Cover photo credit: @hellocavachonjo
If you love crafting, and you love dogs, why not bring your dog Michaels? It’s something most of us haven’t considered before, but as it turns out, many arts and craft stores have dog-friendly policies.
This post covers whether Michaels is dog-friendly, and what you can expect in their stores. Before you take your dog shopping with you, be sure to read the section with disclaimers and reminders on how to be a considerate customer while letting your pup tag along.
The high-level answer is that Michaels overall is dog-friendly, but some exceptions do exist, so you’ll want to call ahead to confirm. All stores require dogs to be leashed and well-behaved, and you are responsible for messes.
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Before Your Bring Your Dog Into Michaels
While bringing your pup to a craft store sounds like the best of both worlds (dogs and DIY!) there are a few things you need to consider first.
Calling ahead
We’ll cover the specifics in just a minute, it’s a common courtesy to call ahead to make sure dogs are allowed. Even if the company is generally dog-friendly, there may be reasons why dogs aren’t allowed in a specific location (typically having to do with state or local regulations).
If it has been a while since you’ve visited a given store, give them a call to be sure. The store policies or management may have changed.
Leash training and obedience
Before considering bringing your dog to a Michaels, your dog must be well-mannered! Much like a child, you want your dog to be well-behaved in public, which means no jumping on people or pricey merchandise, or making a mess in the aisle. Chances are you’ll be the one cleaning it up, and paying for broken products.
So make sure your pup is leash trained and knows some basic training such as “sit”. They should also be well-socialized around other dogs and people, as you may encounter other customer’s pets or service animals.
Vaccinations
Much like bringing your dog to a dog park or kennel, you want to make sure you’re being a good citizen and not bringing or spreading common diseases or parasites. Make sure that your dog is up to date on all vaccines and preventative treatments for ticks, fleas, etc before going to Michaels.
Don’t be in a rush
If you are in a big hurry, chances are it’s not a good time to be shopping with a dog. Much like kids, dogs can derail your plans or make messes. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you are already short on time, and then get fed up dealing with an accident or delay.
Use the lawn first
Before you go in, find some grass and let your dog relieve themselves. This goes hand-in hand with the previous point about not being in a rush. If you know your dog has already gone to the bathroom, you don’t have to be running around the store trying to check out before they make a mess.
Be considerate
Not everyone is a fan of dogs, as strange as that may sound. Some may be allergic, or be afraid of dogs. Be sure to give other people plenty of space, while keeping your dog contained with a leash, carrier, or cart. If your dog is making a lot of noise or otherwise causing a scene, take them outside and calmly address the behavior. Don’t make other customers deal with your pup’s unruliness.
Additionally, don’t lie about whether your dog is a service animal or not. Service dogs are not subject to the same rules as pets, because they are crucial for the well-being and functioning of their owner. Be respectful to ADA guidelines and answer honestly if you are in a store that only allows service animals.
Is Michaels’ Dog Friendly?
Verdict: overall, Michaels stores are dog friendly, but individual stores may have exceptions.
Michaels is a well-known arts and crafts stores with locations all across the United States. They do not have a written policy on their website allowing dogs, but have posted several times on their social media that Michaels is a dog-friendly company. This combination of dog-friendly reputation without an unofficial policy typically means that the decision is left up to each store’s manager, so call ahead to be sure.
Additionally, the website “Bring Fido” has one entry for a Michaels store, stating that dogs are allowed but must be leashed. If your Michaels store has a class area, dogs are not allowed near food classes due to public health regulations.
If your Michaels store is part of a mall or larger building, the decision to allow dogs or not might be left up to the rules of that property. This may require you to use a separate entrance.
In 2013, a customer commented on the Michaels Facebook page stating that they were not allowed to bring their dog into a store in San Diego, CA.
The comment section itself is a landmine of people with strong opinions on dogs (do not recommend reading!), but the Michaels account did comment several times that yes, Michaels is a pet-friendly store:
A former employee chimed in to say that they never turned away an animal unless it was “uncontrolled”. They said that you should expect to clean up after any messes your dog makes, whether that’s a mess on the floor or broken products. But that’s entirely reasonable since “you break it, you buy it” applies to humans, too.
Another commenter called up Michaels years later and confirmed that while many stores allow dogs, there is not a corporate-wide policy. Instead, it is left up to individual stores, so call ahead and ask to be sure.
As with any store, make sure that your dog is leashed, well-behaved, and that you are ready to clean up after any messes.
In summary, Michaels is a pet-friendly chain of craft stores, but individual stores may not allow dogs. Call ahead to be sure, and make sure your pup is leashed and well-behaved.
Conclusion
We hope this has been helpful! You can also check out our post on whether Blick Art Supplies is dog-friendly, whether Joann stores allow dogs, and whether or not Hobby Lobby is pet-friendly.
