[nickcarraway]

This is an older article, but it could be relevant today.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

And the term “family member” should not be used lightly. Ari Henry Barnes, who works in a New York law firm, is so devoted to his cat, Romeo, that he wipes the animal’s behind every time he does “a stinky boom boom.”

When the cat became an extended houseguest at the home of good friends, Mr. Barnes found it stressful, because despite his wishes, the cat was allowed outside. “I think anybody who is taking care of someone else’s child or pet, they should protect the parent’s wishes.”

I've had a COUPLE of dogs I really really liked, mostly because they were extremely intelligent, protective of the children, understood a few words, etc. Cats I DO NOT like, I find them sneaky, and they don't like me either, I think.

But animals are animals, not people. I have a relative who allowed a house to become so unpleasant with more and more animals that no one visited anymore, which created more loneliness, which created a felt need for more pets to fill the void, which created a house that was almost unlivable, but because of the condition of the house no one wanted to go fix anything, even repairmen.

So I have a bit of an issue with pets becoming all in all to people. I've spent a few years dealing with this problem in this situation and when it was over I felt like I had PTSD.

[cripplecreek]

Love me, love my dog. Period.

[GovernmentShrinker]

And then there are the people who bring their human children, and allow them to behave in ways that make everyone else wish they’d brought an untrained hyperactive Great Dane instead.

[HairOfTheDog]

Our three dogs will be traveling up to Thanksgiving dinner today with us, but they probably will not come inside. I think there will just be too many people, too many mixed groups today.

They’ll get to stay dry and sleep it off in the back of our truck with the canopy and their dog beds, where at least they’ll get walked a few times, better than being stuck inside at home.

And they’re a great excuse to take a break from all the commotion in the house anyhow.

At Christmas that is usually just immediate family, the dogs are welcome and come inside. Dog owners need to be sensitive to others when it comes to their dogs... if they want the dogs to be welcome, they have to set the dogs up for success. Don’t bring them into situations where they will cause problems.

[Interesting Times]

[who knows what evil?]

But on Christmas morning, a commotion ensued: the fiancée was allergic to dogs and broke out in hives.

Couldn't they have sent the fiancee to the guest bedroom? Win-win.

[RegulatorCountry]

I'll strongly suggest that any bride-to-be, who comes to the family Christmas celebration as a guest of her future in-laws, and does not make any attempt at prior accomodation for her malady as well as for the presence of a beloved pet, despite no doubt knowing that a dog would be present, has a disturbing inability to be honest, and is controlling to a passive-aggressive degree.

If the smitten fiancé can't see past this unnecessary and divisive event, to recognize the opportunity to dodge a major future bullet, then he deserves the misery and alimony to come.

Ditch her. Welcome the dog, who has been a joyous part of Christmas in that household for years, and is a loyal and loved family member.

Dogs just have a way of bringing out the basic truth of new people on the scene. I know I trust the instincts of mine, instincts that are in some instances truer than my own. If they dislike a stranger, I've learned to be wary myself.

[woofie]

woof