PETCO in trouble

basically she did say it... i would sometime take my dogs to fit them with either collars or harnasses but thats it...

 

well that's to bad, I own two pit very loving dogs but with the public reation about pits well let's just say that i go to the pet store alone.
And like that other member said on one post is that full grown dog are a liability
and court is in session.

 

I was just thinking about this type of situation, the other day. It was bound to happen, sooner or later. If it's not your dog, you shouldn't take it into a public place, such as Petco. Kids will be there & they act silly about dogs. It's hard to shop & watch what's all going on around you. Someone could walk up on your dog & startle it. I keep kids away from my dogs when, I take them to those kinds of places. I don't want comments from anyone. I would hate to show my bad side, but I will use it.

 

I myself like PETCOs & I take my critters there b/c it is a great place to socialize them - lots of ppl, noise, unfamiliar things & situations & of course kids! But you do have to make sure your dog is UTD on their shots before going.

I do have to admit though it'd be nice if there was a kid-free day or kid-free facility. Kids can't be trusted & they'll ruin a dog in a second. Sadly, there are no places I know of that pet owners can go w/ their pet & actually relax b/c the little buggers aren't there.

As for dogs, that's a hard one. Only truthworthy dogs should be allowed entry. For example, I was at PETSMART once w/ one of my Dobermans. We came to a "T" intersection & a fellow had a brindle pit bull which he promptly snatched up as soon as he saw us. I thought to myself "If he had to worry that much about his dog's behaviour that he had to pick the dog up, why bring it there???!!"

Go figure. As one poster said, it was only a matter of time ...

 

LOL I've done the same thing (at the vets, I've never went to PETCO with a dog so I dont know about there). Sometimes you just absolutely have to take dogs in (rabies shot for example). I notify them before I come in my dogs are dog-aggressive and would like to make sure no accidents happen when I come. Last time I was there they had the office cleared and I got straight to the room no issues....I go to walk out of the room on leash and when I open the door I see a little ankle biter going nuts. My dog is basically skating on the slippery floor (slippery floor, paws, dog trying to run full speed, you got it).....so I had to pick him up and carry him out. I carry my dog anywhere there are other animals around, regardless. I know what breed I own and what could happen, and that is why I pick up my animal in certain situations, and some situations (like the vets) absolutely cannot be avoided all the time. I will say however, PETCO is not the place for any dogs other than 5 lb. ankle biters you can pick up and stick in a purse. I've been there browsing too many times and seen dogs just going nuts-and its accepted there. I've seen a St.Bernard growling at people and next thing you know the damn thing jumped up and broke a bunch of fish tanks (the stocked showcase ones). Seen another lady with a yapper who jumped up, grabbed a bag off the shelf, and pulled it down on itself....the owner wanted to blame PETCO. Some people will never accept responsibility and will always look to blame someone else, especially when theres personal fininacial gains involved.

 

I'm getting sick of the word "MAUL." The dog BIT this girl. She got her lip ripped. That is IT. I see this as a sensationalistic word that is tossed around lightly. Maybe I'm being too critical...but this is my opinion. The headline should have read:

"Dog bites six year old girl on the lip"

Everyone knows full and well that there are dogs roaming around that store. Everyone knows full and well that dogs are animals, animals have instincts. If that girl did something that the dog didn't like and she got bit. That is the mother's fault for not controling her child. Plain and simple. As a consumer, it was her decision to take her little girl into a store PACKED with animals of all types...which includes dangerous ones. YOU PUT YOURSELF AND YOUR DAUGHTER IN THAT SITUATION! And poor little susie Q ends up getting hurt. That sucks for the girl...it really does...but I think the mom is GLAD it happened, so that she can get rich, be fat and happy raking in the corporations money for her daughters mis-fortune. It makes me sick and I wish I was the judge hearing the law suit.

 

14 Rock: The vet's is different, you have to take your dogs there. You do not have to take your dogs to PETCO. If I even have a shadow of a doubt about how my dog will behave, I do not take them to places like PETCO, co-ops etc. As we have seen, it only takes a moment's inattention for an accident to happen.

Iverson's: I think you're being a bit harsh. To me a bite is just that - a bite. The only thing that will result out of a bite is a puncture wound. My God man! Did you read the articles? This child had to go through a 4 hour surgery to re-attach her upper lip!! I've been badly bitten before & that doesn't sound like bite to me!! This kid's whole upper lip was ripped off!

Now I agree it is the parent's responsibility to keep their kids safe & I don't agree w/ the mother wanting to hassle PETCO. But have some friggin' compassion for the child!

 

Understood....I was just saying for the sake of arguement there are SOME places where the dog needs to be picked up or whatever. Your right though, if you need to at PETCO you dont need to be there.

 

After our dogs reached a certain age, we stopped taking them to Petco/Petsmart, but still take them to Home Depot with us. There are good socialization opportunities, less chance of running into other dogs and the aisles are nice and wide.

 

They allow dogs at Home Depot? I go there for supplies all the time (I work construction, and am also completing building a house for my father) and have yet to see a dog there. I can understand socialization of pups there safely, but I dont see any purpose in bringing an adult dog there when you could be shopping.

 

They allow them here in Colorado, also at the Sportsmen's Warehouse. And depending on much shopping we have, we'll take them with us (I usually go with my husband, so that one us is holding the dogs).

 

Wow, that must be nice!

