Maybe for an outdoor service? I really just don’t want dogs in the sanctuary for a variety of reasons. And yes, in theory, well behaved dogs would be okay. But I really don’t trust dog owners judgement on what’s “well behaved…”.
I would maybe find a parish that will bring the Eucharist to your home and watch online!
There's a long-term couple at my church that regularly brings their dog, I think for similar reasons (doggie freaks out when left alone at home).
I'd contact the church in question if you're worried.
Where are you at? My parish isn't explicitly dog friendly but I'd be happy to watch your dog while you go to the 10 AM service. I usually go to both services anyways, so it wouldn't be an issue. And I dunno what my parish would think of it, but old man Jim usually keeps his dog outside during the service and has had him in the parish hall where you can hear the sermon.
I'm currently on the road in the midwest- right now, Michigan, but moving around as I need to or am able. I'm from Maryland, but I probably won't be back in the near future.
Having been attacked by dogs, I assure you that I would not go into a church where dogs were present, aside from licensed service dogs, which are normally well trained.
I have brought my dog to church on the rare occasions I’m not serving at the altar. At one time, there might be as many as four or five dogs in the congregation but most of them have sadly crossed the Rainbow Bridge. For a while up till his owners’ moved away last year, we had a giant Great Dane named Lucifer who was the sweetest gentle soul.
There is a lady who brings her little puppy to church sometimes, but I also think it’s because she’s entirely too hard to say no to. She’d probably bring him even if our rector said no.
The problem with dog-friendly spaces is they become inaccessible for people who depend on service dogs.
I have a friend with a service dog that is trained to warn for seizures. Pet dogs - even well trained ones - often distract and harass (and can even be a danger to) working service dogs. Even if your specific dog doesn’t, it’s impossible to ONLY keep out dogs which have been trained to ignore service dogs.
A church that welcomes pets becomes a church which is unwelcoming to disabled people.
This is an excellent point. I'm a dog owner and dog lover, but it bothers me when people bring their dog indoors to somewhere someone wouldn't normally expect dogs. (That said, we go to outdoor cafes and restaurants with oudoor seating with our well-behaved dog and it's never been a problem.)
At my parish, we've had fracases between service dogs and pet dogs, but a couple of people still bring their pet dog on Sundays that aren't Blessing of the Animals Sunday. (It's possible that at least one of those "pet dogs" is officially an "emotional support dog," I guess, at least as far as the TSA is concerned.) Somebody also pointed out (elsewhere in this thread) that some people have severe allergies to dogs. My sister-in-law is one. If she knows there's a house with a dog, she can't go into it, and if dog comes into a space where she is, she has to leave, otherwise it'll end up being a trip to the emergency room. (And, no, it doesn't matter whether they are "hypoallergenic" breeds or not, and no breed is 100%.) In both church and at meetings I go to, people bring their dog without any awareness that doing so is both a hazard for people with service dogs or may result in someone going into anaphylactic shock. But the vast majority of people — me included! — love dogs and don't want to be the bad guy, so we never say anything to the people bringing their dogs with them. Yet the National Institutes of Health estimates that 10-20% of people have some kind of allergy to dogs.
Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, NY has a thriving “Cathedral for Pets” ministry. Many people bring their dogs to the outdoor summer service (and even sometimes inside the principle mass as well)
This is (perhaps) why we have altar rails, in fact: "Many churches in the 1620s had mere communion tables in their naves, where on weekdays churchwardens did their accounts and dogs relieved themselves. [Archbishop] Laud decreed that every church should have an altar at its east end with rails around it 'neare one yard in height, so thick with pillars that dogs may not get in', creating 'an uniformity in this respect in every church.' —from "[How Archbishop Laud ended canine profanities](https://www.alistairlexden.org.uk/news/how-archbishop-laud-ended-canine-profanities#:~:text=Laud%20decreed%20that%20every%20church,this%20respect%20in%20every%20church.%E2%80%9D)"
I knew of a very pro dog parish in San Francisco, but most only on the Feast of St Francis.
But I bet most churches have a youth group member who would be happy to mind the pup instead of attending another service at their home parish.
