Today I took Wynston out to Hobby Lobby. I was feeling motivated to buy some items to make Christmas decorations, since I saw all of the Christmas merchandise out a few days ago. Since Hobby Lobby is dog friendly, I figured I’d take Wyn out for some “mommy and me” time!
For those of you who aren’t lucky enough to have a Hobby Lobby in your area, it’s an amazing, expansive craft store. They carry everything a crafter needs including fabric, paint, home decor, decorations and holiday items. They put out all of their Christmas product out very early because many people who make crafts and items for the holidays need to get a jump start on their projects.
Hobby Lobby was busy today. Well, it was Saturday. I carried Wynston from the car to the store (the ground was WAY too hot for a dog to walk on) and once we got in, I set Wynston up in the cart with his blanket. Let the shopping begin!
I was on a quest for a few specific DIY items and any Christmas decor that I couldn’t live without! In one of the first aisles I went down, a lady noticed Wynston in the cart. Her reaction was typical, “Oh my goodness! He’s sooo cute! Is he friendly?!?!” From there, we began to chat. She was telling me about her Chihuahua, Chica, who is a rescue and she is deaf. This is what I love about dog people – you can spark up conversation in the most random places with people whom you may have never spoken to otherwise. After our wonderful chat, I picked up some tiny ornaments and moved on to the next aisle.
As we were walking around, many people had to do a double take. Wynston is small and you may not notice him in the cart at first. But when someone saw him, they’d smile and comment on how cute he is. I know, I know 😉 We went down another aisle and an employee was stocking shelves. When she noticed us, she said hi and was startled to see a dog in the cart. But then, it was allll over. She began speaking to Wyn in a baby voice. I think we definitely made her day. She was very sweet.
Wynston and I shopped for a good while and I filled up my cart. He did really well with all of the people. I brought a lot of treats and gave him lots of praise and reward for letting the ladies pet him. I also gave them treats to give him, and he loved that! Not only do I like taking Wynston with me on outings, but it’s also a good training opportunity.
I ended up buying almost everything I need to get some projects started and I walked away with some fabulous new Christmas decor. I couldn’t resist! I can’t wait to decorate. Even Matt loved the stuff I bought!
I also found this adorable Chihuahua ornament. It’s very neutral so you could even use it for something other than a Christmas decoration.
Do you have any dog friendly stores that you like to shop at with your dog? We have a ton of dog friendly stores in restaurants in Gilbert, AZ! It’s a dog mom’s paradise!
Chelsea Price says
Wynston is so well-behaved! Riley would be far too excited and would never sit still like that. I am obsessed with Hobby Lobby too! My husband and I limit ourselves to one Hobby Lobby trip a month because we always end up spending too much 😉
Amanda says
Hahaha it’s definitely easy to go crazy with the spending at Hobby Lobby! Wyn is very well behaved in public. Khloee would also be way too overwhelmed with excitement.
DZ Dogs says
Very fun! We’re just now getting a Hobby Lobby into our area, they are opening soon!!
I would love to start taking Dante or Ziva into stores, they need more practice though. 🙂
Amanda says
Shopping is a great way to practice behavior in public. Even if you’re off in a corner of the store, at least the dogs are getting an idea of associated sounds and smells. You can also start with short 5 minute runs into the store in order to slowly introduce all of the excitement.