Taking Our Toys Around Town

My German friend (a whippet owner) just returned from France. She described the French as taking their dogs absolutely EVERYWHERE!! I wish that was true in this country. Right now, Petsmart is their only destination. I used to live closer to a dog park, but no more..

Where do you take your fur babies and where do you feel they're welcome?

 

What makes me mad is how the stars in Hollywood seem to be able to take their pets wherever they please! If I tried to walk into our local mall with a dog in my bag, they would freak out!

 

Ooooh I love whippets. They are so smart.

Anyway, I am waiting to bring home a maltipoo puppy around New Year's. One of the reasons we wanted a small dog is that we live in an area that is very dog friendly. Except for restaurants, most small dogs are welcomed around town, as long as they are on leashes, harness, carrier, whatever. And cafes and snack bars (and the ubiquitous creemee stands) with outdoor seating don't even mind pets as long as they are outside.

I am now starting to research good, safe carriers and restraints that will be comfortable and easy to access in my car, a small SUV. I am looking for something that a small dog (4-10 lbs?) can sit in with some sort of harness, and still not be completely covered in a carrier. For short trips around town. For long highway trips, it seems to me a hard carrier would be safest.

Any suggestions?

 

The only place I can take Bella is to Petsmart really so we go there alot just so she can get out and socialize. I wish I could take her everywhere. I am looking for a really cute carrier to take her around in. I agree celebrities can take their dogs anywhere.

 

Yes, I've always heard that in France, along with a few other countries, the people bring their pets practically EVERYWHERE! :shock:

I wish that's the way it was here in the U.S., the only places that welcome dogs (in my area, at least) are the pet stores (i.e. PetsMart, PetCo, etc.), our pet bakeries, and dog parks...and, well, that's about it! However, we do have regular "pet events" which, of course, pets are allowed, those are always fun!

Janeair~

If you are looking for "pet car seats," they are all over the market, and a great idea to keep your pet safe in the car. Most of the pet car seats have a buckle that you snap on to your dog's harness...always make sure that feature is part of the car seat, very important for your pet's safety. I haven't bought one just yet, still looking! :wink:

Here are a few sites I have come across that have pet car seats, take a look if you're interested:

http://www.petsnap.com/menu-nav/dogcarseatsSBC1.htm

http://www.healdsburgdoghouse.com/carseats.html

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_ ... 7255219865

http://www.snoozer-dog-beds.com/dogcarseats.htm

As far as pet carriers, they make all sorts of those...pet carrying purses, backpack-type pet carriers, and so on. If you do a search for them on the interent, you'll get tons of results!

 

MBSP, thanks for the links. I know there is a ton of info out there -- I am the Queen of Google!!

I'm also a designer, and so, of course every decision is fraught with not only "is it well made and does it work properly" but "is it adorable/chic/cool" or whatever :wink: and of course it has to be reasonably economical (hey, designers in central VT don't make a ton of money LOL)

CHeers.

 

I would think you would like the leapoard print ones that she sent through since you are a fashionista. LOL I would probably lean towards the paisley, but then again I am your average soccer mom

 

nteng, that's just the way LA is! :y_the_best:
It's very dog friendly here. I take my little Nico everywhere! We went shopping at Bloomingdales this morning because I wanted to pick up some new stuff (Juicy couture makes cashmere sweaters for winter now! I always give into to buying new things for every season, even though we don't even have seasons in California :shock There was a little white Pekingese in the store, not in a carrier but just walking around on the floor and another Chihuahua so the manager told me to feel free to put Nico down so he could go socialize while I shopped around. They had fun chasing each other and playing until I was done. So many people bring their pets with them to the malls and running errands. I've never been told to leave because of my dog, and he's come with me to Saks, Nordstrom, etc. without anyone batting an eyelash, and even if you bring your dog into really nice places they don't care as long as they're well behaved. The people at Louis Vuitton don't even mind, they'll just try to talk you into buying a dog carrier too :lol: He even sneaks into PF Changs (yummy yummy restaurant!!) inside his carrier and comes to Starbucks every day.
There's also a promenade here by the beach where everything is dog friendly! I love it! There's tons of Fred Segal boutiques and specialty stores, restaurants, many upscale clothing boutique, bookstores, etc. and lots of people go there. They welcome all dogs of any size even into the expensive shops and the bookstores too. I've taken my Siberian husky and they're allowed to walk right into the clothing stores with you and the stores have water dishes and biscuits set down for the dogs.
Another promenade at a different beach is the same way, and my dog won't ever let me even try to walk past the dog bakery without going in. We always have to go there to buy her lunch, and get some extras to take home.

