I too wonder if all the excitement is too much for the dog. The large b&w border collie I saw at Brownwood that night was just chilling lying down by the owners. Didn't look overwhelmed or if it was it somehow knew how to behave.
So I'll use an example of a friend and how she is with her dogs. Loves them to pieces and so do I since I love and enjoy animals. So when I visit them the dogs get positive attention when they aren't lying down chilling around us. I jokingly call them spoiled but they really are having a good doggie life. Friends tell her if they themselves ever came back as a dog they would want her for their owner.
So on taking them out of the house she may take them for a cart ride (making sure they're secure for the ride) and says her dogs love it. Takes them outside but not for long walks as they get plenty of exercise. Takes them to work (she's the owner) and her employees love them. Leaves them with dog sitters when out of state; they only fly if going to their alt homes.
But she would never ever take them to the store, a restaurant, or to one of the squares. Why, because it's a short trip (store) or her time with friends or family. The 2 dogs stay home in their enclosure and don't leave surprises because she makes sure to take them out to pee etc before. So when I watch how she handles her pets I notice that she enjoys time with them at home and enjoys time without them when she goes out to have fun and that's what I see as the right way to handle pets. Not ignoring them but not overdoing, just in the middle somewhere but giving dogs the benefit if they seem to want something like attention or food. Friends and family are welcome to come over and enjoy the dogs there when visiting.
I jokingly call her the dog whisperer because she knows how to connect with them. Was with her at a relative's house and the subject came up about their dog and how to get it to do certain things. She calmly goes over to the dog and connects with it and actually teaches it to roll over and it responds. We were amazed as she had only just met it.
Everyone has their own methods and dogs behaviors are different. Tell you what though I never saw a dog get fussy over not buying them something in a store like a kid... I would think owner is cuckoo.
