Dear Queenie,
I own 2 dogs that are usually well-behaved but can get excited when I have people visiting me. Sometimes someone who doesn’t like dogs or just isn’t used to them will ask me to put the dogs outside while they are there.
Queenie, are they being rude for asking such a thing or am I being rude if I don’t oblige them?—Pet Etty Ket
Dear Etty Ket,
Many people love their pets as though they were their children, and much the same principle applies – it is your responsibility as their “parent” to teach them good manners and keep them under control.
If your guest is allergic, for example, or even just has an aversion to dogs, or if your dogs are behaving rambunctiously, I see no rudeness in asking to be spared the dogs’ presence and no reason why the dogs cannot be sent outside to play while your sensitive guest is there – assuming the visit is relatively brief, that is.
However, if the guest knows you have dogs and has an aversion to them for some reason, they should keep their visit brief and not ask you to banish the dogs for more than a few hours.
