I never minded when my parents would bring Deke because he was sweet and our dogs loved him but I have heard horror stories of people showing up with their pets (not clearing it in advance) and having it raise all sorts of you-know-what with accidents, animal fights, allergies, furniture damage, etc.

Brian's parents let us bring our pups there as do my parents...I guess its just all how you ask and handle it!

Marianne

I wouldn't take Goldie where she wasn't invited. She is also very well behaved at this point.

It never ceases to amaze me what people will do in the name of "I love my dog". My dogs (angel Cody then and Finn now) do not go to other people's houses unless a specific invitation has been issued, even to my kids' houses. Call it selfish, but I don't want to monitor whether Finn is getting injured by one kid's exhuberant large puppy, nor do I want to supervise their dogs at my house. My dog rules are different than theirs; mine don't go into my gardens, theirs have no clue about that rule. If an invitation is issued, I expect to supervise my dog (no leaping in the koi pond) and have him obey their house rules and vice versa.

One couple in this story is from Boulder; no surprise there, as it's a very dog-centric locale. We can take dogs to the local hardware store, which is wonderful; the clerks all carry dog treats in their vests. The downside is that folks like those in this story don't train good canine etiquette for amy occasion, and as a result, the city has cracked down with more stringent rules on open space. Dogs are not children in furry suits, and not everyone wants to be knocked over, slobbered on or hand grabbed with sharp teeth. Personally, I think we as a society have gone a little nuts with what we expect others to tolerate from our beloved canine companions....

Yes, it is a job to have to supervise other people's dogs and my own dogs if I take them to other peoples houses.

I used to take the boys to my Aunt and uncles house in Boulder. They always invited them but...I really didn't enjoy myself as much because I was always concerned about the boys. Having to watch them and make sure they didn't get into things. So, no more going to Aunt's house in Boulder.

I would never take the boys to someones house if they weren't invited but I've had that happen to us and I wasn't happy about it.

It can go too far for sure.

Vicki