I take my springer spaniel "Charlie" to work everyday. He is the official greeter. About 99% of the people just love him, he has a very sweet face and quiet personality. Some come in and ask for him, if he is taking a snooze and not out front. He even has customers bringing their dogs for a little play date, just for a few minutes. We have a sign on door alerting that a "friendly dog" is inside. We do have a gate that can go up at a moments notice just in case.
do any of you have shop pets?
- Thread starter KABERS
- Start date
Johan
New Member
- Oct 20, 2008
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- State / Prov
- West Yorkshire
This is just like my shop. My meeter and greater is my 13 year old JRT/Dashund X Arnie. He's by far my customers favorite. In summer he likes his bed in the window and children and little old ladies sing 'How much is that doggie in the window' at him. He is mega cute and rather famous around the village. If I'm on the playing field the kids all call him.
dlnfloral
Beaches,Umbrella Drinks and Jimmy Buffett Are Call
dlnfloral
Beaches,Umbrella Drinks and Jimmy Buffett Are Call
I bring my golden retriever, Ozzie, to work almost every day. My customers love him, luckily people who love flowers also seem to love dogs! He is quite large, although very gentle. Customers often stop in with their kids just to say hello and get a kiss.....I've only had a few people who have asked that he be put in the back room. I consider myself very fortunate to be in a position to bring him to the store as often as I do, and our little walks down the block to water the telephone poles do wonders for clearing my head....
dhamil6490
Active Member
Just after we bought the shop in 2006, I had a friend ask if we wanted a "free" cat. No such thing. This poor animal was a train wreck when we got her. Had everything infected, malnourished, flea ridden, etc. We got her back to health and named her Daisy. Lot's of customers like her. She's tolerant of children. Love having her here. We play "chase" at night. When I turn off the lights that's her cue to go hide somewhere and jump out at me when I pass by. So I started hiding, too and waiting for her. Love to watch her jump straight up when I catch her off guard. She's the first cat I've had that actually plays with me.
Toddxxx
Well-Known Member
anytimeflowers
Linda
I have a bengal too, but he stays at home because he chews wires. Mouse, speaker, phone, any wires. Does your bengal play in water, too? Mine does. Weird. He especially likes to take silk flower heads up from the basement, drop them in the dog's water tub, and then bat them around.
Toddxxx
Well-Known Member
Yeah, he likes water - drops his toy balls in his water bowl, then leaves them in the sink for us. Drops his toys in our shoes. I had to pull the "power" button off my key board because likes to hide behind the monitor and swipe at my hands, often hitting the power key and shutting me down. Plays fetch - all sorts of crazy stuff.
Rhonda
Well-Known Member
Photo Op today... blind cat in the sunshine window (age 21) and her guardian (now that she can't see but she smells him) the 8 yr old choc lab.
Thank you for rescuing her and giving her a safe place to fall. All my pets have been rescues. I've rescued them and they have done the same for me in spades.
V
V
As much as I can appreciate rescuing animals and keeping them for pets, I want to share a story with you that happend last week.
I get a call from a shop owner who is closing. He says he has some stuff and would I like to come check it out. Sure, and we go right over.
I walk in and the smell of what I describe as "dirty pet shop" was over whelming. To the point of almost gaging. And the source of this smell was a teeny tiny chiuaua.
The entire shop was filthy. We did buy a few things, like a couple of fixtures, quick dip, aqua plus, wire and some containers. I so wanted to buy some of his plush but was very afraid it would have that nasty smell.
Sometimes I think just as I can no longer smell the flowers, sometimes people can't smell that dirty pet shop smell.
There is another shop in town that has a cat. Everytime I go in there everything and I do mean everything is covered in hair. Quite gross. And of course the cat smell.
Now up at Schluter Floral in Durango there was a designer who had a chocolate lab. That dog was awesome, but only came occasionally.
Amys dogs (ridgebacks) scare the holy crap out of me and is the sole reason I never went to her house and when they were in the shop I walked on egg shells because they scared the poo out of me. I mean they really really scared me. It's always the "big baby" dog or the "He's so gentle" dog that bites people.
