When did chickens become exotic pets?

[chisNchickens]

Lowes really? What are they going to help you decide what color to paint the bathroom?

Yep. Lowes is a great place to take your dog for show prep. I do it, but I also make sure they don't bother anyone OR lift a leg, etc. I have never had one complaint. Only lots of (unwanted) attention. But that is good for the dog so I don't object.

 

[duckinnut]

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A pet store I can see bringing a dog but dont get Lowes. Granted I know what you are trying to accomplish but bear in mind some people are deathly afraid of dogs and shouldn't have to worry going to a place as such. I feel people treat the animals like people,they are not!!! I would love to bring my cigar into Lowes or anywhere I please but out of respect of my fellow humans I dont. There are people deathly scared of second hand smoke and I respect that. People seem to worry about themselves more than their fellow man and thats sad.

 

[southerndesert]

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A pet store I can see bringing a dog but dont get Lowes. Granted I know what you are trying to accomplish but bear in mind some people are deathly afraid of dogs and shouldn't have to worry going to a place as such. I feel people treat the animals like people,they are not!!! I would love to bring my cigar into Lowes or anywhere I please but out of respect of my fellow humans I dont. There are people deathly scared of second hand smoke and I respect that. People seem to worry about themselves more than their fellow man and thats sad.

Well now I'll give that a X-2

 

[dainerra]

Lowe's allows pets. I've had my dogs there a million times. Lowes, Home Depot, the farm supply stores, anywhere they are allowed, I bring them

Why? Training is good for dogs. Being around people - screaming kids, rumbling carts, strange smells. Did you know that the "goal" of socializing a new puppy is 100 new things in 100 days? Another of my favorite ways to socialize is to sit on the benches outside of Wal-Mart.
We don't corral people in a back aisle when they are afraid of the dog. We just go about our business (if I am picking something up) or wander through the empty aisles of the store if we are just there to get out of the house.

Do you know how to make a GREAT guard dog? By showing him that people are the most amazing fascinating thing in the world. You want him to see "normal" people in all their sizes and outlandish clothes. Let him see people in hats/glasses/flowered moo-moo dresses. Then, should the need arise, the dog has a basis to say "this person is weird and I need to alert that he is here"

Then, on the other extreme, you have service dogs and service dogs in training. Before I found some meds that finally helped, Rayden was trained as my service dog. 99.9% of the time people didn't even know that he was there, especially at restaurants! More than once when we were leaving the waitress said "OMG has he been here the whole time???" That is how I expect my dogs to behave when we are out in public. They don't sniff the items on the shelves; they sure as HADES aren't allowed to pee on anything. They don't run up to people or sniff people or any of those things. They are taught that if someone wants to pet them, it's butt on the floor.

I know that someone said that you can't control other people/pets and that is true. That is also part of the training experience. My dogs don't react when they get stampeded by a toddler or another dog starts barking at them. They know that I will take care of the situation. It's also part of the "training experience" since I can't control those things ANYWHERE. Not even in my own yard, sad to say...

ETA: "exotic pet" just means "not a dog or cat or parakeet" Gerbils and rabbits and guinea pigs are still classified as exotic.

 

[Moochie]

Well then I am sort of happy of having "exotic" pets. I've never had anything really cool like that. Petsmart sells exotics though.. I saw a boa there..
Petco sells chicken coops, only online I think. Small coops too, for maybe 4-6 hens. That would sure come in handy for my banties but it'd be better to build our own. Sigh, I can't believe so many animals are considered "exotic". With pet raccoons and foxes it's understandable, but chickens? Eh. Everyone has their own opinion I guess.

 

[dainerra]

I think it comes, a lot, from the vet industry. Forever, basically, vets were either livestock/large animal specialists (horses, cows, etc) or "pet" (dog, cat, maybe the occasional parakeet). Everything else was "exotic" Most vets don't have the knowledge to handle anything outside those groups.

I would definitely classify chickens as 'exotic" as far as pets. Because, like someone else said, they are livestock. If someone wants to keep them as pets and has the ability to do that and keep the birds healthy and happy, then good for them.

As far as PetSmart, it sounds like it was a form letter. I would call and talk to someone, but I'm more persuasive over the phone lol In some ways, they do have a point. Mostly because people are stupid. They see you walk in with a chicken, so they think it would be funny to bring in a goat. Not a "pet" goat or one that is used to being handled, but some dirty smell billy goat from the back 40.

I think a fair compromise would be to ban stupid people.

That would also take care of the dogs who pee on the merchandise and goose people in the checkout line.

 

[lishah2000]

I work at Petco and unless an animal is causing a huge problem they are welcome. We have just about everything come in - dogs, cats, snakes, rats, chickens, pigs, various reptiles, even a small monkey. Most of the exotics are better behaved than most of the dogs. Most you don't even know are there.

Now out of control kids - I think they should be banned.

The pee and poop issue is the owners fault - we have supplies for them to clean up. I make it a big point to help those that are actually cleaning up after their pets and thank them. Taking dogs into the store is a great way to train, but wish more people actually did train and control.

There are lots of reasons to bring your pet into the store - grooming, training (stores do offer classes), collar/harness fitting.

 

[Moochie]

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Does that count for all the stupid parents? Everyone makes a good point with the kids.. Kid leashes are like the lazy way to control a kid.
My oegbs are high-class compared to some of the kids I've seen.

 

[dainerra]

Stupid parents should be made a public example of....the stocks are a good option!

 

[Desert Rooster]

And snakes aren't exotic pets? how about parrots? and they sell them