How do you handle visitors to your home who are not pet-friendly? For me, it depends on the visitor. Did I invite them? Do I know if they have allergies to dogs or cats? Or did they show up with no advance notice?
Obviously, we want to train our dogs to display at least basic obedience behavior at all times. But beyond that, what are our obligations to visitors in our home?
Many situations create people who are not pet-friendly. Have you visited homes where the dog dominates everything? Dog decides which lap he will join. Dog decides when he likes or dislikes something or someone. Owner allows the pet to control the household. No one wants to be subjected to that situation. As a host, we need to teach our pets to respect humans, even if that means isolating them during someone’s visit.
Reasons Why Guests May Not be Pet Friendly
People in general usually like dogs but not everyone takes to cats. But some have valid reasons to avoid both.
Fear of Dogs
If a visitor is afraid of dogs, you probably can’t do much to alleviate that problem. Should the person want to overcome that fear, it is possible; but some cases will require professional help.
I know a young woman who was terrified of her family’s gentle Beagle-mix dog when she was a child. The docile dog did nothing to cause the issue, but the girl’s fear was real. Today, Melissa is more than pet-friendly. She works with animal rescue groups and owns a Pit Bull that is the light of her life.
Allergies to Pets
Many people suffer from some kind of pet allergy, making it difficult to visit a pet-owner’s home. In some cases, they know not to enter a home where animals live. Or they know to dose up on medications to help them through the visit.
What to Do with Pet-Hating Guests
It really does depend on the visitor. If the guest is an invited one, such as a friend, or a service person and is not pet-friendly, welcome him or her with graciousness. Tell the visitor before arrival that you share your home with a dog or cat. If he or she is allergic, then the decision to visit or not lies with the guest. Perhaps medication taken earlier may help – or not. Just make sure the would-be guest knows she could run into a problem in your home.
If the guest fears your dogs or cats, perhaps you could crate your dogs or close the cat in another room for a short visit. If the guest plans to stay longer, you may choose to invoke the “my dog lives here” spiel.
Uninvited guests present a different situation. I do not feel an obligation to lock up my pets for uninvited visitors. Maybe I will but I don’t think it’s required. Decide early on how you will respond to different scenarios, and stick with what works for you. Don’t be intimidated by pet haters. It’s your home and your pets are part of the family.
