Are you a Dogist?

Windsor Mill, Maryland
August 10, 2016 12:12pm CST
ETA!? SPCA!? WHY has nobody done anything law-wise about the ability, or at least the choice to bringing your dog to work or other public places? The benefits vastly outweigh the drawbacks! We could stimulate the economy AND practice all of our manners in the process! It should be our choice if we want to bring Fido with us to work, provided there some limitations and specifications. I would chose to bring Lou Dog with me EVERYWHERE. When I went to work (adjunct instructor)…ahh, work. Alas, the most dreaded part of the day. I bet he’d be a real pain in the @ss in the classroom; running around, nipping, pooping. And if I crated him under my tiny cubicle desk…well, I couldn’t do that. I would rather have him miss me and be comfortable while I’m gone. But HEY! It could be like a certification thing!? “Dog must prove that he can behave in public and not be considered a nuisance” aka training school! If a dog can prove he has passed the Fit-to-be-in-public certification, I could totally bring him in the classroom. Still, DISTRACTION. Students would watch the dog and not listen. That battle, I might not win. I know, I know, you’re thinking about that one weird guy who had an encounter with a crazy dog when he was a child, and now he’s a CYNOPHOBIC! Any ways, the dog would have been through preparation and would not pose a threat to anyone who doesn’t like dogs. I mean, if not jobs, at least public spaces! Don’t be a dog-ist! (meant like ‘racist’), or an interspecialiist! If all dogs were behaved, then only well mannered dogs would be out in public! I would TOTALLY pay $5 to bring Louie to a mall or something with me! Like IKEA? Hellllllo, money!? Do you know how much money people spend on their beloved pets!? You do the math! Allowing a dog to be with their “person” is less anxiety for both parties. Good dog parents would pay to go to the movies and bring Buster. You could totally SAVE people money by allowing dogs into more places! Those people who have chewers, or long-clawed ones, who have spent hundreds of dollars on that g0dd@m couch, the clothes, the shoes, socks…You name it, I bet someone ate it, would SAVE ALL that money and SPEND IT INSTEAD. Economy boost! I’m seriously surprised no one has thought about this. We could totally create universal “Manners” so that all dogs are trained to have the same response in most public situations. For example “No.1 Dogs shall not jump on other people’s furniture without being asked. No.2 No Dogs shall eat-eth, anything drop-ethed.” There would be good Manners such as “No.3 Dogs SHALL greet enthusiastically with out jumping up or moving.” We could have exemptions, like “Purse Dogs shall remain in their purse; no barking. ‘Dogs should be seen. not heard.'” And guess what… we can make even MORE MONEY PROCESSING FINES. What if Lil’ Smoochie got over excited and peed in the middle of Aisle 3? We already have cameras watching for theft. State pays: $0 for security and spy cam. And going potty takes a minute, so that camera has plenty of time to see Princess’ dirty shame face. (Dibs on photographic/artistic ideas!) We would have an official test, and that test would cost money to take… And the training methods are entirely up to their owners, but if there’s any problems, it’ll cost you. Have a public forum or something! Ok, drawback time. How can we “check in” at everyplace we go? How can we get people’s money without going through paperwork and swiping of cards, and sorting the change, etc. PEOPLE. We HAVE the technology, some of the students in the Electronics Program are geniuses, to create a “scanner” of some sort. BAR CODES. There’s a job for those Walmart-greeters. Where I live, I wouldn’t know what to do if I was greeted. The bar code would be linked to your bank account (those without legitimate bank accounts would not be able to, or would have to pay cash every time), just like every other transaction. What about people who don’t want a dog anywhere near their food, or in a restaurant. What then? Our first line of defense is the Manners. “No.4 Dog-eth may not enter-eth unto the kitchen, or wherest humans are consuming food.” We have coat check, why not dog-check? Again…job? All in all, I think that it would be a bold move to actually expect anything to change. But I read, right after we got Louie, in one of those Pet Gazettes) the Top 10 Dog Commandments, or some list like that. Top 10 Things Your Dog Wants You to Know – kind of list? But I remember one, and I think about it everyday. It said “Everything is easier when you are around.” Why not train BOTH species to have better manners. Sure seems like we could use it these days.
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1 response
@Naryas (160)
• India
11 Aug 16
@HaleighElizabeth, I have heard that in the US, dogs can be certified as "Emotional Support Dogs". These dogs are permitted at a wide range of places, traditionally considered restricted, including some airplanes. I am not sure how an employer would react to such a request though. Having said that, I guess in most places around the world, pets are considered as nuisance unless you encounter a fellow animal - lover. And I wish there was a way to change this. The fundamental lies in changing perceptions about how most humans view another animal.
• Windsor Mill, Maryland
11 Aug 16
So true. Exposure from the parents definitely helps. I've encountered many children who are skittish around dogs, I assume, because they have never met one. You make an interesting point about "pets" being considered as nuisances, rather than "members of the family." The US is one of the few countries where people dote on animals, even treating them like surrogate children. So then why stop there? Why not let well- behaved animals out into public? As long as animals are well mannered, and the unpredictability is somewhat controlled, why shouldn't humans and animals get along peacefully?
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@Naryas (160)
• India
11 Aug 16
@HaleighElizabeth In this part of the world I have seen genuine animal lovers as well as those who "buy" fancy breeds only to abandon them later. Stray street dogs and cats are a common sight. I have 2 cats and at one time when I was looking for a rental place to stay, several owners refused to rent out their places because of the cats. But there are kind people as well - people who feed and take care of the strays the best they can. But I like the idea of paying for dogs in shopping complexes. Everyone wins and everyone is happy then!
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• Windsor Mill, Maryland
11 Aug 16
@Naryas I suppose I can understand that some people are just not "animal people," and there's a saying in the US, "only takes 1 rotten banana to ruin the bunch."
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