Who’s a good boy?

Something I’ve noticed a lot lately is people taking their dogs with them into places where dogs didn’t ever used to go, except for actual service animals which are of course another story. Relatedly, I have questions about “emotional support animals” — is this a legit thing, or is it just a loophole for taking your pet to Whole Foods and your local coffee shop?

I like dogs well enough myself, but some people close to me are skittish around them, and I’m wondering whether the whole this is my fur baby thing may be going too far.

Consider this a thread to talk about dogs in public-related matters, but also as a Friday afternoon open thread.