 

Gwen~

that is UNBELIEVEABLE!! They absolutely wouldn't let a dog into Saks or Bloomies here in Florida, no way. Gosh, you make a great case for MOVING to LA!!

How funny is that?? And how much does a dog carrier run, at LV anyway?? I can't imagine!

I've been to PF Changs in Chicago! Yes, yummy - but I just couldn't see bringing a dog there. Sheesh - it must be nice!

Now, if I could only afford to live in LA & shop on Rodeo Drive...and adopt a few more pups!

 

:0023:
I had figured most other big cities and higher end stores would tolerate it too! Maybe Florida will catch on in just a little bit, I imagine little poofy dogs are quite common there too. I remember when I went to New York this past summer, I saw a few little puppy heads sticking out of bags inside Neiman Marcus so it seems okay there too.
The dog carriers are quite expensive, we'll just say, they're almost as much as my dog! :lol: I had to decline, after all, I was supposed to be buying my mother a birthday present.
When I take him to PF changs I give him one of his big bones that takes him forever to chew, it keeps him busy and then I just close the little flap on his carrier and it just looks like a purse. I just set him under the table and he stays quiet until we leave. I don't know what I would do though if he ever happened to start making noises though!

 

Oh yeah... I was carrying my little puppy in a carrier/purse. You know the one. Reese Witherspoon used it in her movie "Legally Blond 2". She had a little chihuahua (I think) in it. I own that exact purse. It's fun.

My little puppy LOVED to go with me--he was too young, I felt, to be left alone for too long. Truth is, I didn't want to be apart from him. (Gosh, I miss him.) And he looked sooo adorable in that black purse w/the pink trim (he didn't mind the pink. LOL).

I'm told that New York and some of the east coast states/cities allow you to bring dogs everywhere. And so does CA. But it doesn't happen in Chicago.

I'm in the midwest. I'm sorry (I know this won't be popular) :shock: but I almost feel it isn't fair to bring our little darling pooches into public places for 2 reasons:

1) there are too many people who suffer serious allergies from dogs/pets (I used to be one)

2) is it fair to have other larger dogs not allowed while our smaller dogs are "totable" (is that a word?)?


I used to have an Australian Shepherd and a German Shepherd. I wouldn't think of bringing them into a store or restaurant. And I'm very conscientious and would be responsible. But I sure don't want to have to put up with others who aren't. I'm pretty strict on manners, etc. So maybe I'm just being a prude. But that's how I feel about it. (Not that anyone asked. But that's never kept me from having an opinion. LOL)

 

I live here in Las Vegas and just last weekend we were The Desert Passage Mall (inside the Aladdin Casino) and we walked by a women with a Westie in one of those purse carrier things. I was soo jealous. I wish I could have taken Maya with me :cry: A lot of restaurants here in Vegas that have outdoor seating allow you to bring your furry companion with you. As long as you eat outside (duh), their leashed, and well behaved. I know that Baha Fresh or something like that will let you have your dog sit with you in the outdoor seating area (if they have one) And I found that out by doing a search on dog friendly establishments in my area. In fact here's the link to the website I found: http://www.dogfriendly.com

I don't know if it has information on a lot of areas. I don't know where anybody lives :0011: But I hope the link helps you possibly find some other information on fun places to take your furkids, not that Petsmart isn't fun. We go at least every other week.

Later Gator,
Tracie :m34:

 

That's a great site, Cosmic! Well, living in Vegas sure must be interesting. Never boring, I'm sure!

When we evacuated our home in Florida, due to the hurricanes this season, it took me hours to finally find a hotel that would accept dogs.

I hope that someday, the US will be like France and other European countries, and accept our dogs like true members of the fam! :kiss_heart:

 

I got kicked out of wally world with a baby Yorkie it didn't even weigh a lb. I do go to home depot and pet smart alot . and we take them for rides where we wont be going in someplace. Bobo only weighs 3.5 lbs. i wonder how they can see him.

 

I cant bring Trixie anywhere either. Just Petco and Petsmart. She's not even allowed at the beaches unless it is between Oct. and May. I wish I could bring her places but I guess in Massachusetts theres not many places she would want to go.