Quote:

I'd guess a common ground would be to post expectations for people walking in their dogs...fixed leads, dog within a few feet of the owner at all times, no children controlling dogs, encourage use of real training collars (which by the way you can pick up on aisle X)...that kind of stuff. Doesn't seem too much of a stretch to me.

I'd like to see a huge sign that says "NO PETTING OTHER PEOPLES DOGS" too if that were the case.

If the responsible pet owners sole joy in life is going to petsmart with their dog, then that's one poor poor puppy that has nothing else to look forward to other than walking thru a warehouse. If you can go to the supermarket without your dog, you can go to the petstore without him too.

Mike - I could be wrong, but I think you're missing the point. Going to the pet store should be an OPTION, and one that should not be cancelled out because of stupidity and irresponsible behavior on the part of two people (the mother and the dog handler).

Maybe if they make everybody get a Bh before your allowed to take your dog into a store..... Wishful thinking <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Will, you took the words right out of my mouth!! Although the child was the victim of the dog's action, it is the complacency of the mother that is to blame. However, the handler with the dog could have told the kid to back off. This entire thing could have been avoided with just a little bit of scene management and the tiniest spec of brain matter from either of the adults! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Hah, good sign Mike, last time I was in there a PetSmart trainer came up to me and was talking up my dog and estimated he'd "trained over 500 Shepherds." I was about to check out with a pile of stuff, he asked me if he could pet my dog and hold the leash...wasn't really pleased when I said "Nope, thanks!"

 Quote:

So build a store for idiot dog owners <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

they already did. it's called petsmart. i go to my locally owned pet shop. i prefer my money to stay in my community rather than go to some big multinational corporation.

 Quote:

The majority of the blame in this case is with the mother. Why did she allow he daughter to go up and pet a strange animal?
Nice job of stupid parenting, as usual. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

But of course she'll sue and get a boat-load of cash and her own stupid and irresponsibile behavior will never come into question.

Very well put!!

 Quote:

Mike - I could be wrong, but I think you're missing the point. Going to the pet store should be an OPTION, and one that should not be cancelled out because of stupidity and irresponsible behavior on the part of two people (the mother and the dog handler).

That's just it... it's not just 2 people... it's thousands of people every single day, the only difference is that those thousands of people didn't get attacked by a rottie, that doesn't make them more responsible or less annoying.

The last time I took my dog to PetSmart was about 8 months ago, he raised his leg and marked his spot on a bag of dog food, I was totally shocked, he's never peed inside a building before! But guess what, I'm not about to go buy a $50 bag of dog food because my dog peed on it, the employees didn't take the bag of dog food out of circulation, I sprayed it down with the disinfectant stuff they had on the wall n cleaned it up even though the staff member had offered to do it for me. I feel bad for whoever buys that bag of dog food because the staff didn't pull it off the rack. The incident wouldn't have happened if I didn't bring my dog into the store. How many small dogs are jumping all over the racks peeing on toys and food every day accross the country? It doesn't make the papers because it wasn't a rottie and a 5 year old girl, but what if these dogs are sick? What if I go buy dog food there n some chihuahua with some disease had peed on my food an hour earlier?

I am annoyed that there's not many places around Orlando where I can take my dog, but at the same time, he doesn't need to go anywhere either, he gets plenty of exercise at the parks and the grass fields around n walking around my neighborhood n going training a couple times a week.

 Quote:

...,but that company policy required that all animals be handled as if they were perfectly tame,regardless of if they were or not. i asked,'so if i had allowed the bird to bite me,but picked it up your way,i would have gotten the job?'....yep. they had the policy that all the animals had to appear tame and handleable,even if they weren't....incredible

I know what you mean. I worked at a therapy riding stable where the horses were rather ill mannered. There was a policy that we could not discipline the horses or look like we were fighting with them in any way. I got so irritated with seeing problems that could be easily corrected being let go that I quit. (I was also tired of being bitten. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> And don't even get me started on their "trainer"...
Leah

I imagine the smells at Petco can easily overload a pup's cuircuits, but teaching them not to mark in public is part of the socialization process. I have to say that I'd probably feel responsible to pay for actual merchandise my dog peed on, even if that isn't the store's policy.