We always need some kind of tool or another – and often we head for the largest hardware retailer in the world: Ace Hardware. Can you bring your dog in Ace Hardware? The simple answer is: maybe.
So can I bring my dog in Ace Hardware?
Different Ace Hardware stores have different dog policies. Many Ace Hardware stores welcome dogs in their stores; Some even have a dog shop.
Our local Ace Hardware is especially dog-friendly with treats at checkout (and they even have a cat in the store!)
Barli and Tiki love going to Ace Hardware:
We visited Ace Hardware locations in Lago Vista and Port Aransas with our dogs many times and have had a great experience every time!
Why do some Ace Hardware stores have different dog policies?
You won’t find an extensive dog policy across the entire Ace Hardware chain because the stores are largely independently owned.
Follow Hardware Ace This website, the chain of stores that began in 1924 “has more than 5,000 stores around the world with the majority of those stores being independently owned and operated by local entrepreneurs”.
So different stories have different policies and of course, those policies can also be limited by city regulations.
Do you know?
The Ace hardware store is named in honor of the “Flying Aces”, fighter pilots of World War I.
Tips to make your trip to Ace Hardware a success
If you determine that your local Ace Hardware store is dog-friendly, the key to having a good time shopping with your dog – and making sure dog friendly shop REMAIN is dog-friendly – taking a few extra steps before and during your shopping tour.
Before your trip
- Pack a leash no longer than 6 feet. This will help keep your dog from getting tangled up on display and minimize tripping risks for other shoppers.
- Leave a retractable leash at home. Retractable leashes can actually pose a tripping hazard in stores.
- Walk with your dog. If you have an excitable or active dog, take the dog for a walk before you go to the store. He’ll be happier sitting with you while you shop if he’s not full of energy.
- Pack a cleaning kit. Along with the poop bag, pack some tissues and hand sanitizer. You never know.
- Pack some high-value dog treats. Pack some delicious dog food to get your dog’s attention and keep it. They are perfect for redirecting your dog’s attention in the store.
During your trip
- Stop the potty before entering the store. Even if your dog pees before he leaves the house, take a few minutes to visit the trees in the parking lot.
- Keep your dog close. For the safety of both your dog and other shoppers, keep your dog by your side when shopping. Not everyone likes dogs or wants to be around your dog (it’s hard to believe, right?!)
- Get any accident right away. If your dog is in an accident, pick it up immediately. Especially if you have a male dog that loves to mark, pay special attention. Increase your walking speed when passing those people or distract your dog with a treat.
Will my dog get scared in a store?
Ace hardware stores are generally quieter than “big box” hardware and homeware stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot. We’ve never seen a pallet loader in the store like we often see in major hardware stores (and the beeping beeps of those wheel loaders can really scare some dogs off) .
Ace hardware stores often have automatic doors at the entrance; Those things can scare dogs the first few times they see them.
You can bring snacks to attract the dog’s attention when entering or just hang out outside the store on the first visit, enjoy and talk in a happy voice when people enter the store with automatic doors.
Your dog will learn that they are no scarier than microwaves, hair dryers, or many other things they have learned to accept in our lives.
Can Service Dogs Go to Ace Hardware?
Yes, a trained service dog needed to assist you is allowed into any store in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):
“Service animals are defined as dogs that are specifically trained to do work or perform duties for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or duties include instructing the blind, warning the deaf, towing a wheelchair, warning and protecting a person having a seizure, reminding a mentally ill person take medication as prescribed, calm a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or perform other tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The job or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. ” – Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Remember that the ADA only covers trained service dogs; It does not include emotional support dogs.
If your dog is not a trained service dog, do not try to misrepresent your dog as a service dog. Depending on where you live, misrepresent your dog as a service dog may be fined up to $1000.
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