Depends on the dog. Some are sedate and will just flop down somewhere until it is time to leave. Others are hyper.

Some people adore having pets around. Others don' t. My bouse, my guidelines. Your house/business, your rules/ guidelines.

AMEN, this is exactly my point, it is no ones business but the shop owner, or house owner, and no ones business if you wish to go or not!

I don't know if it would bother me all that much to have either a cat or a dog in the shop, I'm allergic and have 3 cats, but then again as long as I take my allergy pill every day I'm good. I would buy the fabric and take it home, soak it in some water and be done with it, but that's me.

I live in the same area of the country as you are and may have encountered that same shop on a Shop Hop. I smelled the cat just as I walked in the door and it was very disturbing to me. The shop had great fabric and lots of it but I would not shop there as I don't appreciate the cat odor. I am not particularly an animal lover, however, I am greatly disturbed by people who are cruel to them. Still I do not want them in a store and will not shop where there is one. Not a snob just feel free to make the choice.

According to WebMD, 10% of people have pet allergies, and 20-30% of people with allergic asthma have severe reactions to cats. To me, the potential liability as a shop owner would more than offset any "love me, love my pet" point i might want to make.

Charlotte

How is the shop owner responsible for YOUR allergies. That is like someone going in Walmart down the candle isle, or detergent isle and suing walmart becasue you had an allergic reaction. This is as bad as the guy on the news today suing McDonalds, because they didn't give him enough napkins. For one and a half million dollars no less. At the last minute he had to throw in the race card and claim the manager said "you people". If he did, he could of meant you idiot, not race.

As a former shop owner, but cat enjoyer, it makes me crazy when I discover a cat at a quilt shop.
If I go to the grocery store there are no cats inside.
If I go to the department store, there are no cats inside.
If I go to a mattress store there are no cats inside.
Or at a framing shop.
Or a bakery.
Or a hair salon.
Or a school.
WHY??

Because those places are BUSINESSES that serve the PUBLIC! It is bad for the bottom line to alienate a significant part of the customer base over having the owner's "darling" with her all day at the PLACE OF BUSINESS!! Duh! :shock:

Unfortunately too many quilt shops are NOT RUN by BUSINESS owners, but by hobby-ists. And too many quilt shops don't stay around long either. So sad. :(

Jan in VA

This is really interesting for those that are worried about the cat or dog that is in sight. There was much more if any of you all would like to read, I will add the link
Pet dander is present in nearly all homes in the United States -- including those without any animals. This was the key finding of a research study published in the July 2004 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Dogs and cats lived in only half of the residences examined in the study, conducted by the National Institute of Environment Health Sciences Institute. Results suggest that people who are sensitive to cat and/or dog allergens are highly likely to be exposed to detectable levels of those allergens in their environment regardless of where they live.

The researchers used data from the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing, in which surveyors collected vacuumed dust samples from beds, bedroom and living room floors and living room sofas in 831 housing units in 75 randomly selected locations around the United States.

Dog and cat allergens were detected in 100 percent and 99.9 percent of homes, respectively, even though only 49.1 percent of the homes actually had such a pet.

Interestingly, the researchers found that dog and cat allergen levels were higher among households belonging to demographic groups in which dog or cat ownership was more prevalent, regardless of whether or not the household had a pet. Because dog and cat allergens can be transported on clothing and shoes, the researchers speculated that the community, particularly where dog or cat ownership is high, may be a primary source of these pet allergens. For pet-allergic patients in such communities, allergen avoidance may be difficult.

The vacuum samples revealed that sofas had the highest concentrations of allergens, even in homes without pets, again suggesting that residents and/or visitors brought the allergen material in on their clothing.

Researchers noted that cat dander is a very hardy antigen that stays in the environment for years after a cat is gone. People with severe allergies can reduce their risk by using high-efficiency filters and avoiding plush furniture and carpet.

Other research has shown dog and cat allergens to be prevalent in places like bus seats, park benches, theater seats and waiting rooms in hospitals and allergists' offices. Therefore, "it may be that people who are very allergic to dogs and cats may have to rely on medications as opposed to avoiding exposure," said scientist Samuel Arbes, who worked with Darryl Zeldin on the study.

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIP..._Allergies.php

I used to go to a store where the owner had a huge dog. Everytime I talked in the store, I could smell "dog". I finally got to the point of not shopping there. They went out of business.

Sort of related...I live in wine country and it is almost strange to visit a winery that doesn't have a "office dog" wandering around, even in the tasting room(s). My husband works for a lot of the local wineries and he always likes it when the office dog hangs around while he's doing his work. He takes pictures and texts them to me to show me his "work mate" for the day. There have been multiple "Dogs of the Wine Country" type books published too.

Some of these are multi-million dollar companies. Dogs don't seem to hurt their business one bit. A couple places I actually go to visit my favorite winery dog just as much as I go to taste/buy wine. But I am definitely an animal lover. :)