Dogs Welcome in Brockiland - Hunde Willkommen in Brockiland Fahrweid

Hello Readers,

A very short post today, but one I thought might be helpful for people like me, who searched and searched online for an answer to this question but never found it....

Dogs are currently welcome at Brockiland, Fahrweid.

At least, they are not barred from entering, and receive no objections from the staff (in my experience. That's one time, to be clear!)

Closest free watering hole: bus stop at Limmatbruecke is near a fountain (on sharp corner next to bench, across from Hotel Limmatbruecke). Has trickle-down on exterior of rock, and not too high to put the paws up on for a drink directly from the pool.
 

Yellow stars - Limmatweg (great for walks!). Red circle - water fountain at nearest bus stop (Limmatbruecke). Purple star - Brockiland. Purple line - recommended walking route (there are others, but this one gets my nod)

I don't have any information on the downtown Steinstrasse location as yet. Frankly, I might never - I can't imagine how my poor pup would handle that trip and endeavour!

On one hand, it's hardly surprising that dogs would be welcome in Brockiland - it can't get any filthier!

On the other hand, would you want your dog helping you peruse the wine glass section when a second, attractive or exciting dog walks past? I didn't think so.

My dog thought the textiles were boring and was further disinterested when I made it clear that they were not playthings.

Then there's the obvious safety issue - Brockiland isn't very clean, and it's certainly not devoid of broken glass here and there. If you do bring your dog, you'll have to be very, very vigilant. The consequence of this vigilance is that 90% of your attention is diverted and you've only got 10% to focus on finding the good stuff amongst all the bad. ;)

My dog didn't especially enjoy Brockiland. There was a lady there who really enjoyed my dog, and this was the sole highlight for the pooch (who gladly accepted treaties). The usual lady at the counter laughed and joked when fluffy puppy decided to put the paws on the counter-top at the sales desk.

I buy almost all of my wrapping paper at Brocki. Didn't seen any retro wonders today (that I liked!), but they can be really fun. And when they're still in the original wrapping, unused - price-wise, they're a no brainer!

Total today (incl. dog tax?) was 7 CHF. I couldn't have even bought the wrapping paper for that (5.90 at Globus, 4.95 at Migros, and 1.60 (excl. inflation since the 1980s!) at Denner for just these). ;) I also got all the textiles in that total. Not too shabby.

The biggest problem (at Fahrweid) are the rickety stairs up to the two lofts. A dog that can be carried might be no problem, but bigger versions of Fido will have to be okay with the mountaineering feat of the ascent. The descent is similarly hair-raising.

My canine also had a bit of a fright after a self-induced sneezing fit began. Turns out taking a big whiff of a once-rainbow-now-grey feather duster was a lousy idea. I was just happy the resultant panicked side-step and sneezing occurred well away from breakable items..!

In summary, bringing your dog to Brockiland (Fahrweid):

Pros:

• Extra weird people who you'd like to avoid (of which there are many) will give you an extra-wide berth. This could backfire, however, and you might get extra weird people coming up to pet your pooch. The only people who like my doggie are clearly saints, though... ;)
• Lots of very interesting smells
• Your dog, in comparison to the general fug of the place, will smell extra fresh
• It's very close to fun, off-leash walkies along the Limmat
• It's always, always better than leaving a dog in a car in any weather for even just a minute... PLEASE don't do that, and please rat out the assholes who do. Just text the license plate number to the Polizei or Gemeinde or whomever, and if the dog looks ill, break a window, for heaven's sake!

Cons:

• It's almost impossible to keep a sharp eye on your dog (and the other out for hazards, like things that should not be eaten and broken glass), while simultaneously browsing for gems amongst the rubble. I couldn't do my best work
• The stairs to the clothing and textile side are open (my dog dislikes this), and the stairs up to the small furnishings loft are super rickety and treacherous even without a canine in tow (or in the lead, as the case may be!)
• Dogs are not helpful when it comes to refolding tablecloths and bedsheets
• Dogs have limited patience and attention spans and generally find shopping confusing and dull
• Noisy, chaotic roadways nearby 
• Hard to carry a basket and later purchases, potentially, while also leading the dog

Verdict: Hey, if you're feeling the need for an extra level of difficulty on your Thrifting trips, why not? :)