As a dog owner, it is likely that your canine is more than a pet; it is family.
It is no surprise that you might want to take them with you everywhere.
But when going to a family or friend’s house, you might wonder if you should bring your dog with you.
So, Is It Rude to Bring Your Dog to Someone’s House Without Asking?
Yes! It is pretty rude. It is up to the homeowner to allow your animal in their home. Bringing your dog to someone’s home without asking if they are okay with it is being rude and presumptuous.
You don’t know the situation in their home or factors they would consider to decide if or not they would want a dog in their home. Some of the reasons why you should not include; a household member might be dog phobic or allergic to dog fur; they might have a home with delicate objects that can be easily damaged by actions of a dog or might have small animals such as cats which might get stressed by the presence of the dog.
Therefore, if you have a dog and are going to someone’s house, it’s only right that you call, text, or email the house owner to ensure it’s okay to bring your dog. Respect the decision and leave your dog at home if they say no.
Is It Rude to Ask Whether to Bring Your Dog to Someone’s House?
Generally, asking if to bring your dog to someone’s house is not rude.
This is the best way to know their opinion on this topic.
Asking is a sign of showing respect and proving you care about what is best for the people you are visiting and their entire household.
However, always be polite when asking for clarification about any specific rules.
This may include questions such as if you will need to bring a food or water dish, whether there are other dogs in the house and if they will be allowed to stay outside.
If the answer is no, ensure you follow the rule.
Don’t ask whether you should bring your dog and disregard the answer.
Bringing your dog where they are not welcome will not be good for them, yourself, or any other guest invited.
Just respect their decision without asking multiple questions until you find the answer you want.
If you are contented with the idea of going without your dog, it is not a must for you to attend the event.
How Can You Tell Someone Not to Bring Their Dog?
Now, what if you are the one inviting someone over to your house, but you don’t want them to bring their dog?
You need to approach them carefully with the right reasons without compromising yourself. Begin by talking to people you believe would want to bring a dog.
1. Confirm And Lay The Ground Rules
Start by confirming whether you believe that the person will bring their dog.
From there, you can establish the ground rules early and let them know you don’t allow dogs in your house.
More particularly, if you already have pets in your house, it will be essential to speak up if you don’t want other people to bring pets.
Your friends or family are likely to assume that it will be okay for them to bring their dog because you have a dog.
In reality, having dogs of your own can worsen the situation because dogs are territorial.
Even if you have no issue having other pets in your home, your dogs might disagree.
2. Be Firm But Polite
When communicating your house rules, you should ensure you stay firm and polite.
You don’t want to look uncertain about your decision. Say no to dogs in your house but keep it polite.
Keep in mind that their dog means a lot to them and has probably worked up to get the courage to ask whether they can bring their dog with them.
The best of doing this is just saying that you really don’t like to have other pets at your house.
Just leave it at that without trying to apologize or explaining why you don’t want them to come with their dog.
You don’t have to defend yourself as this is your home. If you are polite and inform them upfront, they will be more likely not to say anything about it.
On the other hand, if you have not been asked about it, but you still want to ensure no one brings their dog, you can try to trigger any questions.
When extending the invitation, you can state that the person should find someone to watch over their dog before the date set.
This will give them an idea that you don’t want them to come with a dog but politely.
3. Remain Consistent
If you tell one individual that they can’t bring a dog to your house and not tell the other, this will only cause issues for everyone present.
You should place a firm rule that everyone is needed to follow.
There may be particular incidents requiring one person to bring in their pets but anyone else not.
For instance, if a family member is staying with you for a while and requires keeping their dog with them, you have one-day visitors who don’t want to bring their pets.
In such a case, you should keep the pets allowed away from the rest of the party, either chained outside or a room away from the guests.
How Can You Deal with Guests Who Bring Dogs?
Now, what should you do if a guest does not ask whether to bring a dog and just shows up at your house with a dog?
This situation can be very subtle, and it may not be easy to be polite and take control of the situation.
If the dog owner lives nearby, you should make them know that you would prefer to take the dog back home.
This might be easier if you have your own pets because you can tell them you don’t want your dogs to start being territorial.
If the individual’s home is not close enough to drive back home, you can ask them to leave the dog in the garage or outside.
But what if the guest is rude and does not want to accept any offer?
In this case, you will have to decide on whether you are okay with sacrificing your rules or if you would rather turn them away.
Note that if you give in one time, they might assume they can always break the rule.
This may be something you may only sacrifice for the sake of everyone else but should not be a regular habit.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, the best thing to do if you want to bring your dog to someone’s house is to ask.
On the other hand, the best thing you can do if you don’t want someone to bring a dog with them is to tell them.
Although situations are different and you may need to make some sacrifices, being upfront and open with each other is the best thing.
Over time, people will respect your house rules.
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Sources
Rude to bring your dog to someone’s house without asking? – City-Data.com
Is it rude to bring your dog to a friend’s house without asking first? – Quora.com
Don’t bring your dog to someone’s house when they ask you not to! – Reddit.com