Where's The Leash?

Sometimes I just have to shake my head at customers.

Like, anyone who's worked retail has experienced the customers who have sense of anyone beyond themselves. The ones who leave trash everywhere, who don't pick up after themselves, who leave messes in their wake and don't care that they made no effort to fix/clean it up. 

But there's other customers who just don't....think?? Like for some it's definite stupidity. But others it's probably a general naivety of "what could go wrong?!" where they just think what they're doing is fine.

Today....today it was with dogs. Specifically dogs not being on a leash.

Like. 

I don't understand the customers who think it's okay to have their dog unleashed in public. Especially when it's inside a store. 

And granted there's a minimal few dogs who are well behaved and will stay right by their owners and obey everything.

But for the most part? The customers suck at keeping their dogs next to them. They just set said dog on their ground tell it to 'stay' and then promptly turn their back on the dog letting it 'wander' because it 'won't go far'

Which we don't allow dogs unleashed in our store. For a variety of reasons. And it's amazing how some people just don't understand why that's the case.

Like yes, there's the 'trained dogs' who will obey their owners and stick nearby. But 99.9% of the dogs who come into the store have owners who have no clue what they're doing and have no real control over their dogs.

In any case.

Like....I don't see why they think it's okay to let their dog just wander around willy nilly.

LIke off the top of my head I can think of at least 3 issues.

1. There are customers who do not like dogs, are afraid of dogs and/or are allergic to dogs who are trying to do their shopping for their other pets in peace and will not appreciate your 'precious little baby' coming running up to them to say 'hi.' Because they don't know if this dog is friendly or if it's coming to attack them.

2. Other dogs may not like your dog. Your dog might not like them. Having both dogs on a leash will allow the owner to control them (unless it's those stupid retractable leashes) enough to pull the dogs away from each other if there's an issue. It's to keep all the dogs safe so that if there's a dog doing socialization training or just wanting to walk around without getting involved in the weather outside....they can do so without fear. 

3. We have automatic doors. If you don't have your dog on a leash there's a risk that they'll run straight for the doors leading outside. And said doors will automatically open. Your dog is not 'safe' and 'secure' in our building. Hence the leash. If the dog is on a leash it can't usually escape. And that decreaes the risk of said puppy dog running straight out the doors and getting hit by a car in either the parking lot or in the busy road that's literally right next to the store.

So yah.

I don't like customers who just....don't think. They don't consider the consequences. They just go "Oh let me put fido on the ground he'll be safe!" and think nothing more of it until one of us workers have to approach them and ask them to either a) pick up their dog and keep said dog in their arms or placed in a cart/carrier or b) offer them a temporary leash to use while they're in the store.

Like. 

It shouldn't be that hard.

And yet it is.

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi