Should Dogs Be Permitted in Bookstores?

This afternoon, my dogs and I visited Barnes & Noble, the one that is closing in Georgetown, that I wrote about, begging for support a couple of days ago. A little girl approached Little River, cute bichon, and when he barked, she emitted a piercing, high-pitched scream, that reverberated in  near- empty store. The manager came over to us, and told them that we would have to leave immediately, because dogs were menaces to children. My shy little pup barks -- that's what dogs do -- bark --, but he has never bitten or even snapped at a person or thing, in his life. It does not follow, that a bark means that a bite is coming. At this bookstore, where the store clerks know the dog-regulars' names, I have been told that customers who bring their dogs, are among the store's most-buying and most regular buying big book spenders. . When the little girl screamed when River barked at her, because she invaded his space, her parents loudly said that the dog should be better controlled.  I gathered that the incident of River barking that caused the girl's screaming, has resulted in the banning of all dogs from this Barnes & Noble. The bookstore is closing, so this fight is not worth it... This does, however, broach the larger issue: should or should not our pets be more integrated into our everyday lives and spaces, as they are in Paris, and other European cities, and Chicago, judged to be one of the most dog-friendly US cities? Our dogs are our family members. 2010 US Census Bureau Stats confirm that more than 50% of American households have at least one dog and or cat.... When my son was little, and had temper-tantrums in public places, like this very Barnes & Noble (when he wasn't called on first, during story hour in kids' book section), it was not demanded that he leave. It seems that dogs should be permitted in bookstores, and place of commerce, not restaurants. More importantly, given the numbers of dogs in the US, it seems imperative that parents teach their children to respect and not fear animals, to ask first if they can be petted, and respect that people talk and dogs bark...