Don’t Like Your Dog-Gone Attitude

(I work at a shop near a pet store but I’m often there to visit my friends who do work there, and their pets. On this visit I’m sitting on the ground petting my friend’s dog.)

Customer: “Excuse me? Do you work here?”

Me: “No, I’m sorry, I don’t.”

Customer: “Is that your dog?”

Me: “No, it belongs to the girl who works here.”

Customer: “Where is she?”

Me: “She’s in the back helping someone. She should be back in a minute.”

Customer: “Can you lock him up?”

Me: “What? No, he’s not my dog.” *at this point the dog, who’s tied up, is sleeping in my lap*

Customer: “Well, can you put him in the back?”

Me: “No, he’s not my dog and I don’t work here.”

Customer: “Well—” *she gestures to the small dog she’s holding* “—my dog can’t be around other dogs. He’s a rescue and I don’t know how he’ll behave. You should get rid of that dog.”

(Her dog doesn’t really seem to care about anything going on around it.)

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, this isn’t my dog so I can’t move him.”

(She started to again tell me why I should get rid of this other dog in a pet store but because I didn’t work there I gave the sleeping dog a snuggle and left.)