I'm 100% for kindness toward animals. I even tried to nurse a humming bird I found hurt at Home depot this past spring. Every cat or dog we had growing up was a stray we took in.
I'm telling you- If I were a customer and had walked into that shop with that smell I'd never buy anything and I'd never ever go back. And people who are scared of Big dogs, are REALLY scared of big dogs.
Just sayin'
I get a call from a shop owner who is closing. He says he has some stuff and would I like to come check it out. Sure, and we go right over.
I walk in and the smell of what I describe as "dirty pet shop" was over whelming. To the point of almost gaging. And the source of this smell was a teeny tiny chiuaua.
The entire shop was filthy. We did buy a few things, like a couple of fixtures, quick dip, aqua plus, wire and some containers. I so wanted to buy some of his plush but was very afraid it would have that nasty smell.
Sometimes I think just as I can no longer smell the flowers, sometimes people can't smell that dirty pet shop smell.
There is another shop in town that has a cat. Everytime I go in there everything and I do mean everything is covered in hair. Quite gross. And of course the cat smell.
Now up at Schluter Floral in Durango there was a designer who had a chocolate lab. That dog was awesome, but only came occasionally.
Amys dogs (ridgebacks) scare the holy crap out of me and is the sole reason I never went to her house and when they were in the shop I walked on egg shells because they scared the poo out of me. I mean they really really scared me. It's always the "big baby" dog or the "He's so gentle" dog that bites people.
I'm 100% for kindness toward animals. I even tried to nurse a humming bird I found hurt at Home depot this past spring. Every cat or dog we had growing up was a stray we took in.
I'm telling you- If I were a customer and had walked into that shop with that smell I'd never buy anything and I'd never ever go back. And people who are scared of Big dogs, are REALLY scared of big dogs.
Just sayin'
well
I bought a crate for Zeke (my avatar) so he can come occasionally to work with me. As he gets more mature and if it works he may come everyday, we will see. Right now at the puppy stage, he is just too BUSY, hence the crate for some quiet time. ha ha.
I want him here more for me and security - or the thought of security
. Especially since it now gets dark about closing time.
I bought a crate for Zeke (my avatar) so he can come occasionally to work with me. As he gets more mature and if it works he may come everyday, we will see. Right now at the puppy stage, he is just too BUSY, hence the crate for some quiet time. ha ha.
I want him here more for me and security - or the thought of security
. Especially since it now gets dark about closing time.
My shop smells like a flower shop despite the cat. I think it has more to do with the owner than the animal. Any shop can be dirty and smelly with or without an animal if people don't keep up with the cleaning. We vacuum the shop and the cat (he's deaf) daily to make sure there is no fur. I've been in shops that are gross, stinky, and even smokey and it had nothing to do with the pets.
Actually, here's a video of the daily cat vacuum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P84NuRBQABk
Actually, here's a video of the daily cat vacuum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P84NuRBQABk
that is too cute!
I can't believe your cat will sit still for that. My cats (at home) RUN when the vacuum turns on. And the DOG he attacks - it is his herding instinct I guess.
anytimeflowers
Linda
I thought that was one well-behaved feline, too! My cat LOVES to be vacuumed, but he rolls all over the place trying to "show" where he wants it.
PS, I'm quite sure my last statement is good for a quote of the day, I'm leaving it anyway!
PS, I'm quite sure my last statement is good for a quote of the day, I'm leaving it anyway!
Sarah- I don't know what worse- Cigarette smelling shops or stinky pet smelling shops!
I can personally remember when the designers would smoke as they were designing. Crazy to think about it now!
I can personally remember when the designers would smoke as they were designing. Crazy to think about it now!
herndonflorist
Well-Known Member
I am not sure if you can call them pets when you can not pet them, But we have fish in our pond that are "trained" to swim over to customers when they come in, hoping that the customer will feed them! We have a lot of "fish lookers" who stop in to visit the Koi! I have had people tell me they used to visit our shop to see the fish when they were kids. You just never know what will attract people to your store, and make it a place that will stick in their mind. I have always tried to make the shop a beautiful, peaceful place to visit, and the pond and fish are a big part of that. I suspect having a shop pet would be the same thing.