Downtown Rogers sticks to its dog-friendly ways

ROGERS — Downtown Rogers is sticking to its dog-friendly ways.

And at least one downtown businesswoman said pet owners shouldn’t worry their dogs aren’t friendly enough to enjoy what the area has to offer.

Community members recently picked their favorite design for a dog-friendly business sticker from a local artist’s four options to be displayed in store windows downtown.

The sticker will indicate which businesses allow leashed pups inside with their owners.

A dog-friendly window sticker is not new in downtown, said Karen Wagaman, vice president of downtown development at the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce.

Wagaman said the chamber had been distributing a “five- or six-year-old” sticker to businesses, but her stock was running low.

The new sticker was designed by Bobby Manzo, owner of Happy State Co., and four Northwest Arkansas mercantile stores, including Rogers Mercantile. He originally created four designs that were posted in a voting poll on the chamber’s Facebook page. The winning image received 39 out of the 113 votes.

Manzo regularly creates illustrations for Happy State Co. He designs shirts, stickers, hats and various other items for Happy State.

Manzo said when Wagaman asked him to design the decal, her instructions were to just make it fun. Making the design fun was natural to Manzo because “that’s what I do with what I design and with my brand.”

When creating the sticker, Manzo said he tried to incorporate a dog’s likeness with the required text for the design. He said he wanted the final design to “absorb the nature of being a dog lover.”

Prints of the new decals have been ordered and will be on shop windows in the coming weeks.

Wagaman said spring was a great time to roll out a new design because the Art on the Bricks Art Walk in May will be all about dogs, to celebrate May being national pet month.

The Art on the Bricks Art Walk is a chamber program that is put on every second Thursday of the month in downtown and showcases regional artists, according to program’s website.

The May Art Walk turnout is the biggest of the year because people love getting out with their dogs, Wagaman said. She added that encouraging community members to bring their pets shopping with them increases community engagement.

Naomi Hashimoto is a managing owner of Woof and Wander, a dog food and supply store in downtown. Hashimoto said the city has been supportive and welcoming of dogs since day one. She said there has never been an issue about dog size nor breed.

Since 2019, Woof and Wander has held a downtown egg hunt every year on the Saturday before Easter.

Dog treats and a note are put in the plastic eggs and spread throughout the streets downtown for dogs to stiff out.

Each year has seen more residents bringing their dogs to participate, Hashimoto said.

GETTING DOGS TOGETHER

If a person’s dog hasn’t had much experience with socialization, Hashimoto encourages owners to let their dogs have the opportunity.

Going into dog-friendly businesses or attending large gatherings offers dogs a chance for socialization.

“How is that dog ever going to get used to something if it’s never allowed to try?” she said.

Every dog has its own temperament, like people, Hashimoto said.

“Just like people, some dogs don’t like the energy of other dogs,” she said. It’s up to the dog’s owner to determine if her dog is comfortable in an environment or not.

Hashimoto said at her store, they don’t discourage reactive dogs from coming in.

A reactive dog can become overly stimulated and may lunge, bark or growl if it becomes uncomfortable in a particular situation, according to the Cornell University of Veterinary Medicine.

Space, as in physical distance from another object, can be the solution for dogs in most cases of discomfort, Hashimoto said.

The spacial layout of Woof and Wander is set up to cultivate a friendly environment for all dog temperaments, she said.

Two reactive dogs can be in the store, but never have to cross paths due to the presentation of the store.

“Let them get used to the idea of other dogs by having a safe amount of space between the two,” Hashimoto said.

Signs that a dog has had enough socialization can be barking or pulling on the leash, Hashimoto said. Hard staring or stiffness could also be signs of discomfort.

If a dog needs more space than is available, Hashimoto suggests maybe waiting outside for a few minutes because rushes of foot traffic can be sporadic.

Hashimoto encourages pet owners to keep trying and giving their animals a chance to socialize. “Maybe wait it out and come back through when there’s less dogs in here,” she said.