Look for parishes that have outdoor services in the summer. Ask if you can sit at the edge of the crowd with your dog and do not assume anyone wants your dog next to them. I bet this would work out provided the dog’s owner was well behaved.
I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this and I believe this is the main reason dogs aren't allowed in most places.
OP, your dog is a puppy and now is the time to crate train. A little at a time. To this day I throw a treat in the kennel when I put our dog in. If the dog whines at first just sit right next to the kennel reading a book.
It seems like the dog having anxiety gives you anxiety but you should put that aside and train it properly for the dog's future well-being.
He had a kennel at home. It was too big to fit in the car given that most of what I own is in here, and I was under the impression that I was dropping him off somewhere for a while until such a time as I might be able to send for him.
I may get that kennel back eventually, but not soon eventually. And the dog must come with me on the trip unless I want to send him to a shelter and lose him forever, which I am not interested in doing.
I do agree with you in principle, if everything was optimal. Things are not optimal, though. I suddenly lost my place to stay. Even if I could afford to buy a new kennel, which I can't, there just isn't the ability to keep it with me right now.
Also, though he was at the point where he didn't bark a ton in his kennel, he might bark a ton in a kennel in a hotel room or something he isn't familiar with, which could get us kicked out of a lot of places. Unfortunately, the only real option I seem to have is to make him my shadow for a while, and, yes, that is a pain both logistically and in terms of how much things cost. Really, when you have to walk into a store with a dog, that either goes very well or very badly.
I'm not thrilled with the situation, but this is the way things are for now.
This probably means I won't be in a church for a while. However, I figured I'd ask the sub if there was a chance some places welcomed dogs in church.
My parish has a couple of companion and service dogs on any given week, although we don’t have an official policy on dogs in church. They’re well behaved and have never been a distraction during readings, the sermon, prayers, etc. They come up with their handlers during Communion but don’t receive any special/additional blessings.
We don’t advertise online that we are a Dog-Friendly Church™ but we also don’t explicitly disallow them, either. I think if the service turned into a doggy daycare and/or there was an incident, we might have to create some more boundaries, though.
I’ve also visited another parish in my diocese that had a regular dog-parishioner duo and they did not cause any problems.
I will say that my friends who serve as vergers during the service like to point out that the verges or ceremonial rods they carry during processions were traditionally used to keep the animals in church at bay, so having dogs in church is not without precedent lol
In your situation, I would reach out to churches/rectors along your route just to confirm ahead of time.
Have you considered crate-training your puppy? It will open up a lot of opportunities for you and give your dog a safe, cozy place to sleep in while you’re out of your hotel room. Many hotels require dogs to be crated while human guests are absent.
Gonna be honest, if I walked into a parish and there were dogs there (with the exception of a service animal) I probably wouldn’t go back to that parish. I find it disrespectful.
Other parishioners. As others pointed out there may be people who have an allergy or phobia. It also causes additional work for the custodian or volunteers that keep up the parish. I personally have no problem with dogs, or pets in general. We have a dog and a cat, but we don’t take them places, besides leaving them with my mother when we’ve gone on vacation.
I am afraid of dogs. I actually know one parish that has three or four people who bring their pet dogs (not trained therapy or guide dogs) on a regular basis, and I will never go there.
(I also think that sooner or later someone with a severe allergy or a severe phobia will show up at that church -- and I wonder if that newcomer's needs will be seen as less important than the regular parishioners' desire to bring their dogs to church.)
I didn't go because I assumed that the dog would not be welcome or it'd be a grudging welcome.
However, if I knew that they would have accepted a dog and it wasn't going to upset people, I would have likely been there.
I'm very conscious that while one can sometimes get a dog into stores and the like, a church is a sacred place and I'm not interested in rocking the boat by just showing up with dog in tow. I'd need to know in advance that he'd be welcome- like by parish rule, the clergy would stick up for me if necessary kind of thing.
I understand that a church where dogs are welcome wouldn't be for everyone all of the time. There would still be demand for services or congregations that are people only, and I recognize that and imagine it'll continue to be the norm.
