Dogs & Shopping

 My companion is Eddie, he is a greyhound and loves his long walks. 

He's a bit snobby, so full of himself he takes absolutely no notice of people, dogs or cats so he's a joy to take out. He doesn't moult or shed hair either.

Eddie's too big to fit into my car so we go on the bus to Banbury town centre. A typical trip involves getting him weighed and buy dog treats from Crofts, take a walk around the park, then to the pub for lunch at our favourite pub  Ye Olde Reindeer in Banbury. 

I used to have spaniels, I never took them shopping, they were bouncy and attention seeking, not everyone likes dogs. hence  I never established which shops welcome pets or not.

Interestingly it's a bit of a minefield.: I can shop in John Lewis with Eddie but not M&S. I can have coffee in Costa Coffee but not Starbucks. I can go into Mountain Warehouse, Sports Direct, Waterstones, W H Smith,  Lush, Applestore and Waterstones but not Boots or Superdrug. I don't take medication so that doesn't affect me so I buy my cosmetics from John Lewis. 

Supermarkets quite rightly agree that  dogs and food don't mix. The only anomaly being Argos says dogs are welcome but Argos is  inside Sainsbury which has a no dog policy. Not sure how that works.

I can stay in Travelodge but not Premier Inn. I can stay at Hilton, Best Western and Marriott.Eddie has a European passport and an AHC too so we can use the Eurotunnel  Shuttle plus I can use the Ferry to France. P&O which has a pet lounge

I respect and appreciate choice is important for people  who don't like dogs and acknowledge some dogs are not well behaved and bark.  I wouldn't have taken my bouncy spaniels for sure.  They'd  get stressed, restless, attention seeking and silly so it wouldn't be a pleasure.  

I'm intrigued by the rationale behind the decisions when it comes to which companies welcome pets.  I prefer Starbucks coffee but I go to Costa as they allow my dog. I prefer Premier Inns but I use Hilton or Travelodge on breaks. I don't shop online much  because I like to see people. This means  I'm pleased and grateful to the shops, coffee shops and pubs that welcome us both.