Elevator Etiquette

Tokyo practices petiquette

I live in a high-rise condo and that means I get to ride in elevators throughout the day.  It doesn't seem weird to me but it does mean that I have to practice my elevator etiquette each time so that I am deemed a model dog resident (there are cameras in the elevators afterall.)  If the elevator is empty, I walk in and sit or lie down in the corner.  Either position is fine, as long as I am calm, quiet and not trying to run the shiba 500.  When the door opens, I wait until my people say "okay" and then I head out.  

If there are other people or dogs already in the elevator, then my people need to make a quick decision about whether or not we should enter or wait for the next elevator.  The decision is made based on an assessment of my comfort level being in a possibly crowded elevator and whether or not the other people in the elevator are comfortable with being in an enclosed space with me.  While I am good with other dogs and people, some dogs (and people) aren't comfortable being in an elevator with other dogs.  Once in the elevator, my people discourage attempts by other residents to pet me until we are out of the elevator.  This clearly doesn't stop people from taking pictures of me in the elevator...yes, seriously, puperazzi in the elevator...the life of a shiba -woof!  

HOA pet policies vary by condo associations and my building requires soft muzzling of certain dog breeds in common spaces, including elevators.  Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Chows, Dobermans, Great Danes, Malamutes, Wolf-dog hybrids, and Akitas among others all make that list.