Dogs are great, OK? I like most dogs, the only real exception being the pit bulls and Rottweilers that morons train to be mean. But this new trend in which people bring their dogs everywhere they go is getting completely out of hand.

It’s fine to bring dogs to certain business establishments. For example, there’s a solid tradition now of bringing your dog when you shop at Petsmart or Petco. It’s unnecessary, for sure, but it doesn't seem to cause too many problems.

A more venerable tradition is the bookstore cat. All bookstores — especially dusty old shops piled high with used books — ought to have a fat cat with a literary name lounging around. Of course, this is the owner’s prerogative, not the customer’s.

We have to draw the line, however, at animals in certain establishments. Bringing your dog to the supermarket — something I have seen several times lately — is unacceptable. Animals and food that I might want to buy are a bad mix.

And I don’t care if the mutt is small, well-groomed and ensconced in your purse. (Why any self-respecting canine would think it’s anything less than animal abuse to be forced to sit calmly in a purse is a question for another day.) No dogs in supermarkets, period.

Supermarket managers, I have noticed, are hit and miss on the dog issue. They are likely to send a dog-toting customer packing only if somebody complains. (Let's start complaining, people!)

Also, it’s out of line to bring your dog to the doctor’s office. My wife saw this recently. An older lady pushed a stroller into the waiting room, and inside it were a couple of small puppies.

Not only is this a bad idea on its face, but it’s a potential health hazard for those who might be allergic to dogs. Adding insult to injury, one of the doctor’s office employees picked up one of the pups and paraded it through the back offices to show everybody how cute it was.

I’m sure it was cute. Puppies usually are. But it had no business in a doctor’s office.

Now that we’ve settled this pesky issue, in my next blog post we’ll turn our attention to those people who for some reason believe they have to take their entire family along no matter they go.