To be cross about visitors not liking my dog

[calamityJayne1]

I have a Labrador who is the daftest dog you’d ever meet.

Due to my work children and parents visit my house. They know I have a dog who is harmless yet people still make comments like why is he barking and I don’t like dogs and physically wincing if he comes near them.

This is only on arrival and I put the dog in a different room for the duration of their visit, but I am getting really tired of anti dog people making comments and someone even asked me to ensure the dog was locked in a different room on arrival!

Given the fact that new people are informed I have a dog and he’s playful and barks I don’t understand people’s reactions. I understand not everyone likes dogs but why can’t people stop act like snowflakes and move on?

AIBU to feel totally fed up and only invite dog friendly people to my house?

Of course your dog can be trained NOT to bark along with the door bell. Unless you trained him to do that?? I always put my dog away when people come and he doesn't bark or jump up at people. I love dogs but wouldn't like a labrador barking or jumping at me. YABU.

Ywbu for using the term "snowflake".

As a general rule, I find anyone who uses the term 'snowflakes' is generally not very considerate/ self aware/ kind. HTH.

Exactly this

Anyway, you've answered your own question. That's that then. FWIW I'd be relieved not to be invited to your house anymore with your barky dog and dailymail vocabulary.

YABU if you're annoyed at friends.

YAB ridiculously U if you're annoyed at people who are paying you for some sort of service.

Matt or rather I would have dropped you as a friend for refusing to accommodate my dc who would refuse to come near any dog, incl the most gentle and absolutely not moving dog my PIL had.

It works both ways. You might think your dog should be treated like a human. I suspect many people would see that their child (or their) wellbeing goes above the ‘rights’ of a dog.

@MattMagnolia spiders and mice are everywhere too but I wouldn't like to spend time with my friends' pet spider or mouse

The dog needs training, and put it in a different room so they don't see it. It should not come to the door.

I have dogs and I sometimes have clients come to my house. Whilst out in public with my dogs I keep them away from people, but anyone coming into my (their) house is going to rouse their curiosity and they will greet them and often bark a bit at first before losing interest and going to lie down.

In my house my dogs take priority and anyone - client or not- who thinks that they can demand what I do with my dogs can fuck off frankly.

We have a family dog. A Lab. She is terrified of anything that makes an electronic noise and is generally a complete wuss. But she barks when anyone approaches the door to tell me someone is coming. I can and do put her beyond a perimeter that screens family from public space. But her bark is an alert, not an "I hate you signal."

Now, if you were a squirrel, you really, really should worry because she is very fast and merciless. Humans less so, and she's scared of kids because they're unpredictable and don't understand not twisting soft ears. I think most of the posters here are city dwellers and not used to co-existing with animals. You probably all fawn on Chris Packham.

YANBU. It’s the dogs house too.
Dog behaviour is based on the fact it’s a dog. Barking, sniffing crotches, enthusiastic greetings are normal.
Your friends share a planet with non humans and they need to get over it or not visit. You already make concessions by putting him away and that’s enough.

It’s funny when I visit family homes I’m never asked if I have a phobia of any animals- I’ve been greeted with dogs, cats, a child with a lizard in her hand and a box of mice.

But.

I suspect a lot of people commenting on this thread maybe just want to have a go at dog owners because they don’t like dogs!

Nighty night 👍😂

You don't have to have a phobia to dislike barky dogs. If they have to come to your house for work purposes then the dog should be trained to leave your clients alone. It really is as simple as that.

If visitors don’t want to come in and meet my family, including the dogs, they’d have to talk on the doorstep.

Not exactly the same scenario though as the OP’s situation, is it? If I visit my hairdresser at home, I don’t expect to have to tolerate their misbehaving dog. If she doesn’t like that, I’ll be taking my money somewhere else. (I have two ridgebacks myself by the way)

And my dog is extremely well trained, but barking is not something you can eliminate through training, unless you are ready to use more repressive training methods than regular discipline.

I love dogs, have a dog myself but I’m always respectful if visitors aren’t keen on dogs. Unfortunately not everyone loves them. Some people have a real genuine fear of them.

My mum has this dog, it’s really annoying. Barks bites and growls at people and she just doesn’t have any respect. My uncle visits, he doesn’t like any dogs let alone this one and she gets annoyed with him for shooing it aways and getting annoyed by it

Did you take note of anything anyone has said?

I suspect a lot of people commenting on this thread maybe just want to have a go at dog owners because they don’t like dogs!

You might want to read the thread again🙄 I have two ridgebacks myself and no way would I want to put up with somebody’s barking and “playful” (which usually means misbehaving pain in the ass) dog if I go to their house for business purposes.

Playful and barks in your perception, with a dog the size of a lab, can look very different to other people. I have a big bouncy dog and always ensure they are in a different room when guests arrive as no one apart from me appreciates being slobbered on and have hair left on me by a 50kg dog that thinks it's still 5kg.

A lot of dog lovers just seem it hard to accept that some people don’t like dogs and take it as a personal insult if their “fur baby” isn’t fawned over by visitors. I don’t hate dogs, but neither would I choose to have one so if yours is barking at me, shedding hair and slobber all over me and getting under my feet, then I think its ok to not be happy.

Barking at the doorbell is part of the dog's job

However, to be professional, you need to put him in another room before you open the door to clients
and also train him not to bark when put away.

I have had dogs. Don't dislike them, but I really hate when dogs bark at me, I guess that constant noise, their teeth showing, their spit flying around, on top of them bouncing around frightens the shite out of me. I always get the "he's harmless, he won't touch you", but that doesn't help when the big huge animal is lunging at you and you're wondering if your it's next meal.

I like dogs and love labs, they are easily excited but very trainable. If you run your business from your home you need to either train your dog or keep him out of the way.

My DS (20) loathes my mother's dog, a Havanese. It weighs about 4kg and a decent kick would put it over the 2m wall, but it's loud (small man syndrome says DH). The dog sees its job as being to protect and warn its owner of unknown hazards, like postmen. But while I'm not so keen, it gives my DM (84) a sensible amount of exercise and companionship.

I’ll tell you what. If you had a child who on arrival ran up to me, leapt on me, shouted in close proximity at me and licked my exposed skin on my hand or leg while shoving its nose in my crotch I’d be telling you to keep your child in a room too. Honestly those are all things badly managed dogs do when you arrive in their house. Your dog doesn’t sound much better. It’s unacceptable for people to be assaulted on arrival, whether you’ve told them they will be or not.

I had no idea there were so many people who dislike or are scared of dogs

Do you live in a box?? Seriously. I can't believe that people are so willfully ignorant.

Also barking at a doorbell isn't a dog's job, burglars don't tend to ring them. A dog's primary job is as a companion and to alert of any unannounced incomers. Positive reinforcement training around laying down when the doorbell rings works. I grew up with labs who were taught to do this, didn't stop them going ballistic when we were burgled