cshenk wrote:

>>> There's is no need or reason for someone to take their animals to a
>>> pet food store (unless a guide dog).
>>
>> Sure there's [sic] is! I used to take my dog inside the pet store because
>> she LIKED it! So much to see and smell, and so many people to coo over
>> her... It was a treat for her, and a helluva lot more humane and
>> considerate than leaving her in the sweltering truck all alone.
>
> Missed another one Bob. Around here, the Vet office is often inside the
> pet store along with a training facility and a sort of 'day care' where
> you can drop off the pooch for a few hours when shopping elsewhere.

Depends on the dog in question. My dog was very devoted to me, and didn't
care much about other dogs. She would TOLERATE other dogs around, but was
much more focused on people. At the PetsMart where I took her, the "day
care" was also the groomer, and the groomers were visibly disgruntled with
their jobs -- which I'm sure my dog was able to perceive, and it distressed
her to be in that environment. My shopping trips were always less than
fifteen minutes, and usually less than five.

A word about the breed: My dog was a Staffordshire terrier. They are
nicknamed "nanny dogs" in England for their natural patience and
protectiveness toward children. I'm told that it's the only breed which has
no record with the CDC in the USA of *ever* biting a human.

Bob