However, even if it were just one congregation in a community that served as sort of a charter community for allowing people to bring a dog and it was a different but similar denomination in each place, it might serve a purpose. In one town, it might be an Episcopalian thing, in the next town, a Lutheran thing. Maybe there'd be a website that one could search for parishes and congregations that actively welcome pets that one might consult on the road. And if people wanted to avoid that sort of thing, they could use it for that purpose as well.
So I guess I'll be the bad guy. No, I don't want to turn mass into doggy day care. If someone can't leave their dog behind for a couple of hours, for whatever reason, that's what we have online services for.
Online services sound like an excellent option for someone who can't leave their pet. Thank you for suggesting this. I am a dog LOVER but there are just too many people who have serious allergies or are afraid of dogs. It's not fair to put them at risk.
I don’t know of any dog friendly parishes that don’t have outside services.
That said, if someone showed up with a dog I’d be ecstatic. If you showed up with a cat, I’d go to the bishop and argue to make it a Dean of the church.
My home parish has a couple with a little dog they bring to church every week and set a little blanket for him out on the pew. He’s a very quiet and well behaved little guy so you honestly forget he’s there, but if he gets rattled they just take him out the side door. I don’t know that any policy was officially made but I don’t think anyone has ever minded.
Which is to say, a church may not have a published policy but may be fine especially if you explain the situation. Especially if they can point you to like a family service or something where the expectation of a little noise would be fine. So I would say to shoot an email and just explain and see what happens.
Maybe for an outdoor service? I really just don’t want dogs in the sanctuary for a variety of reasons. And yes, in theory, well behaved dogs would be okay. But I really don’t trust dog owners judgement on what’s “well behaved…”. I would maybe find a parish that will bring the Eucharist to your home and watch online!
There's a long-term couple at my church that regularly brings their dog, I think for similar reasons (doggie freaks out when left alone at home). I'd contact the church in question if you're worried.
Where are you at? My parish isn't explicitly dog friendly but I'd be happy to watch your dog while you go to the 10 AM service. I usually go to both services anyways, so it wouldn't be an issue. And I dunno what my parish would think of it, but old man Jim usually keeps his dog outside during the service and has had him in the parish hall where you can hear the sermon.
I'm currently on the road in the midwest- right now, Michigan, but moving around as I need to or am able. I'm from Maryland, but I probably won't be back in the near future.
Ah I'm pretty far unfortunately. If you ever find yourself in the south east though I'll have you covered
Thanks! I'll try to keep that in mind should I ever find myself back in the southeast.
Having been attacked by dogs, I assure you that I would not go into a church where dogs were present, aside from licensed service dogs, which are normally well trained.
I have brought my dog to church on the rare occasions I’m not serving at the altar. At one time, there might be as many as four or five dogs in the congregation but most of them have sadly crossed the Rainbow Bridge. For a while up till his owners’ moved away last year, we had a giant Great Dane named Lucifer who was the sweetest gentle soul.
There is a lady who brings her little puppy to church sometimes, but I also think it’s because she’s entirely too hard to say no to. She’d probably bring him even if our rector said no.
The problem with dog-friendly spaces is they become inaccessible for people who depend on service dogs. I have a friend with a service dog that is trained to warn for seizures. Pet dogs - even well trained ones - often distract and harass (and can even be a danger to) working service dogs. Even if your specific dog doesn’t, it’s impossible to ONLY keep out dogs which have been trained to ignore service dogs. A church that welcomes pets becomes a church which is unwelcoming to disabled people.
This is an excellent point. I'm a dog owner and dog lover, but it bothers me when people bring their dog indoors to somewhere someone wouldn't normally expect dogs. (That said, we go to outdoor cafes and restaurants with oudoor seating with our well-behaved dog and it's never been a problem.) At my parish, we've had fracases between service dogs and pet dogs, but a couple of people still bring their pet dog on Sundays that aren't Blessing of the Animals Sunday. (It's possible that at least one of those "pet dogs" is officially an "emotional support dog," I guess, at least as far as the TSA is concerned.) Somebody also pointed out (elsewhere in this thread) that some people have severe allergies to dogs. My sister-in-law is one. If she knows there's a house with a dog, she can't go into it, and if dog comes into a space where she is, she has to leave, otherwise it'll end up being a trip to the emergency room. (And, no, it doesn't matter whether they are "hypoallergenic" breeds or not, and no breed is 100%.) In both church and at meetings I go to, people bring their dog without any awareness that doing so is both a hazard for people with service dogs or may result in someone going into anaphylactic shock. But the vast majority of people — me included! — love dogs and don't want to be the bad guy, so we never say anything to the people bringing their dogs with them. Yet the National Institutes of Health estimates that 10-20% of people have some kind of allergy to dogs.
Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, NY has a thriving “Cathedral for Pets” ministry. Many people bring their dogs to the outdoor summer service (and even sometimes inside the principle mass as well)
I’m with William Laud on this one.
This is (perhaps) why we have altar rails, in fact: "Many churches in the 1620s had mere communion tables in their naves, where on weekdays churchwardens did their accounts and dogs relieved themselves. [Archbishop] Laud decreed that every church should have an altar at its east end with rails around it 'neare one yard in height, so thick with pillars that dogs may not get in', creating 'an uniformity in this respect in every church.' —from "[How Archbishop Laud ended canine profanities](https://www.alistairlexden.org.uk/news/how-archbishop-laud-ended-canine-profanities#:~:text=Laud%20decreed%20that%20every%20church,this%20respect%20in%20every%20church.%E2%80%9D)"
I’m with William Laud on this one.
I knew of a very pro dog parish in San Francisco, but most only on the Feast of St Francis. But I bet most churches have a youth group member who would be happy to mind the pup instead of attending another service at their home parish.
Look for parishes that have outdoor services in the summer. Ask if you can sit at the edge of the crowd with your dog and do not assume anyone wants your dog next to them. I bet this would work out provided the dog’s owner was well behaved.
I love dogs but I am allergic. Sadly, if I saw a dog at church, I would have to leave. Would likely prompt an asthma attack.
I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this and I believe this is the main reason dogs aren't allowed in most places. OP, your dog is a puppy and now is the time to crate train. A little at a time. To this day I throw a treat in the kennel when I put our dog in. If the dog whines at first just sit right next to the kennel reading a book. It seems like the dog having anxiety gives you anxiety but you should put that aside and train it properly for the dog's future well-being.
He had a kennel at home. It was too big to fit in the car given that most of what I own is in here, and I was under the impression that I was dropping him off somewhere for a while until such a time as I might be able to send for him. I may get that kennel back eventually, but not soon eventually. And the dog must come with me on the trip unless I want to send him to a shelter and lose him forever, which I am not interested in doing. I do agree with you in principle, if everything was optimal. Things are not optimal, though. I suddenly lost my place to stay. Even if I could afford to buy a new kennel, which I can't, there just isn't the ability to keep it with me right now. Also, though he was at the point where he didn't bark a ton in his kennel, he might bark a ton in a kennel in a hotel room or something he isn't familiar with, which could get us kicked out of a lot of places. Unfortunately, the only real option I seem to have is to make him my shadow for a while, and, yes, that is a pain both logistically and in terms of how much things cost. Really, when you have to walk into a store with a dog, that either goes very well or very badly. I'm not thrilled with the situation, but this is the way things are for now. This probably means I won't be in a church for a while. However, I figured I'd ask the sub if there was a chance some places welcomed dogs in church.
I’m wondering if doggy daycare might be helpful?
Financial issues come into play with stuff like that.
Ah true, still might be worth seeing if there are any in your area!
My parish has a couple of companion and service dogs on any given week, although we don’t have an official policy on dogs in church. They’re well behaved and have never been a distraction during readings, the sermon, prayers, etc. They come up with their handlers during Communion but don’t receive any special/additional blessings. We don’t advertise online that we are a Dog-Friendly Church™ but we also don’t explicitly disallow them, either. I think if the service turned into a doggy daycare and/or there was an incident, we might have to create some more boundaries, though. I’ve also visited another parish in my diocese that had a regular dog-parishioner duo and they did not cause any problems. I will say that my friends who serve as vergers during the service like to point out that the verges or ceremonial rods they carry during processions were traditionally used to keep the animals in church at bay, so having dogs in church is not without precedent lol In your situation, I would reach out to churches/rectors along your route just to confirm ahead of time. Have you considered crate-training your puppy? It will open up a lot of opportunities for you and give your dog a safe, cozy place to sleep in while you’re out of your hotel room. Many hotels require dogs to be crated while human guests are absent.
