Uh, is it rude to not immediately acknowledge the dog?

[oceanbaby]

Let me start by saying that I love dogs, I really do. Always had one growing up, and we plan on getting one soon. But there's something a few of my dog owning friends do which really grates on me, but maybe I'm just being insensitive.

When I go to their house, they answer the door, I come in, hi, hello, hugs, put my bag down, comment on parking/traffic/weather/whatever, and the dog is excited and jumping around my legs. I have two different friends who will interrupt me at this point and say "Um, the dog is trying to say hello to you!" Like they're reprimanding me for not immediately acknowledging the dog when I entered the room. I feel like saying to them "yeah, I'll say hello to the dog when I'm good and ready," but really, who wants to start off a visit with that kind of attitude.

I don't appreciate being told when I need to acknowledge the dog, but again, maybe I'm just being dense about this and it really is just so rude that they can't help but point it out to me.

[bright]

It really bothers me when people think their pets are human.

[mama ganoush]

Originally Posted by bright

It really bothers me when people think their pets are human.

yes, it is a huge insult to the pet.

[Periwinkle]

Oceanbaby I could've written your post. Love dogs, but that drives me nuts too.

[mama ganoush]

oh, and maybe your friends are actually trying to be polite, and want you to greet the dog so the dog will leave you alone. i always lock my terrors up when people come over or they would get knocked onto the ground.

[celestialdreamer]

My aunt insists that her dog wants me to "give her a hug" when I come over. Her dog is a shedding nightmare so I really do not look forward to visits at my aunt's house. I am an animal lover and I cannot imagine insisting that someone greet my cat or dog. If they choose to, then that's nice, but I would never say something to them about it!

[Haydee]

My parents have two large dogs. Whenever guests came over they first acknowledge the people, so the dogs know they're not bad guys. Then they acknowledge the dog so the dog leaves them alone. We will tell guests to say hi to the dog out of politeness to the guest. If any guest is uncomfortable with the dog we'll happily take the dogs into the other room or put them outside. My guess is that this is what your friend is doing too.

[Sharlla]

My BIL's mom tells him that her dog is his brother

[Jilian]

It anooys the hell out of me! My mom used to do this all the time. I would come over to visit (with my newborn DS in my arms) and she'd be yelling at me to bend down and say hello to her freakin dog!

The only thing that annoys me more about pets is when you go to someone's house and their dog jumps all over you- and they do nothing about it. I used to have a friend who's GIANT dog would pretty much plow me over every time I walked in the door. She would just sit there, even when I was pregnant! I stopped going over to visit her real quick!

[oceanbaby]

Originally Posted by mama ganoush

oh, and maybe your friends are actually trying to be polite, and want you to greet the dog so the dog will leave you alone. i always lock my terrors up when people come over or they would get knocked onto the ground.

I'd say it's impolite to make me responsible for their dog's behavior. And the dog is not then taken from the room after I say hi, so I don't think that's the case.

Celestial - that's the case with one of my friends. Her dog is a huge shedder, and often kind of stinky (I love the dog, but there it is), and I don't always look forward to being forced to pet and love on the dog, especially when the dog is excited and all over me.

[greenmagick]

I think usually people tell you to say "hi" to the dogs because that is a signal to them to quit "greeting". Usually once a dog is greeted, it will settle down. I know as an owner of excitable k9s that I get very stressed when my dogs are greeting people and the sooner they pet the pups, the sooner I can relax

[mama ganoush]

i don't know that it is "making you responsible for the dog's behavior". basic rule of dog world is: dog is excited by visitor, dog greets visitor, ever more enthusiastically, until dog is greeted by visitor.

[zaftigmama]

We have two dogs, and they do get a little anxious until they are acknowledged by guests. They don't jump, but they kind of hover. As soon as a stranger or guest gives them a cursory pat, they're fine. I am guessing it's a protective thing.

And I hope they don't smell. They do get bathed often. I don't think I would ever tell someone to say hello to my dog. We have a basket of dog cookies and if the dogs seem weird around a guest, sometimes I'll ask the person to give them a cookie. But certainly no one has to pet our dogs.

Conversely, I can't stand the way my in-law's talk to my dogs, esp. when the dogs are minding their own business. I would never snap at someone's pet, unless I was being jumped on or barked at.

Whatever. Take care!

[HelloKitty]

I have the opposite problem, I tend to spend too much time acknowledging the dogs and ignoring the friend. They have to say "Hello! I'm standing here waiting for you to say hi to me!" Well not really, but they might think it.

[oceanbaby]

I guess I was just not privy to this unwritten rule about visiting a house with dogs. I mean, I wouldn't even interrupt someone and demand that they say hi to my kid who was bouncing up and down. I'd pick them up, or excuse myself and see what I could do for them to help them settle down a bit. I guess as a kid our dogs were always trained to not bother people, whether they just walked in the door or not. They always came over to investigate and check the situation out, but I never remember a time where they were freaking out until the other person pet them. And I have a few other friends, who when their dogs are freaking out upon my arrival, they just tell their dogs to settle down or bring them in the other room.

And just to be clear, these are all dogs that I like. I just always feel a little bit peeved at the order to say hi as soon as I arrive.

[Dar]

My dog is also generally anxious until she's greeted... it's like the new person is an unknown coming into her home and possibly threatening her or her people, especially when the intitial meeting is sort of loud. If the person casually greets her by name, she gets the message that her or she has friendly intentions, and calms down.

Not that you're responsible for the dog's feelings, but since my friends know that I adore my dog, they're generally willing to greet my dog because they know her well-being is important to me, and it's really not a difficult task. JUst, "Hi, Nana... aren't you a good girl?" is enough...

Dar

[Pandora114]

I usually ignore the inlaws dog. Of course I hate that damn hairball with a passion and have since it bit my DD on the face when she was a little over 18mos old. If there's a dog that jumps on me at another persons house I instinctually raise my knee to the chest (not hard enough to harm the dog but enough to knock the dog down) makes some people mad, but I grew up around shar-pei and sometimes they were jumpy so it's become a conditioned response on my part.

[HelloKitty]

If someone ignored my kid that was jumping up and down to say hi, that person would no longer be welcome in my home.

[Mama Poot]

I am NOT a dog person, and if someone's dog is jumping on me and licking me I make it immediately known that I'd like them to control their dog and take it elsewhere. Yuck dog drool.....:Puke:

[bright]

Originally Posted by Sharlla

My BIL's mom tells him that her dog is his brother

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