the needs of you dog clearly. Example: a walk around the block might tucker out one dog where another dog needs to scale a mountain. Most importantly you need to self-check and own your dog’s faults, be authentic, and over communicate your needs. 

That’s all for now... the truth is out there! 

Nikki