 

"i only took my eyes off her for a second states the mother of the now missing child" If i can train my dog to stay by my side you can teach your child how to act right in public. please im so tired of hearing how oh i try to talk to him/ her but they wont listen. if your child is a bad ass or doesnt behave properly IT IS YOUR FAULT. Just like this dogs handler who was not the dogs owner should pay for this surgery bcs he did not have control of his animal and especially if he said to the little girl you can pet my dog Bang your fault as the leash holder. the poor animal lost its life because of group stupidity. Petco is not liable in my mind bcs they have an open policy on animals in the store and anyone shopping there should know they will be inside.

 

Seal, do you have children? Because children have minds of their owns... I love it when people say "if it was my kid they would behave" You don;t know about that child and what the parents have / havent done.

tell you what seal.. go foster a child that has been in and out of foster homes for awhile and then tell me how easy it is to "train" a child

Children arent puppies or dogs..

 

IMO, the handler of that rottie should have taken more precautions with that animal. I'd be suprised to hear if this was the dog's first display of aggression.
I raised and trained the breed for almost 16 years. Behavior issues don't just "pop up" out of no where. Their nature is fairly predicible, tho NO dog can be TOTALLY predictable. However, if ANY animal is put into ANY situation that is unfamilar with, (and I've seen MANY animals do a 180, in terms of behavior issues), an owner/handler, by being responsible, should anticipate that behavior, and restrain their animals accordinally.

 

IMO if a kid misbehaves or acts poorly it is the parent's fault. Now you're right, kids aren't puppies or dogs. They're smarter than puppies or dogs! As such, there is no excuse for a poorly trained child except a lazy, spineless or selfish parent.

There are tons of things I'd like to have done as a kid but didn't b/c I knew if I did my mom would turn me inside out. If she said "stay by my side" in a store, I did. If she said "don't touch the dog" I didn't. But this new "time out" generation of parents hasn't put enough fear of God (or fear of spankings!) in kids. That's why nowadays the kids run the parents instead of it being the other way around!

And as a side note, if you've got a foster kid, you're not training it, you're re-training it. Big difference!

 

Anyone ever try and tell a three year old to stay by their side while they are looking at something?????? Not happening. I've seen it with my son, my cousins kids, rich people's kids, poor people's kids. They don't offer obediance training for kids. And when you are working, going to school and taking care of two little ones making sure your toddler sticking by your side when you have that one hour to go out is sometimes just not on your mind. Whoever says that it's the parents fault must not have kids or must not have to deal with their kids when they are in that situation. If I'm going to take my kids to petsmart/superpets/petco or any place where kids and animals are allowed to intereact I go in knowing ANYTHING could happen. Heck for all I know tomorrow a meteor will land in my front yard. But I'm not going to spend the next five weeks making dog owners happy while I train my son to heel. Kids are kids and dogs are dogs. Nobodies perfect. If you would like come to my house and try to train my child. HA HA HA that'll teach you.

 

No, thats exactly the point. DEAL WITH YOUR KIDS. There is nothing short of ADD that should cause your kid not to listen to you. And if your kid is not listening to you, ya dont just let them do it....you correct it. Dont care what the correction may be...but you dont let your kid walk all over you...And that starts at a very early age. Hell, put him on a leash if that's how lazy a parent wants to be...but for god's sake...YOU ARE THE PARENT. I never once got hit as a child...all my father had to do was look at me with this look of disappointment, like he was ashamed of me or he didn't want to be my friend, and that was enough to make me/us act right. My parents NEVER had a problem with us in private and damn sure not in public.

 

Don't make Excuses for you inability to handle your children accordingly. You are at Fault if something should happen to your children in your care...out side of the scapes bumps and bruises that kids get.

There are many community's that do offer training and parent guidence classes .....It is your responsibilty as a parent to 'Train' your children!!!! When you think that 'training' your children might not be on your mind or your just to tierd to get it done.....There are many org's that are willing to step in and swoop those kids from you.....Like the State that your living in....or even worse...Abduction.

Making joke or light of your childrens welfare....is not humorous.

 

I dunno Defend. If you've got that much on your mind that you can't tend your kids I would respectfully recommend you stay at home. The safety of your kids is paramount, not to say that it is also the polite thing to do in light of the general public. And IMO if you can't trust your 3 y/o to stay by your side while you're looking at something either you shouldn't be looking or he shouldn't be there (i.e. get a sitter).

And forgive me for asking, but whatever happened to hand-holding?? Whenever we had a toddler in the household & we went shopping, someone was always holding that child's hand to make sure it didn't wander off!

I agree you indeed see misbehaviour in kids from all walks of life. But that goes back to the jelly-backed mealy-mouthed "time out" type of parenting we see today. It's not a "kid thing," it's a "parent thing." Always has been & always will be. Need proof? Did you defy your parents in public? I know didn't. You think your parents did? Or grandparents did? Heck no, b/c when we, our parents & our grandparents were coming up we knew if we defied our parents in public we'd get the hair spanked off of us!

And yes, they do offer obed. training for kids. It's called The Bible. One phrase that comes to mind is Proverbs 13:24 - "Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him!" (ESV). But if that's a little too old school for you, there are parenting classes available as well as scads of parenting books.

As for teaching your son to heel that's great. But you aren't doing any dog owners a service by doing so, you're doing a service to your child.

And thanks for the invite to your house. I'd love to try to train (or more accurately re-train) your child! Where did I leave my bag of switches ..? lol ...