Shopping Trip

Friday - May 7, 2011

My partner was late in grooming me this morning. Afterwards she put her jeans on and I knew we were leaving the house. Next she picked up my vest and that's when I realized we were going shopping! I love going to stores - people admire me and make my partner happy. But a lot of the time people stare at us and interrupt what we're doing or run up and try to pet me and that makes my partner feel sick and I have to take her to a safe place and make her well again. 

The first place we went was PetSmart. It is a very smelly store. Other dogs pee all over and I want to sniff these marks and learn who was here and leave my mark to tell them I was here too. But my partner always tell me "Leave It" and I have to stop reading those marks. 

My partner got a lot of stuff for my cat, NuNu. I like him. We sleep together and share treats. And every time my partner comes here, she always gets lots of stuff for NuNu, but rarely gets anything for me! I used to get groomed here until my partner saw something that made her very mad and she never brought me back. NuNu would like this store. It has all kinds of food and treats and toys and kitty furniture. NuNu would have a lot of fun here! My partner took my vest off and told me I could "Pick a toy!" I wandered up and down the aisle a couple times looking and sniffing and even picked up a football. But I already had one of those at home. I couldn't find anything that I wanted, so my partner put my vest back on and we went to go get me a big box of fresh Milk Bones - yummy!

While my partner struggled to get the big box off the bottom shelf and onto the cart,  there were 2 elderly humans that were staring at me. They asked why I was wearing a vest. My partner said I was a Service Dog. They didn't know what a Service Dog was. They hadn't even ever heard of Seeing Eye or Guide Dogs for the Blind! My partner had to spend a long time educating them about the different types of Service Dogs and then what type of SD I am.

Then we went to Rite Aid because my partner needed some vitamins. I like this store because the employees always smile at me and say hello, but never interfere with us in any way. It is very relaxing in this store. The only interaction is asking if we need help locating anything. My partner whispered that she was gonna get a treat - I really perked up at word!! Well it turned out it was a box of ice cream for herself, not a bone for me...

Next we headed to Roseville to get food for me. It's a long drive that takes almost an hour. My partner was upset that the buttons that make the cold air blow thru the SUV wasn't working and it was a very hot day. She had my fan in the back seat blowing on me. She pulled over right away and took my vest off, so I just had my seat belt on. That felt better.

At Ben's where we get my good food, they had one of their Min Pins behind the counter. And as usual, it charged out, barking and snarling at me! I just stood my ground and stared at it while the young clerk grabbed it and tied it up. I looked and looked but could not find Miss Sally. She always pets me and helps my partner get my food. She talks to my partner and makes her happy which makes me happy! And when we're all done, I'm allowed to do a Paws Up on the counter and Miss Sally gives me a very tasty treat! I like her a lot - and not because she gives me a treat. Just because she is a good human. We were both very sad that Miss Sally was not there today...

We had left the house at 11am and didn't get home until 3pm. It was a very long day for both of us. I got rewarded with a Milk Bone as soon as we got into the house and NuNu got a treat too. We were both very tired. After dinner I got my usual nightly grooming. And as an Atta Girl I also got a nice relaxing massage. My partner kept telling me how good I was today. She went down a long list from the time we left the house until we got home, of all the things I did that were good, and right, and helpful, and professional, and stuff like that. I was half asleep and didn't understand a lot of the words she was saying anyway. I just know that I did my job and was never corrected except for a couple sniffs in PetSmart. I made sure my partner stayed upright and got to where she needed to go and made certain that she did not get sick. That is my job, and that is what I did. Enough said! So keep on keeping on...

Kalifornia Kota