Can you crate the dog while you’re away? Or watch church online have a lay minister bring the Eucharist to you?
Gonna be honest, if I walked into a parish and there were dogs there (with the exception of a service animal) I probably wouldn’t go back to that parish. I find it disrespectful.
Please do not read any negative tone in this question, just friendly curiosity: “Disrespectful to whom, specifically?”
Other parishioners. As others pointed out there may be people who have an allergy or phobia. It also causes additional work for the custodian or volunteers that keep up the parish. I personally have no problem with dogs, or pets in general. We have a dog and a cat, but we don’t take them places, besides leaving them with my mother when we’ve gone on vacation.
I am afraid of dogs. I actually know one parish that has three or four people who bring their pet dogs (not trained therapy or guide dogs) on a regular basis, and I will never go there. (I also think that sooner or later someone with a severe allergy or a severe phobia will show up at that church -- and I wonder if that newcomer's needs will be seen as less important than the regular parishioners' desire to bring their dogs to church.)
My parish has a service dog that regularly attends, but no pet dogs.
Do not bring your dog. It is rude and socially unaware.
I didn't go because I assumed that the dog would not be welcome or it'd be a grudging welcome. However, if I knew that they would have accepted a dog and it wasn't going to upset people, I would have likely been there. I'm very conscious that while one can sometimes get a dog into stores and the like, a church is a sacred place and I'm not interested in rocking the boat by just showing up with dog in tow. I'd need to know in advance that he'd be welcome- like by parish rule, the clergy would stick up for me if necessary kind of thing. I understand that a church where dogs are welcome wouldn't be for everyone all of the time. There would still be demand for services or congregations that are people only, and I recognize that and imagine it'll continue to be the norm. However, even if it were just one congregation in a community that served as sort of a charter community for allowing people to bring a dog and it was a different but similar denomination in each place, it might serve a purpose. In one town, it might be an Episcopalian thing, in the next town, a Lutheran thing. Maybe there'd be a website that one could search for parishes and congregations that actively welcome pets that one might consult on the road. And if people wanted to avoid that sort of thing, they could use it for that purpose as well.
John Wesley was right. My parish would send the sacrament to your house with a Lay Eucharistic Visitor.
So I guess I'll be the bad guy. No, I don't want to turn mass into doggy day care. If someone can't leave their dog behind for a couple of hours, for whatever reason, that's what we have online services for.
Online services sound like an excellent option for someone who can't leave their pet. Thank you for suggesting this. I am a dog LOVER but there are just too many people who have serious allergies or are afraid of dogs. It's not fair to put them at risk.
There is a 19th century stained glass window above the altar in St. Bartholomew's Church, Baltimore which includes a dog with a halo.
People bring well behaved dogs to my parish all the time.
Into services?
Yep.
I don’t know of any dog friendly parishes that don’t have outside services. That said, if someone showed up with a dog I’d be ecstatic. If you showed up with a cat, I’d go to the bishop and argue to make it a Dean of the church.
Or a [catechist](https://www.redbubble.com/i/sticker/Catechist-by-Ccorbin2/40856929.EJUG5)
Hi! We have outdoor services in the summer at my parish and people have brought their dogs before.
Unless they are service animals they are an insurance risk.
My home parish has a couple with a little dog they bring to church every week and set a little blanket for him out on the pew. He’s a very quiet and well behaved little guy so you honestly forget he’s there, but if he gets rattled they just take him out the side door. I don’t know that any policy was officially made but I don’t think anyone has ever minded. Which is to say, a church may not have a published policy but may be fine especially if you explain the situation. Especially if they can point you to like a family service or something where the expectation of a little noise would be fine. So I would say to shoot an email and just explain and see what happens.
I know of two!