Any Lowe's employees here? Or security experts maybe?

[CAMAN]

Yesterday I had some time to kill so I stopped into Lowes in Shakopee to check a couple things out. After I grabbed the item that I came for I wandered around the store looking at various things for about a half hour. As I was walking by the customer service desk I noticed an employee with a Lowes vest standing there and holding onto a yellow lab that I thought was a guide dog for the blind since it was wearing a harness with handle. Not thinking anything more of it I walked to the self checkout lane and proceeded with my purchase. As I'm scanning my item I was rather abruptly pushed in the legs from behind, as I looked around to see what was going on I see that same employee and dog standing behind me and the dog is sniffing up and down my legs and feet, they don't say a word and walk away a moment later.

What were they searching for? I completely understand I may have looked suspicious just wandering around the store for a half hour but what could that dog have smelled on me that would have given them reason to stop me? I can't see a company like that hiring dogs that would sniff out bombs, guns, and drugs like in the airport or other public places. Just wondering and not trying to bash the company, though it doesn't really make me feel like going back if I'm going to get the once over from a security dog every other time I'm in there.

Thanks

[Ryan_V]

it is not legal to have a dog sniff you for no reason, assuming it was a security, or police dog. I kinda doubt it was. if it was, maybe it was there for a completely different reason and you were in the proverbial "wrong place at the wrong time". I would call the store manager and just politely inquire. if anyone made a practice of this on a regular basis, they would lose every last customer they had and be out of business in a hurry

[jmd1]

My brother in law is a risk manager for lowes in Ill. I will email him and find out if they do this.

[CAMAN]

Seeing as he was leaned up against the CS desk talking with another employee when I walked by, then abrubtly ended the conversation to follow and "sniff" me, it totally feels as if i were targeted.

I will try and call on Monday if I get a chance.

[Ryan_V]

let us know what you find out, im curious!

[Ryan_V]

let us know what you find out, im curious!

[Capt. H (Ret.)]

If what happened concerns you so much the time to ask and find out was when it happened. What would you have done if the dog and "bumped" against you so hard it buckled your knees or knocked you down??? Something doesn't seem right. I doubt that Lowes employes a dog and handler for their retail trade. The liability of having any animal on the property is risky to the business. Try walking in the store with a pit bull and see what happens.

Mike

[CAMAN]

What doesn't seem right? Everything I stated is exactly as I saw it happen. I have nothing to gain from this other than learning why a company would have a dog like that. I didn't ask then because I am one of those non-confrontational people and didn't want to cause a scene. And the more I thought of it over the next day the more strange it seemed.

Like I said the dog looked like a blind service dog when I first saw it, but they are trained not to sniff and search around like this dog was doing when it came up to me. You could tell this dog was specifically trained to search for something.

I will try and call today and get some information.

[FlagsDown]

After I grabbed the item that I came for I wandered around the store looking at various things for about a half hour.

Thanks

It wasn't a pressure cooker, was it?

[nofishfisherman]

I didn't ask then because I am one of those non-confrontational people and didn't want to cause a scene.

A born and raised Minnesotan I assume

Seems odd there would be a dog in the store like that. I would really doubt Lowe's would be employing a dog like that to prevent a few dollars in theft. My only thought was that perhaps there was some sort of undercover police work going on and the dog and Lowe's employee were actually police. Not sure what kind of undercover work would bring them into a Lowe's store but who knows.

[jmd1]

I sent a message but have not heard back from him. I emailed my sister who in my opinion runs the house will get the answer from him. He might be a cop by trade but she is the boss! Ill let you know when i hear from her.

[CAMAN]

It wasn't a pressure cooker, was it?

LOL! Nope a pack of circular saw blades.

[CAMAN]

A born and raised Minnesotan I assume

Good guess!

Thanks for all the input everyone. I never got a chance to call but did stop in to pick up a couple things and asked one of the cashiers about it. He said it was probably the seeing eye dog as one of the employees is blind. I guess I've never seen a seeing eye dog that was allowed to sniff around like that.

[leech~~]

Maybe it was a blind employee and he just walked the dog into you? Do most dogs sniff and jump around on people, most I have met do. I would call them up and ask if they have a blind employee working there and let them know what happened. If it is a new security process and they know that they may start lossing customers, maybe they will change how they handle it?

Oop's sent before reading the last reply.

[Tom7227]

I have a hard time understanding how it could be useful to have a dog sniffing for thefts. Drug and explosive dogs are extensively trained for those things and in places where those things don't belong. There is simply no way to train a dog to sniff out the thousands of things in a store, and most importantly not a way to have the dog tell if the item was paid for or not. Can't say that a seeing eye dog is supposed to be sampling the passersby either.

[CAMAN]

Those were my thoughts exactly Tom. The ONLY thing I could think of if this were some kind of security dog was it was trained to smell fear or whatever scent is released during the act of a crime. But I find that to be a longshot if at all possible. I'll take the cashiers word for it, being a seeing eye dog, just not a very well trained one if allowed to sniff everything and run into others.

[nofishfisherman]

A seeing eye dog that broke from its training makes the most sense and is the simplest answer.

Even the most well trained dog is going to make a small mistake here and there.

[IcePro]

Now if it was blonde with a big rack that sniffed and brushed up against you, how would the store be told

[BartmanMN]

Caman, take that sack of beef jerky out of your pocket next time you go to Lowes.

hahah