Dear Queenie,
My boyfriend says he likes my dog, who is well-behaved and seems to like him too. But when my boyfriend talks to the dog he calls him mean names like “Stinky” and “Stupid.” He does this in a sweet tone of voice and the dog doesn’t seem to understand that he is being insulted, but I do and it bothers me.
Queenie, should I say something about it?—Offended dog-lover
Dear Offended dog-lover,
I’m sure your dog responds to your boyfriend’s tone of voice and does not understand the meaning of his words. Try not to let this bother you so much.
On the other hand, of course you should speak up when something bothers you, but do so calmly and non-combatively.
