We don’t put our dog away. She does get excited when people show up, but after a few minutes, she chills out and it pretty unobtrusive the rest of the night. I think she would have a really hard time being put away knowing that we were all up and around.
As others have said, I don’t mind when a dog is initially excited when I visit other homes. But if the dog never calmed down/was in our face all night, I’d probably get annoyed. Especially the “fancier” the gathering is. We did a progressive party in our neighborhood a few years ago and my next door neighbor offered to host part of it. They have a large Irish spaniel who is super sweet BUT is large, sheds, and likes to be petted and will be in your face. I was worried when the neighbor said they were leaving their dog out. Luckily at the last minute, she realized it was probably best for the dog to be in the basement. We weren’t there an incredibly long time. But it would have been hard, I think, to have a house full of dressed up people and a dog wh wouldn’t leave us alone!
I think of our dog like a young child. It’s my responsibility to make sure he is behaving appropriately even while hosting. That doesn’t mean that I have to be on him constantly, but I do have to make sure he isn’t bothering people. This might mean leashing him or crating him while guests arrive, making sure he isn’t swiping food or begging, making sure he isn’t putting his face in people’s laps, etc. I can achieve that by keeping him near me, working on training him more, or putting him away.
I put our dog in my bedroom for most, but not all, gatherings. I sometimes let him out later in the evening when some people are gone and the remaining people all know and like our dog.
We never have kids over so that’s not an issue but for adults we crate our small dogs when they arrive then let them out at dinner. They normally just nap. If they were jumpers or beggars I would not let me out.
It depends on the group but generally in large groups, or when there are children over who might be less comfortable with dogs, we put her in a bedroom. If it's close family that she knows and is already comfortable with (and vice versa), we usually leave her out.
I hate jumpy dogs that love to lick. I don’t have pets and I don’t love going places and leaving covered in dog hair. Plus my DD is allergic. I have one friend that never puts her dog away and I honestly just don’t go to her house for events. I love her but she seems indifferent to the fact people don’t like her dog. If the dog is super chill and just lays around I wouldn’t care.
I am not a dog person . I mean they’re cute and I like them, but I don’t like them jumping on me and licking me. We were Invited to dinner at some new friends house recently. It was our first time at their house and their dog was over excited. She scared my DD and kept jumping on us and even licked me right on the mouth. I tolerate it fine, but I really wish they could have controlled her a bit more. I mean, I can deal but it really upset my daughter. So I guess my opinion is that if it is family or a dog people, leaving them out is fine. But for friends and coworkers who you don’t know how dog friendly they are, I would try to contain her.
I love dogs, but absolutely hate being jumped on or licked. I avoid going to people's houses who don't seem to understand that I don't want their dog all over me and scratching and slobbering on me.
Clearly UO, but I love when there's a dog like this at a gathering. I'm an introvert and generally prefer dogs to people. So a dog like this gives me something to do.
Post by undecidedowl on Dec 10, 2018 9:48:13 GMT -5
I'm allergic to dogs so I will always vote for having them be elsewhere. I hate when a dog is jumping on me and licking me and there is nothing I can do about it. I especially hate if the owner doesn't step in to help move the dog away from me because I really don't know how to convince a dog that I don't want to play or pet it.
I think the answer to this is know your guests. We don’t really have any big gatherings with non-family so our dog has free reign of the house at all times. If there is a less familiar family member or maybe a lot of people arriving at once or she seems overly excited, we leash her for a little while to contain the jumping. If we had brand new people over I’d probably put her in the basement and feel it out depending. Or keep her in the leash longer. I think she’d be pretty calm if she were alone though.
I’m a hypocrite though because I hate going to SILs house because she has a huge mastiff that drools all over everyone. And my parents’ tiny morkie poo is yippy and likes to bite at your toes. So apparently only my dog is bearable lol.
Post by expectantsteelerfan on Dec 10, 2018 12:09:18 GMT -5
Luckily kids aren't an issue for us (at least for the holidays) because mine are the only young kids in the family. And nobody is allergic/so frail that the dog is an issue. Don't get me wrong, I don't want her jumping on my MIL/FIL (or anyone really), but we hold her when they first enter and she does stop jumping in a few minutes, it's more, if you go to sit on a couch, she'll jump up next to you and be in your face until she calms down. Once everyone is there, she will lay down and chew on a new bone/toy/whatever I give her, but if people are coming and going it's hard to get her to calm down.
