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?

@calamityJayne1 - Just because virtually everyone in the hundreds of posters who have replied, has said YABU, does not make 'AIBU' "ludicrous" It is, as it says in it's name, an opportunity to to find out if the public at large thinks you are unreasonable or not.

Also, have you not read any of the replies ? So many posters have said they don't have a phobia, or even fear of dogs - indeed, so many have said they have dogs of their own - but that doesn't equate to want to have a dog jumping up at you and barking at you when you go into what is a business for a lesson / haircut / whatever business it is you are running.

@user1497997754 - that is fine, as you are not trying to invite people in to your home to run your business. Very different from the OP.

I have a really simple solution for this, because I too think everyone should adore my hairy freeloading wankerdogs...

Don't have those people to your home.

If you have no choice then I think the alternative of teaching your dog to lie quietly in another room or in a crate, chewing on a kong and never having to even HEAR people who don't adore him, is the best thing to do.

I don't know what you hoped to achieve by your post TBH. Other than for everyone to agree with you, and now you've thrown your toys out of your pram because they don't!

I’m a tutor and visit some tutees in their own homes. When I tell people that I’m not keen on dogs they usually shut them away. When tutees come to me I ask if they are afraid of, allergic to, or dislike cats and them keep my rag doll away accordingly if so (otherwise he will try to sit on their work or their lap).

Speaking as a parent who's DS was attacked by a dog who "just wanted to say hello" and ended up with stitches in his face. I wouldn't want your dog anywhere near us . Not everyone likes dogs and people who don't aren't just twats they might have a reason.
I really don't know why you have posted because you are convinced you are right and not taken any comments on board .

I love dogs and cats, horses and other animals.

I'd still be pretty pissed off if I were paying for a service and the person didn't at least keep them behind the kitchen door for the purposes of my getting through the front one.

I'm more than happy to have a dog come and say hello once I'm sat down - barking or hurling itself at me with joy because 'Wow! Another Person! I LOOOOOOOVVVVVEEE PEOPLE!' before I've got over the threshold is annoying, shows the owner hasn't trained it to show good manners and could easily end up with my being knocked over, my dodgy back being hurt or steroid thinned skin getting scratched (assuming that every dog is friendly and happy to have randoms wandering in and out each day).

Just put him away five minutes before any appointment.

Some people love dogs, some don’t.

Regardless of that, if you’re running a business where clients visit, I’d be keeping the dog out of the way. Unless you’re an animal related business, or one where dogs or other animals are to be expected, then it’s not professional to have them around.

Yes, you ABU. Not everyone likes dogs and some people really dislike them. I don't like dogs jumping up at me, barking, licking me, sniffing me. I don't like the smell of them or the fact they poo everywhere.

Please listen to the people who are telling you this is the case. You asked AIBU, well yes, I think you are.

YABU.
People don’t have to like your dog or want it anywhere near them; why not shut it in another room from the start?
And the difference between dogs and other animals you dislike such as cats is that dogs are noisy, jump up and are very protective of their homes and owners which can be intimidating to people who aren’t used to dogs.
The people comparing shutting dogs away to shutting children away are absolutely bonkers. Dogs are pets, children are not.

I love dogs and you are being unreasonable - professionally dog should be waway before they arrive. You choose to use the home as a workplace and that includes sacfrifices like keeping the dog away from visitors

we both work from home and have a daft lab/springer cross I would always keep her away, answer door, ask if they mind dogs and if they do get her put away before letting them in at all. I think its particularly important with children etc

'When visiting others, imagine if you could expect people to lock their noisy, ill-bred dc out onto the porch'

If they were interfering with my profession, then yes, I'd make other arrangements.

Where I walk my dog, there are lots of other amenity users, on bikes, on horses and on foot. It's quite clear from a distance of 100m which are anxious. I call my dog in to heel until we are clear of any hazard, but I get fairly peeved that i am the person who has to bother. We walk those walks 360 days a year; if you walk there once as a tourist, you have no business telling me what and where I can go or do.

Must try harder next time.

it's not even about loving dogs or not - if you've got kids coming in, and they've got a soppy Lab barrelling towards them, of course they're going to be a bit taken aback - how would you feel if you went into a house and a horse you'd never met came galloping up? To a child, a Labrador is enormous all they see is a massive hairy thing barking and snuffling at them, and they have no idea what the dog is doing or if it's friendly or not.

I'd make them sit in the other room if they don't like it - it's his home

Yabu and will lose clients with that attitude.

Your clients come to meet you for a service not to see your dog.

I like dogs but I find barking dogs annoying, my neighbours have barking dogs and I find this totally inconsiderate. It’s much the same as someone shouting at you.

I have a Labrador who is one of a long line of Labradors but would definitely find your dog very annoying indeed and would not appreciate arriving at your house and being barked at. I can't bear badly trained dogs jumping all over people and owners excusing this behaviour as them being "friendly". Maybe he needs more exercise if he is getting over excited at visitors arriving? That is meant to be helpful btw, lots of dogs don't get enough exercise and are a bit stir crazy indoors.

Sorry, YABU. A lot of people don't like dogs, my DH is allergic. I do like dogs, but I don't particularly like to have a dog bark at me. It's also tricky because I've worked hard to train my DDs not to be afraid of dogs, as their best friends have a dog. A barking dog definitely doesn't help with that.

I have 4 cats, who I love. If I have visitors who don't like cats who don't like cats, I shut them out of the room; they have a right not to like cats.

Not many folk keep horses in houses, butter. They 're a bit large. Or can you not tell the difference between a horse and a dog? A shetland and a wolfhound are similar in size. It really sounds as if you can't. I do get the distinction between personal and professional. But I think your life, and your childrens' lives, would be much improved if you could accept that a lot of people find dogs are much more agreeable than most humans.

I’d prefer a playful Labrador to some of the awful spoilt brats some parents call children

My ScrappyDoo (chihuahua with attitude) is awful, he barks at anyone and anything... we got him at 19wks past the socialisation stage so feel it is a lost cause. Dog training classes actually turned him from being super timid to super aggressive, it's heart breaking as he is so adorable when there are no other animals/strangers about.

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

Yabu and unprofessional to work at home in the way you do AND have an untrained dog and the attitude you have.

I suspect what's bothering you is its losing you clients and potential clients - your fault, your problem.

Frankly having an untrained dog around children is bloody irresponsible! It's asking for trouble - I'm wondering if you've informed your public liability insurers of this practice? I doubt it as most would either not insure you or charge you a hefty premium!

And I grew up with dogs and love them! But they were well trained, didn't jump up on people or bark inappropriately.

People are generally reluctant to comment much less complain, if your visitors are doing so that strongly indicates you and your dog are not behaving remotely appropriately.

TRAIN YOUR DOG.

"Not sure why some people would suggest my dog is untrained if he barks when the door bell rings?!"

Because it's perfectly possible to train it NOT to do this! Therefore - UNTRAINED.

You're jeopardising your business with your obstructive attitude. Can you afford to do that? Are you in a relationship? If so how does your partner/spouse feel about you jeopardising your income in this way?

"I’ve just dropped a couple of families who moan constantly" 🙄

Seriously what is your business? Because if you can't operate effectively because you can't be bothered to train or restrict the dog effectively you're cutting your own nose off! Ridiculous!

@Readytogogogo on the term snowflake. Agree. Completely.

Op I think it depends on your job... you appear to have flounced off despite people explaining why you MIGHT be unreasonable based on your very limited info...