Do You Welcome Pets Into Your Store? Our Brain Squad Sounds Off

Yes: 81%

• We encourage our clients to bring their pets into the store. We always have treats on hand and a water dish if needed. Most of the staff has at least one dog, and my wife and I have two adopted cats and two adopted dogs. — John Hayes, Goodman’s Jewelers, Madison, WI
• We do ask the dogs be on a leash. It has been a positive response and people enjoy being able to bring in their furry friends. — Sue Parker, Nyman Jewelers, Excanaba, MI
• Fortunately, we have not had a need for guidelines. Dogs are the pet of choice visiting our store. Our team enjoys the interaction as much as the dog. The dog owner appreciates our openness to their beloved friend. — Tonia Ulsh, Mountz Jewelers, Camp Hill, PA
• We are customer friendly. I once had a customer who brought a Rottweiler into my store. His head was the shape of an anvil, he slobbered all over me, but the owner bought a couple of gifts for her girlfriends. No problem for me. — Bruce Goodheart, Goodheart’s Jewelry, Overland Park, KS
• The only guidelines are no peeing or pooping in the store! — Frank Salinardi, Linardi’s Jewelers, Plantation, FL
• We allow pets so long as they are nice and well-behaved. We live in a dog-friendly city where people are actively out with their dogs all of the time. We usually require a leash, but the dogs who are off leash are super-trained. It’s never been an issue. For us, the rewards are many as we love animals! It makes the store fun and inclusive. — Betsy Barron, Love & Luxe, San Francisco, CA
• As long as they get along with our dog, then all is well. It is usually the humans that need some guidelines. — Kirsten Reynolds, Windsor Gallery, Salisbury, NC
• Our downtown (where we are located) is very pet friendly. We are near a pet-friendly brewery, and our town even has a dog ambassador, @CharlieDoches. We’ve never had to set guidelines on pets. We carry the DogFever line and give 10 percent of sales back to our local animal rescue groups. In the summer at our major downtown festival, we offer a “dog cooling station”. — Chay Rees Runnels, Rees Jewelry, Nacogdoches, TX
• No guidelines. We neither encourage nor deny anyone who wants to bring a pet. It does allow for an easy personal connection with the customer. — Thomas Licciardi, Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry, Morgantown, WV
• We post Facebook and Instagram pictures of any dogs that visit. Our boxer Maggie is also at the store most days. I don’t know what rewards we get other than a nice community feel and we get to visit with other people’s dogs (we all love dogs). — Mark Snyder, Snyder Jewelers, Weymouth, MA
• Any cat, dog, bird or weasel — we don’t care as long as they’re sociable and they’re sweet, they’re welcome in our store! We even have custom-made organic gourmet pet treats just for the animals that visit. — Denise Oros, Linnea Jewelers, La Grange, IL
• It has been mostly positive, but it can be too noisy if there are too many dogs at one time (we have two here already). — Vickie Wilson, The Goldsmith, Palo Alto, CA
• Big, mean-looking dogs are not invited in because it scares the customers. — Steven Wardle, Forest Beach Design, Chatham, MA
• Before he died, I brought my dog to work. He always wanted to sniff a new butt. — Mark Thomas Ruby, SunSpirit Designs, Loveland, CO
• We have a dog in the store. The customers love it. It makes this place more of a home rather then a store. Obviously, you won’t see the chain stores with a dog in the store. We want everyone including pets to feel welcome. — Michael Kanoff, Michael’s Jewelers, Yardley, PA
• No guidelines, but an expectation for trained pets as we have a carpeted floor. Some of our most wealthy clients bring their pets with them everywhere; we don’t miss out on their business. — Jill Hornik, Jae’s Jewelers, Coral Gables, FL

No: 19%

• Pets have no place in a business. It has become fashionable to take your pet along and intrude upon others as if something is wrong with them if they don’t agree. As my uncle used to say, no one loves or tolerates your pets or your children as much as you do. — Joe Thacker, Thacker Jewelry, Lubbock, TX
• We allow them to come in, but we have the right to tell them to take the dog back outside if we feel they are a problem. — Alan Perry, Perry’s Emporium, Wilmington, NC
• We have had events that involved dogs at the store, and it’s been a major turn-off for a lot of clients. Customers either complain about allergies or not liking pets or just the control of the pet by their owner. — Christine Osborne, Christopher’s Fine Jewelry and Rare Coins, Des Moines, IA
• Owner is allergic to dogs. — Jeffrey Hurwitz, Colonial Jewelers, Frederick, MD
• Landlord does not allow pets inside building. My therapy dog is an exception. — Mark Neumann, Ross Designs, Highland Park, IL
• When you are selling fine jewelry, your store cleanliness and upkeep are soooo important! — Teddie Gause, Gause & Son Jewelers, Ocala, FL