I wish I could leave her outside, but unfortunately our fenced area is out our front door, so she'd be out where people are walking up to our door and would definitely jump on them if we aren't holding her
When my kids have friends over, I handle it by letting the parents know ahead of time we have a dog if it's their first time over, and there are places kids can go to play where the dog can't go...our whole driveway and back yard area are outside her fenced area, and she doesn't go upstairs to the bedrooms at all, so if the kids don't like being around her they can avoid her totally. But in those instances, she is still with me so she's fine.
Boarding is an option for some gatherings, but logistically won't work out for hosting on actual holidays (like I would not want to be taking her to the boarder on Christmas morning when my kids are opening presents...my parents and inlaws come over for brunch! But I think that is what I will do with her when we host a bigger gathering that isn't on the actual holiday. I'm just really wary of doing that right now...the last time we boarded her, she played so vigorously that she tore her ACL, and since had to have surgery on both her back legs. She is recovered now, but still makes me nervous when she runs around like crazy with other dogs.
Clearly UO, but I love when there's a dog like this at a gathering. I'm an introvert and generally prefer dogs to people. So a dog like this gives me something to do.
This is me too! And when we host both sides of our family, it can get super awkward (esp. if both of my divorced parents arrive first and no one else is there), our pup is a good tension breaker!
I'm leaning towards leaving her out but making sure we hold her until she calms down for close family, but boarding her if we have a bigger gathering.
I always kept my dogs out. My dogs were part of my family. If you don't like dogs, you should have declined to come to my house. Nobody I would have invited over would have been unaware that I had dogs.
I love dogs and don't have any anymore, so I would be sad if I went to a house with a dog and didn't get to see it.
(this obviously doesn't apply if the dog is aggressive or fearful. Just friendly? Please give me all your doggie kisses).
I kind of hate being licked and pawed at. I'm not a dog person and yet they always seem interested in me...
Dogs always love the person in the room who hates them the most. It's like a rule or something.
My dad hates dogs and yet my dog is obsessed with him. LOL It's kind of hilarious to watch (Disclaimer: if it wasn't my dad I'd pull him away or crate him).
My friend is terrified of dogs. For some reason my dog loves to follow her around (I do pull him away or crate him when she comes over).
Post by DarcyLongfellow on Dec 10, 2018 14:38:28 GMT -5
We have a lab who is similar. He's usually out because he's generally good. When he was a puppy, I'd crate him when we had a bunch of people over because I didn't want to have to spend the whole time negotiating puppy and young kid interactions. I crate him now if we have kids over who are scared of dogs.
Our old dog was deaf and crotchety. He wasn't great with people in his face, so I always put him in my bedroom if we had people over.
If we had a big, fancy party, I'd probably put our lab in his crate. But it would depend on whether I thought he would annoy guests.
At our family holiday gatherings, we generally have 2 to 3 big dogs running around the house, and we all hate it. But once when my SIL's grandmother was planning to come, my MIL asked that dogs not come because they were afraid of her getting knocked over.
Our dogs are sweet and lazy like 90% of the time when people are here. But for the first 10 minutes, they are total loveable assholes. The big one jumps (like, as an actual breed trait, they call it the "Wheaten Greetin'"), and the little one barks and bites the big one in an effort to keep him from jumping on people. It's a mess. I love an exuberant dog, but I know most people don't. So - we keep them in our bedroom. They do bark and scratch a bit, but usually calm down with a nice chew toy and some treats. Sometimes we'll let them out after everyone is settled, but with a warning that they may be a little excited for a minute.
If I know it's going to be a lot of people in and out, we take them to doggie daycare or board them.
it's more, if you go to sit on a couch, she'll jump up next to you and be in your face until she calms down.
Sorry, but this drives me nuts when I visit a home with dogs. The dog jumps up on the couch, is right at face-level, you’re a guest so you can’t (gently) push them back to the floor...ugh. I think as a host if you can’t get your dog to stop that behavior generally (or be attentive enough during the party to be right next to her at all times) then you need to keep her separated until she can be calm.