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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

etiquette with non-dog people... in your house

45 replies

lainiekazan · 10/06/2014 16:50

I have a lovely dog - very friendly, but large, hairy and slobbery. He never jumps up, but greets callers enthusiastically with a salivery toy. A bit of a pat and attention and he trundles off, satisfied.

However, what do you do with people who come to the house who dislike dogs? I always tell people we have a dog, but some of dd's friends have screamed and swiped at him, and today someone announced who came to drop something off that they are allergic to dogs and could I keep him shut away whilst we talked. Now, I try to be accommodating, but dog gets a bit confused and barks if he is shut away. He'll lie down and be as good as gold in the same room, but heartily dislikes being exiled behind a door.

I can't quite work out how to teach him not to bother people who clearly don't like him. Is it possible?!

OP posts:

SpicyPear · 11/06/2014 11:47

I haven't quite done training to go to crate when doorbell rings but I have trained the one that will approach visitors to run behind the stairgate and wait for me to close it. It was very easy but did mean I had to shout through the door at the beginning to the person ringing to hold on a sec please. Delivery drivers do not like this btw, but it was only for a week or so.

Original poster

lainiekazan · 11/06/2014 12:07

Hmm, might try that. The postlady loves the dog and always makes a fuss of him. The postman who comes detests him and won't even put letters through the door. A bit odd as we have a cage to catch the post and often dog is asleep anyway and totally ignores callers/letterbox.

OP posts:

WeAllHaveWings · 11/06/2014 17:13

SIL is nervous around dogs so I put him in another room when she visits if I am too busy to keep him with me, if I am sitting down he'll be allowed in the room but must keep at my feet. This allows her dc to pet him, they don't get to play with him as it makes her uncomfortable.

If ds has friends around I either stay in the room to watch how they are playing with the dog (one insists on putting his face up to dogs face and staring at him so I need to be around to tell him again and again he cant be like that with dogs), or get the dog to stay around me. We are generally lucky we have a very placid (almost comatose) lab.

I don't mind making allowances for SIL, but wish she would return the favour. She has a cat and they make me nervous after one pounced on me from nowhere once and I got badly scratched. If there is a cat in the room/house I'm constantly on edge watching where it is.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 11/06/2014 17:31

I'm not a dog person (I like them well enough but I don't own one) but until last year my DD was terrified of them.

So if she was invited to a friends house, I had to check if they had dogs.
If I go to someones house (NHS worker) I always say hello to the dog but then ask for it to be put in another room because I don't want them stamping all over my equipment.(Which I put on a sterile drape on the floor)

There's alot of "My dog doesn't get shut in another room and if you don't like it , tough " on Doghouse.

LtEveDallas · 11/06/2014 18:32

I'm one of those 70isaLimit. But that's because shutting MuttDog away would cause more trouble than allowing her to sleep quietly in the same room. She'll bark at the door, then growl once as you walk through the door, but after that will get back on her bed and have no interest in you at all unless you approach her. She's one of my family and I wouldn't turn her out of her own home for a visitor. I understand that some people have allergies, and in that case I would arrange to meet them outside my home, because the dog hair would get them even if the dog was outside.

D0oinMeCleanin · 11/06/2014 18:36

Our "male" rat has just given birth. I consider that behaviour to be far worse than dogs jumping up

I control my dogs around wary visitors but I don't lock them away. A quick away or bed command soon puts them in their place. Most children acclimatise to them after they realise the dogs will ignore them.

coffeeinbed · 11/06/2014 18:36

My house happens to be my dog's home.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 11/06/2014 18:55

I did have a situation where a very large dog (I think Great Dane size) stood between myself and the lady I was trying to treat.
It wasn't aggressive, it was protective but she couldn't shift the beast .
Then she tried to get it up on the sofa beside her - so it would've been looking down at me (in every sense of the word ) but thankfully, he wasn;t for jumping.

I do know that dogs don't like being locked away though, most of them will sit with their bodies pressed to the door, doing that feeble little howllll.

LtEveDallas · 11/06/2014 19:06

Gawd, I wish the Mutts howl was feeble. Bloody thing could walk the dead, and her bark goes right through me! It's a good job I love her. If she was shut in another room she'd bark, howl, whine, scratch at the door, try to eat the door and finally repeatedly throw herself at the door.

