Is Home Depot Dog Friendly?
We have taken our little friends (dogs) as part of our family. As part of our family, we want to take them almost everywhere; the park, to work (emotional support dogs), down the street for a walk, and even to the mall for shopping but do you know what stores are dogs allowed in?
Most times we are turned away by the shop keepers, telling us that our dogs aren’t allowed in. This could hurt a lot because we consider our dogs to be kind, friendly, and comfortable with strangers but it’s that really true?
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- Have you noticed how the lady that crossed to the other side of the road when she sighted you taking a stroll with your giant German Shepherd?
- Have you noticed how some kids shriek when you walk close by with your dog? This shows how scared some people are of your cute and loveable pet.
They don’t hate your dog they just have a phobia for it and dogs are sensitive to emotions so if a dog feels like someone doesn’t like them, they will probably get suspicious of the person or treat them as a threat.
Also, some people love dogs so much that they stop to greet every dog they see, they pat them wrongly a lot and this can be quite annoying for the dog. Most dogs might enjoy the attention of this action but how about your dog?
Will it be as nice as the other dogs or will it snap and bit off the tip of the nose of the greeter like the Shih Tzu in Ottawa Canada that bit off the tip of the nose of a lady that bent down to greet the dog.
A lot of dog owners also feel like their dogs are not allowed into stores and this can be an accurate assumption in the case of grocery stores as they do not allow dogs into their stores. Most stores have also proved that this line of thought is wrong.
Stores like Home Depot, Petco, and other pet-friendly stores have proven that you can come shopping with your dogs but due to an incident that happened at a home depot store in Canada, a new policy was implemented.
Home depot is one of the biggest home improvement retailers in the United States of America. They supply tools and also provide products and services for construction. Home Depot in the USA is one of the dog-friendly stores, they are completely excited to welcome your dog with a leash of course.
Also, you may ask; does Lowes allow dogs in or what dogs are allowed in, pet-friendly stores may allow dogs hence Lowes nationwide pet policy allow well behaved leashed pets.
The incident that leads to home depot dog policy;
On the 16th of May, Anne Riel a greeter in a home depot store in Ottawa Canada crouch low to pat a Shih Tzu who just arrived in the store with his owner but the Shih Tzu wasn’t having any of it.
I guess Shih Tzu was not in the mood of making friends but the innocent lady had no idea and she happily pats the dog but the Shih Tzu attacked her. He got the tip of her nose and bite it off, the lady was rushed to the hospital where it was reported that she got 8 stitches and the dog owner was fined $600.
Home depot dog policy that states that;
“Only service dogs can come into the store, service dogs also called assistance dogs or assistance dogs are dogs that have been trained to perform specific tasks that helps disabled people. They are not the same as emotional support dogs.”
Certain incidents where dogs attack customers made the management of home depot to set up these policies.
Dog bite cases in home depot stores
- In 2018 at a home depot store in downers grove Illinois, a young girl was bitten by a Rottweiler.
- In Colorado, a woman ran away from a home depot store after her fog attack a man.
- In Ottawa Canada on the 16th of May 2011, the tip of a lady’s nose was bitten off by a Shih Tzu.
Though it has been noticed that most stores are very rigid with this policy especially in the USA. Home Depot USA is a very dog-friendly store because it appears that only a few stores in the US have implemented this policy.
According to an interview in Doggysarus Home depot policy is quite flexible and is dependent on the store manager’s opinion.
To avoid been turned away with your dog, you must call the store before heading out with your dog.
However, this is quite different in Canada, Home Depot stores in Canada are stricter. Dogs that aren’t service dogs are not allowed inside the store.
Dogs owners in NYC have reported that home depot is one of the pet-friendly stores, In California leashed dogs are also welcomed at home depot.
Stores have per manager policy, a home depot stores policy on dogs can be lax or strict depending on the decision of the store manager.
You must make inquiries before taking your dog to the hardware store to avoid being turned away because of your pet.
Conclusion
We all want to go outing with our dogs but most times we are confused about certain things?
- Will they be allowed in?
- Are they sociable enough?
- Will they snap and attack someone?
Having your pet with you is definitely more fun than shopping alone but you need to verify with a call before taking your dog to home depot or any other store.
As a dog owner, there are certain things you need to put in place before taking your dog to a dog-friendly store. If you own a Chihuahua or other small dogs, you should have a sling, a shoulder bag, or a carrier.
A collar or leash is comfortable and reliable for bigger dogs, this allows your dogs to walk freely while you shop but you will still be in control.
It is very important to ensure that your dog is comfortable among crowds, it friendly and nice to strangers. If your dog is not accommodative to strangers or does not love being touched or pat by strangers you should warn strangers so they don’t get bitten.
