I’m torn when it comes to shop dogs. On the one hand, it just doesn’t seem to be completely professional, and there will always be a customer who has a problem with the dog, no matter how sweet, calm and loveable. But on the other hand, they can be so welcoming and a great way to break the ice with customers.
The owners of one of our stores has a Boston terrier (so of course I love her immediately) named Dixie who comes to the store with them. During a visit to their store I gave them the official company line and suggested that maybe it wasn’t the best idea. They then showed me a newspaper article (framed, naturally) showing her. The local paper had recently done a story about working dogs in area businesses, featuring Dixie complete with a photo of her in her bed by the sample wall. She said that people came by to meet her, and some of their customers drop by just to see Dixie once in a while.
Well, in days when it’s a challenge to get people in the doors for any reason, I couldn’t argue too strongly about them bringing their local celebrity to work.