Shopping and Dogs

SUMMARY: Dogs like going places but they're limited.

Last night, when I went to pick up my purse at the ice cream shop, I took the dogs with me. They were, as always, thrilled to be somewhere new. I couldn't take them into the shop (dogs+food=big no-no legally), so I shortened their leashes, hitched them to a rain spout outside the shop, told them to Down, and left them there.

(In our world, Sit or Down mean "don't get up until you're released.")

I could see them through the glass storefront, so everything was fine.

They were very excellent girls, even though we don't proof longer sits or downs much at all.

When I returned and released them, several people made comments about what nice dogs they were. One guy said he has a "mini-Border Collie" (25 lbs), rescued from a puppy mill, whom they exercise enthusiastically every day. Good for him!

I think that well-behaved dogs--particularly those who can do a down stay in a public area!--are a good way to keep the public in favor of allowing dogs in other public places. I'm just glad that no one walked by with another dog.

Today I dashed over to the other mall to return the wallet I'd bought, and really couldn't take the dogs with me. There is a boutique dog store there, and I see people in that shop with their dogs, big and small, on occasion, but I wanted to get some lunch and do a little grocery shopping, so they stayed home.

But this group of people was shopping at Old Navy with their dog, so I asked them to pose for a photo, which they gladly did, and very organized about it, too. And such a well-behaved dog!

There was quite a supply of interesting hats that I could consider adding to my collection.

Mario brothers hat, complete with moustache!

Hand-knit animal hats! You could get just about any type of animal, any color! (These are just the ones in the front window.) But I didn't want to pay $20 for a hat that will go in the attic and be worn only once in a blue moon. $5 at a garage sale, you bet I would!

I checked out the Halloween costumes at Tarzhay ("Target"), 30% off. Quite a few dog costumes, but nothing that cried out "Boost" or "Tika" (although the bunch of grapes was cute). I bought one silly hat. Photo will eventually appear in facebook, in a month or two probably.

But who needs costumes when you can buy high-heeled hiking boots in an actual regular store? I could be ready for more hikes with the dogs AND be a plate of fashion as well!