The Embarrassing Adventures of Shopping with My Puppy

A Day Out with Mouse

I sit here typing this blog post, feeling pretty mortified and embarrassed. You see, about an hour ago, I took advantage of two dog-friendly shops in my local area for a tiny shopping spree.

At first, everything went smoothly. Mouse and I had an entirely uneventful trip around Pets At Home. If you know our story at all, you will understand that The Dog Friendly Map exists because of Mouse. She is, at the time of writing, a six-month-old bundle of poodle fluff sitting on my left arm. Mouse has been nervous since she was born. Nothing specific happened to make her this way; it’s just who she is.

Mouse's Personality

I hoped that being around my two older dogs would give Mouse some reassurance when we are out. But, if anything, she seems to doubt their judgment and chooses to follow her own path. After all, she is a poodle, and to her, my other two dogs seem unable to recognize any potential threat. On walks, she regularly bolts away from us, especially from any threatening old ladies or tiny children. Touch wood, she has always come back to us!

After posting on poodle forums and consulting various experts, I decided that exposing her to the world, including those intimidating old ladies, would be a good idea. Hmmm.

The Shopping Trip

Back to this morning. After finishing our first shop, I made the decision to head to a second shop to pick up some treats. All of my dogs love these treats, but Mouse especially adores them. For one of these tasty snacks, she will even sit like she knows what she’s doing! In this particular shop, the rule is that dogs must remain in trolleys and sit on a mat provided by the store. We had done this before without issue, and I was confident we would do it again today.

Not today. We got settled in the trolley, and everything seemed fine at first. However, as we moved deeper into the shop, heading towards the treats, Mouse began to shuffle uncomfortably.

The Incident

Suddenly, she lowered her back end and pooped. It was one of those moments you wish you could take back. This poop was unlike anything she had ever done before—like a really bad, "I’ve eaten nothing but bad stuff" kind of poop. The smell was overwhelming! I swear she has NEVER pooped like that EVER!

Panic set in as I frantically searched for poo bags. How was it possible that on the day I needed one, I didn’t have a single bag? Not in my bag, my pockets, or even down my bra! Normally, they are EVERYWHERE.

A Scent-Based Emergency

Seconds ticked by. The smell started to permeate the nearby area, and my anxiety began to escalate. I couldn't find anything nearby to help me deal with this explosion of scent-based torture. So, I decided to wheel Mouse outside, explaining to the checkout guy that my puppy had pooped and I would clean it up outside. His face was priceless! The disgust was so clear.

Once we got outside, I quickly sorted the mess, folding the mat and shoving it into a bag. I scurried back inside to explain that she had never done anything like this before. I exaggerated a bit, saying she had a poorly tummy (which she doesn’t) and that I would wash the mat several times until it sparkled. It is currently on a 60-degree wash, and once it's dry, I’ll take it back and try to explain the situation.

A Lesson Learned

Mouse is none the wiser. She's happily sleeping without a care in the world. However, we still don’t have any of our favorite doggy treats. This adventure has taught me to always be prepared when shopping with my dogs.

In the future, I’ll be sure to always carry an ample supply of poo bags when I venture out with my lovely pups. It’s essential for peaceful shopping and minimizing embarrassing moments.

If you're venturing out with your dog, be prepared! You never know when a situation might arise that requires immediate action. Who knows? You might avoid a disaster—or at least prepare for one!

Whether you’re shopping for treats or simply enjoying a day out, remember that dogs bring joy and sometimes a little chaos into our lives.