question - traveling with my dog

[Lucius]

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for guidance and advice from people that have experience traveling with dogs.

My only concern is what to do when I need to go inside a building...
I have a 7 month old female border collie/german shepherd mix. She loves traveling and has experience hitchhiking, so there's no doubt she makes a good road dog... I just haven't been in the situation yet with her where I need to run inside a store for food. I'm visiting family at the moment so I have time to figure this out, but soon I'll be back on the road full-time with my dog.

I know all about the option of faking a service dog, of which I think she would do fine... she is of the right breed, she trains easily and behaves in public, but I'm worried about running into trouble because I'm a traveler with a service dog. I have medical records from chronic respiratory problems that I can slightly twist the truth to be fully qualified as disabled and in need of a service dog, but I wouldn't want to get caught faking.

The only other option I see is leaving her tied up outside while I hurry inside. But this really scares me. She is very loving and friendly and I'm afraid that I would walk outside one day and she'll have been stolen.

So what do I do?

[davidroger]

adapt

[Lucius]

thanks but that doesn't help answer the question

[Scrappy]

With my dog in that situation I tied her leash and usually under a table or whatever was there if possible. My best laid plan was to go into the store and get whatever very quickly, and if there was a line, I just asked the person behind me if I could be right back as I was checking on my dog. You never have perfection in anything, so do your best. Faking the situation of the service dog works on buses but I made up a very believable and well done card to back it up, complete with plastic seal. Into stores however, it's more trouble than it's worth. Just go fast and return often to check, or find someone who will watch the dog while you are in there. I never lost my dog.

[Raus]

I definitely wouldn't fake a service dog, if you are found out, it just makes life harder for people who have legitimate service dogs. I don't think it is that difficult to get your dog certified as a service dog though, depending on her temperament and training.

A lot of the time I was fortunate to be hitchhiking with a partner, so often she would be the person to go into the store while I waited outside with my dog.

I understand your concern though. And when I was alone, I just tried to pick smaller stores, so I could see the door easily. I would tie up my dog near the door and try to always keep her in sight. Don't try to do a ton of shopping inside something like a Walmart. Pick small Mom and Pop stores and convenience stores. Also, some areas are very dog friendly. I spent a lot of time in Wyoming and especially around Jackson, I brought my dog into bars, restaurants and stores all the time. It never hurts to ask.

I was also lucky enough to have a dog that was obsessively loyal. If someone had tried to take her she would have pulled and forced the person to forcibly drag her. Honestly, I worried more about her snapping at a person that spooked her or tried to mess with her because she was shy and a seriously one person dog. So I like I said, I just made sure to always keep her in sight while in a store.

Hope that helps.

[Lucius]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions!

Has anyone ever had any negative experiences leaving your dog tied up outside while you go indoors?


It doesn't matter where I am, someone will always come up to me wanting to pet my dog. So maybe I could sit outside a store and wait for someone that seems nice, someone I wouldn't expect to steal her, and ask that they sit with her while I run in for 10 minutes. It still scares me though.

What about my pack... any thoughts on whether it would be better to leave it next to my dog or take it in with me? I know I am running the risk of getting both stolen if outside, but maybe it would deter people from coming up to her if they think she is guarding my pack.

Or maybe I could put a lock on her harness and lock her onto something... that could work!

[RangerChris]

Yea, the by-law officers in Whitehorse said leaving him tied up outside a shop made him technically "at large", said they could have put him in the pound and threatened to fine me. I told them they were out of line to have a problem with someone walking their dog downtown and grabing a bite to eat or coffee and that most large cities down south have no issue with such a thing, they quickly dropped it but its law here aparently...

[Lucius]

Well I'm on to something now...

I was just kidding about putting a lock on her harness but I think it might just be the perfect solution!

I searched the web and found this locking leash: http://www.goldielock.ca/
It seems this is the only company making these things which explains the high price of $80usd, and they're based in Canada. I'm not going to drop that much green on a steel cord and lock so I'm making my own. I'm thinking about using a thick gauge chain to wrap around both the neck and chest which will be secured at the top with a lock. From there I could use a good bicycle locking cord to secure her to something.

Great idea huh? This is going to cure all of the worries I've been having for the past six months! I'll post up the final result when finished so anyone else in the same boat can try it out.

[RangerChris]

YES, take that bylaw dicks!