Bernie McSquare prides himself on being a well-read Australian Labradoodle, so one of his favorite dog-friendly places to visit during the hot summer months in Tucson is Bookmans Entertainment Exchange.

I like browsing for books and working on some of Canine Good Citizen skills in a friendly environment. We enjoy the Bookmans East location at 6230 E. Speedway Blvd near N. Wilmot Road because it’s in the same shopping center as another of our favorite locally owned businesses, Beyond Bread. While Bernie is not allowed inside the bakery & cafe, I can order online and request patio pick up.

Bookmans East is roomy with several comfy chairs throughout the store. As we walked around, several people made "awww" sounds, so I asked if they wanted to meet Bernie. In addition to practicing walking through crowds nicely, we were also practicing sitting politely for petting.

Plus we found some great photo opportunities!

You never know what interesting books, games, or novelty objects you may find at Bookmans. The distractions are always unique. The staff are always welcoming and friendly to well-behaved leashed dogs, and the customers we’ve met always ask if they may meet Bernie. It’s a dog training shangri-la!

Training Tip: Check the Bookmans EVENTS page to see if any locations will be hosting book clubs, game nights, kid events, or any other gatherings that may attract more people. Depending on where you are in your training, you may gravitate toward certain events and avoid others.

For example, if you want your dog to meet certain age groups, some of these events almost guarantee crowds. When Mr. Nature shows up for a concert, you’re sure to see toddlers and some elementary school kiddos singing along.

Book club meetings and gaming events, which vary from board games to RPG games, attract a more diverse population. During one meeting for a teen activity, Bernie and I actually left Bookmans early because I could tell the teenagers were more focused on watching Bernie interact with other shoppers than the person presenting.

Just remember to check the location carefully since the Events page does cover all of the Bookmans in Arizona.

During Arizona summers, dog parents have to be conscious of the outside temperature. Dog walks take place either super early or once the sun is setting. Having dog-friendly stores like Bookmans in Tucson gives responsible dog handlers the chance to practice a variety of training skills in the real world while enjoying much needed air conditioning.

We took pictures on another outing we had at the Bookmans Northwest location. Please visit Walking Through Crowds & Browsing at Bookmans to see some adorable pictures of Bernie practicing his loose-leash walking skills, and finding some books for me to read to him. 

If you need some ideas for practicing Canine Good Citizen skills, I’ve written several helpful articles on the topic: