Visiting Pet Stores with Your Dog: Etiquette to Consider
It’s fun to go on adventures with your four-legged friend! Our dogs love visiting new places as much as we do, but etiquette must be portrayed for everyone to have the best experience. The good news is that a little planning and training will yield a fun and safe visit to the pet store.
The top qualities of a perfect dog to visit the pet store are easygoing, sociable, and well-behaved. However, there is much more to consider before your trip! Remember that when visiting a pet store, your dog will encounter other pets, including dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, and mice! As you can imagine, many scents can make your dog’s nose go crazy, especially if they are bound to hunt! As with any other store, the pet store may be overwhelming for dogs.
To make your trip to the pet store less stressful, check out these tips below.
- Your dog must be polite to everyone around the store. You may have a friendly dog that loves other dogs (and people), but that doesn’t mean other dogs will act similarly. Anticipate encounters with people and dogs of differing personalities and be polite no matter what.
- Always leash up no matter what. It doesn’t matter if your dog is fully trained to be off a leash. Always leash up! This will help prevent your dog from invading the space of other dogs. In addition, you never know if an aggressive dog is around the corner, and it would be a recipe for disaster if your dog were off-leash.
- Expect the unexpected. We mentioned that dogs may be overwhelmed by the store. Regardless of if the dog is house-trained, accidents happen! Thankfully, most pet stores know that accidents happen and have cleaning supplies and products right around the corner.
It’s all about respect. The pet store is a business, and you and your dog should ensure proper etiquette before the visit. Now that you have the tools to succeed, it’s time for a visit so your dog can get its favorite treat and toy! Enjoy the adventure.
