DFS/Sofology carry a range of sofas in dog-friendly fabric and many of their stores welcome dogs. They said “We’re happy to welcome the whole family in our stores, including your dog! We want them to feel at home whilst you browse, so we don’t mind if they hop up onto the sofa with you. There are also water bowls and treats available to help them settle in.”
With more than half of UK households owning a dog, more and more public places, shops and businesses are opening their doors to our four-legged friends to accommodate our desire to bring them everywhere with us.
Some banks – such as Metro, HSBC and Natwest – allow dogs in-store, but this is often down to the individual branch, so always ask first! Metro is particularly dog-friendly, with bowls of water, dog treats and even dog bandanas in their stores!
John Lewis became dog-friendly in all their UK stores in 2019. In a response to a tweet on Twitter, they said, “We’ve decided to allow all customers, not just those with assistance dogs, to bring their dogs into our shops with immediate effect. Well-behaved dogs only will be allowed in our shops and they must be on a fixed lead at all times, unless they are being carried.”
*Please note that individual stores may have different policies on dogs. Always double-check with the specific store before entering with your dog and respect staff if they ask you not to bring your dog in. Please also bear in mind, some of the stores may be in larger shopping centres that may not be dog friendly.
Some of their bookshops are more dog friendly than others, even leaving out bowls of water – but it’s down to the manager’s discretion, so check with your local branch first (waterstones.com).
Dogs are welcome in the fashion store, and you can combine human and canine shopping by checking out the brand’s matching dog collars and leads available in both of its signature “swirl” and “stripe” designs (paulsmith.com).
Eye up your new iPad, or should that be iPaw-d, in any Apple store with your dog in tow – as long as they’re well-behaved and on a lead (apple.com).
Well-behaved pooches are welcome at Conran and what better companion to check out the designer store’s range of handcrafted toys, woven dog leads and doggy shampoos (conranshop.co.uk)?
Playing to their middle-England fanbase, John Lewis caved in two years ago, lifting their dog ban. Now all their stores welcome pooches – in contrast to Selfridges and House of Fraser, which only allow them if carried (johnlewis.com).
Our first stop is Seasalt Cornwall – a chain of clothing stores across the UK, all of which welcome dogs. Slurping at a bowl of water outside the shop, Calisto is already impressed.
It seems that the high street is taking note. While assistance dogs have the right to enter most premises, some businesses have welcomed regular canines for years, including various independent shops, cafes and pubs as well as big names from Hobbycraft to – where possible – Apple stores, Oliver Bonas and Cath Kidston.
It’s a Saturday morning and I’m crammed into a small changing room, attempting to try on a new pair of trousers. It’s always a struggle with the multiple layers of autumnal clothing, and I’m even more flustered than usual. Because also crammed into the tiny space is a large dog, giving me a quizzical look and clearly wondering if this is the start of a new game. She quickly decides, yes, yes it is.
A pair of trousers catches my eye – can we, should we, attempt it? Going for broke, I take Calisto into the changing room. Her feathery tail pokes out under the curtain. As I am halfway dressed, she decides she’d like to help, then pounces on a receipt left by another shopper.
Mortified, I head for the counter and sheepishly explain the skirmish, reaching for my wallet. But rather than a telling-off and bill for £3.99, I’m given an enormous smile. “When we let dogs into the shop it is a risk we take with having them in, and we like to have them in, so it’s absolutely fine,” says the sales assistant behind the till.
No Dogs Allowed | What Stores Allow Dogs ?!
All dog owners know the pain of having to leave their beloved pet tied up outside a shop while they go inside.
But as time goes on, the UK is gradually becoming more and more dog-friendly, from shops and restaurants to public transport.
Dogs were finally allowed on trams earlier this week (on a three-month trial basis, but still), and it’s commonplace to see pooches tucked under pub tables.
The exception has always felt like retail spaces, which have usually refused dogs that aren’t service animals.
Public reaction was mixed when Wilko announced it would start letting dogs inside some shops, but most people were very on board with the move.
There’s one adorable TikTok account that’s highlighting just how many shops in the UK are dog-friendly, and the list is quite surprising.
The account @archielhasa follows Archie, whose bio says is the ‘floofiest Lhasa Apso on TikTok’, as he hits the high street.
A four-part series of videos that have been viewed millions of times has shown the cute pup visiting stores including high-end department stores, book shops, and well-known fashion retailers.