Home Depot is one of the most popular home improvement and hardware stores around today, and the store has many locations nationwide.
If you’re a frequent customer of the Home Depot, you may be wondering whether or not you can stop by while out and about with your trusty canine companion. Our article gives you more essential information about Home Depot’s dog policy and tells you if you can bring your dog into this store.
What Is Home Depot’s Dog Policy?
The exact wording of the Home Depot dog policy is hard to pin down, as this is not listed anywhere on their website.
Many other outlets have reported that Home Depot officially only allows service animals into the store. However, Home Depot does have a reputation for being relaxed when it comes to permitting leashed and well-behaved dogs inside.
In most cases, it seems like the Home Depot dog policy is dependent on your location and the management of the store you are trying to visit. Store managers and local laws may all have differing restrictions, so it’s important to call ahead of time at your chosen store before attempting to bring your dog inside.
Tips for Bringing Your Dog Into Home Depot
If you want to take your dog into a Home Depot with you, or if you want your pup to accompany you to any other store, it’s important that they are well-behaved.
Dogs with proper manners and good public socialization skills will thrive better in any store they are brought to and will have a better time overall. Plus, you won’t be worried about your dog making messes or being generally destructive when they are well-trained.
Use a Leash or Harness
Keeping your dog on a leash or a harness is essential when taking your dog out into public with you. When visiting stores with your dog, a leash or harness will keep them by your side and prevent them from getting into trouble, causing trouble, or being injured. Make sure your dog is properly leash-trained before taking them out in public to ensure you have total control over your dog and their safety.
Take Bathroom Breaks
Letting your dog use the bathroom before you enter a store like the Home Depot is a good idea if you want to prevent embarrassing accidents. However, if your dog does decide that the middle of the Home Depot is a great place to relieve themselves, make sure that you have waste bags and wipes on you so that you can help with the clean-up.
Don’t leave your dog’s mess in the middle of the store and expect someone else to handle it. That’s not great dog ownership and may contribute to strict rules on dogs in Home Depot in the future.
Train Your Dog
Properly trained dogs are happy dogs, and it’s helpful that your dog knows basic commands before you take them into a store. Stores are filled with plenty of new smells, distractions, and people or other dogs to greet.
Controlling your dog properly prevents them from getting into trouble or interrupting other customers who might not want to interact with your dog at that moment in time. A dog that listens to you is also much safer, and you’ll have more control over removing them from harm’s way if need be.
Monitor Your Dog’s Behavior
Sometimes, taking in all of the new things that a store like Home Depot brings can be overwhelming to your dog. Pay close attention to your dog’s attitude and behavior, and look for signs that your dog might be scared, fearful, or generally overwhelmed.
If you notice that your dog isn’t handling being in a store with you as well as you’d like, remove them from the situation, calm them down, and try again on a different day. It may take some training and positive reinforcement to get your dog warmed up to visit stores alongside you.
Start Small
If you’ve never taken your dog into a store before, you may want to start with small visits. Don’t take your dog when you have many things to buy or when you need to focus on your shopping. Instead, take your time and slowly introduce your dog to shopping alongside you with plenty of treats and positive reinforcement.
Starting small will help build up your dog’s familiarity with stores and prevent them from becoming too stressed or scared when you go shopping in a store for an extended period of time.
Can I Bring My Service Dog Into Home Depot?
Home Depot’s policy, along with a majority of other stores, must permit access to service dogs in order to comply with both state and federal laws. Individuals with service dogs are almost never turned away as these service dogs are typically required to assist the individual with all of their daily tasks.
When bringing your service dog into a Home Depot, you are only allowed to be asked two questions:
- Is this dog a service animal?
- What work or task does the dog perform?
Any other requests for identification, proof that your dog can perform certain tasks, or denial of access simply because you have a service dog is likely a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Can I Bring My Emotional Support Dog Into Home Depot?
You might be able to bring your emotional support dog into Home Depot because of this store’s more relaxed policy on leashed dogs.
However, there generally aren’t laws that protect the access rights of emotional support dogs. Your emotional support dog is not trained to complete disability-related tasks, and they won’t have the same access rights that service dogs do because of this.
When trying to bring your emotional support dog into a Home Depot, you will likely need to adhere to any rules about leashed dogs set in place by store management or local laws.
When Would Home Depot Deny My Dog Access?
Home Depot in general is likely to allow all leashed dogs inside, but unless your dog is a service dog, they may deny your dog access for a number of reasons. Valid reasons that your local Home Depot might deny your pet include:
- Store management doesn’t permit dogs inside that location
- Local or state laws don’t permit dogs inside certain businesses
- Your dog is out of control or causing destruction in the store
- Your dog is not properly trained and is repeatedly using the bathroom in the store
- You are trying to bring in an emotional support dog, and the store doesn’t permit animals inside
Remember, neither emotional support dogs nor dogs that are pets are permitted protected public access rights like service dogs are. Unless you have a service dog, you may be turned away from entering a Home Depot, and you will need to respect the decision of your local store.
Other Dog-Friendly Stores
If you love shopping with your pup, you may be wondering if there are any other dog-friendly stores that will permit your leashed dog inside with you. Below, we give you some other options for dog-friendly shopping spaces.
- TJ Maxx
- Michael’s
- Bass Pro Shops
- Tractor Supply Co.
- LUSH
- Lowe’s
- Macy’s
- Nordstrom
- PetSmart
Keep in mind that whether or not a store is dog-friendly is highly dependent on store management, company policies, and local laws. Always check with a store ahead of time before trying to bring your dog inside and respect the decision of the store.
If you have a service dog, rest assured that you are able to access the majority of public and private places, regardless of whatever dog policy may be in place.
Shopping With Your Trusty Companion
Whether you’re going for a quick browse or you’re in the mood to do some serious shopping, you may want to bring your dog with you to get some extra quality time in.
Always check a store’s dog policy, and consult our recommendations for other dog-friendly stores to take your pup when you’re finished visiting the Home Depot.