She's very distracting to say the least

(She's very well behaved though, almost push button. Excellent recall, good 'stay' and totally disinterested in anyone else - although flies and wasps will make her try to sit inside me)

madamweasel · 11/06/2014 19:07

I'm allergic to dogs and if I went to someone's house who had a big, hairy, albeit, friendly dog I wouldn't be able to be in the same room with it without becoming ill. I'm afraid for me it's black and white, I would have to stay out of the house or risk having an allergy induced asthma type attack and possibly need an ambulance if it was really bad. So please don't feel that someone is being rude if they ask you to put the dog in another room whilst they're there, it's not about manners or fear. I love animals and wish heartily I didn't have this reaction to them. Unfortunately my DS has inherited the allergy too :-(

MagratGarlik · 11/06/2014 22:01

I have students and their parents coming in and out regularly. Whilst they are here, the dogs are behind a stair-gate. I don't want them causing a distraction and if people are scared of dogs I don't want to put the onus on them to insist the dogs are put away. The dogs don't worry about it because they are used to it and I don't want to run the risk of the dogs being accused of anything either (I know they wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone, but I'd rather not leave myself/them open to a potential allegation).

Ludoole · 12/06/2014 02:15

If anyone comes to my door unexpectedly I pick dog up (at 5 and a half pounds its easy)

My partner is very allergic to practically all dogs but as my dog is a yorkie (no undercoat) he has no issues thankfully evenwhenbeinglickedtodeath--

Original poster

lainiekazan · 12/06/2014 09:50

Arf at picking up my 8-stone dog.

Dog's "personal trainer" and I and dog are now working on a "go to bed" command so that he knows that visitors are not potential playmates (or handy slobber depositories).

OP posts:

BravePotato · 12/06/2014 09:55

Lainie, can you train your dog to not run up to the door? I often put dog in kitchen with door shut, to open the door.

Wolfiefan · 12/06/2014 09:57

Ahhhh baby rats. So cute!
Sorry off topic!

I don't have dogs. I don't think it is fair to shut a dog away for hours because a visitor isn't keen. (Different if phobic or severe allergies but then why would they want to visit where there was a dog?!)
For a short period I can't see an issue with garden (depending on shelter and weather), another room (Stairgates?) or on a lead?

buggerboooo · 12/06/2014 10:00

My house is my dogs house. If someone didnt like my dogs then its tough im afraid. They do not get shut away and never would I!

Canidae · 12/06/2014 10:15

I shut mine behind a baby gate. They are both large and even doggy people might need a moment before having a German shepherd lean on them to get scratches.

I always shut them behind the gate for tradepeople. They are here to do a job and my dogs would get in the way.

Pantah630 · 12/06/2014 10:22

I'd rather my home was full of dogs than people

Although DB's holidaying Cockerpoo needs to stop barking every time another dog in the neighbourhood barks, he's annoying the Collie and me

Our a Collie is old and grouchy, if non dog people really need to come in, she's quite happy to disappear upstairs to our bed. I'm afraid people with dog allergies wouldn't be able to come through the door, she moults year round, there's hair everywhere 5 minutes after hoovering.

evertonmint · 12/06/2014 10:45

I am quite scared of dogs. I don't mind ones that are docile and just inquisitive, but overly boisterous or noisy ones do upset me. Having said that if I go to somebody's house where there is a dog, I never expect it to be shut away as it is its home. But I do appreciate people who do, knowing that I find them unnerving and so trying to make me feel at ease. It's a very welcoming thing to do for a guest.

I went to a new friend's once to drop off some equipment I was giving her for her daughter. She knew I was wary of dogs as we'd talked about it several times and I knew she had a big dog herself (Labrador/retriever type crossed with something) who she was trying to train to be calmer around people. This dog rushed at me barking when I went in, jumped up at me 4 times while I was showing her how to work the baby equipment (including twice when my back was turned), and licked my face once. Each time the friend said "she's only being friendly" and didn't really do anything. I wasn't sure what to say as she had previously made it clear she was of the "you're a guest in my dog's home so you deal with the dog" school of thought. I left as quickly as I could with a sore back and arm, later discovering bleeding scratches.

I had to drop that friendship quickly because we were so different. I'd tried to be accommodating to the dog given I was in its home but it was poorly trained and the owner made no effort to make me feel more comfortable. She wouldn't have let her daughter behave that boisterously towards an adult but it seemed to be acceptable for the dog to do so.

Since then I am always very appreciative and thank people who put their dog in another part of the house, or respond strongly to behaviour which clearly upsets me.

weaselwords · 15/06/2014 11:36

My two were trained by their previous owner to go into the back room when asked to when we get visitors. This is very convenient as they are the most nosey dogs in the universe and really get in the way and frisk people. Pretty intimidating! Much as I love them, I don't find their loutish behaviour charming and I doubt my visitors do too.

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