going visiting

[wags]

We just came back from an overnight trip. It was a nightmare! In our host's living room was a tree, so we had to watch the dog carefully.

These people never had pets or children. They asked that he be caged and put in another part of the house. Reluctantly they agreed to let us set up a pen.

But their kitchen floor was tile and they were afraid the pen would scratch it. So they put throw rugs under it. We thought the dog would start chewing them up, but he didn't.

When I got in with him for a while to keep him company, the hostess commented on our "spoiled " dog. I was hurt and insulted.

Just as these people protected their kitchen floor from the dog, they protected their living room from us. We were sequestered around the dog's pen, in the kitchen. Every time someone got up from his seat, the dog barked. Maybe he felt like an offering in a cannibal cauldron?

[CallisMom]

Sounds like many a trip I have taken with the children to my sister's and brother-in-law's house before they had their baby. (My brother-in-law is OCD as well which didn't help). We couldn't MOVE in the house. And they have 2 Yorkies. It was a living nighmare. If the kids made a sound - they were spoiled, etc. But the dogs could bark and bark and bark . . .

They just had a baby (I am waiting for him to grow into a toddler to see how they handle THAT!!!). We just went for the christening and were going to bring Calli. My mother's dog was coming, etc. Well - a week before we were to leave she called up to tell us we couldn't bring the dog. (Of course my mother could). There were many words -we ended up kenneling Calli (but I didn't stay the whole week without the kids that I was going to). She was terribly afraid that Calli would pee on her wood floors. (Note Calli is trained - an accident here or there would not have killed her). In the meantime - her dogs peed a couple of times on her wood floors- which made me a very happpy gal! (oh yes - and in the 4 years my sister has had these two dogs - she has NEVER kenneled them. They have come to our house, my parents house, with us on vacation to stay in condos, hotels, on a french island . . . )

Don't get me wrong - I love my sister to death. But there are some people that just cannot handle people - much less children or dogs in their house! I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. But you don't have a spoiled doggy!!! You just went to visit some very anti-dog people!! (Of course your dog barked everytime someone got up - she was saying - LET ME OUT!!!!)

[MikeC]

The only place that I am truly comfortable taking Duffy is my Mother and Father's home. They love him and have a large yard for him to play in and he feels comfortable there. Fortunately, we have a wonderful dog boarding facility close to us and that is where Duffy stays when we travel overnight. I made the mistake of taking him with us to some friends that we were going to visit for a weekend (they wanted us to bring him so they could "meet" him). At that time he was about 5 months old and not completely housetrained then. He had a couple of accidents in their house and while they attempted to be gracious about it, I knew that they were sorry they asked us to bring him. It is really tough to leave our pets behind when we travel, but I would rather have Duffy in a good kennel where he is in his element and comfortable than in an enviornment where he is being "put up with".

MikeC

[JRM]

To be honest, if I got that attitude from people I wouldn't go back to visit (overnight).

One way of looking at it is that everybody has their responsibilities - and even if you take away the love that we all have for our Cairns, we still have a responsibility to an animal that counts on us for food, comfort, shelter etc. It's not fair to them to leave them behind or be treated in a different way because of someone elses ignorant views.

I'd tell them to get knotted!

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! I kind of take a different view from everyone else - - - I appreciate that we are all individuals and not all of us are "dog lovers"! I love my Cairn Riley enormously but there are others who don't feel the same way. Rather than impose my feelings on them - - and make Riley feel put out - - I have someone "dogsit" him or leave him with a family that loves him as much as I do. It works out well for everybody and Riley is much better cared for than being in an environment where he is not welcome.. . . . also. . . . .I get sooooooooooo many licks and kisses when I come home!!!

[wags]

Well, we were welcomed with open arms until we arrived. We have no sitters or family nearby, or even close neighbors, for that matter.

And it's not only dogs they have a problem with- it's people!

Next time, we will stay at a motel.

Thank you, everyone, for your input. I feel lots better. And so does Wes.

[Guest osuvicki]

I just got my Cairn, Grace, about three weeks ago now and am very proud of her and when I needed to take my 27 year old daughter's cat back to Cleveland after babysitting it for 6 weeks while they were between houses....I took Grace with me to show her off. Not only was my daughter NOT interested in meeting her...she and her husband did not even invite me in to see their new home! We stood and talked in the driveway for about 20 minutes in 85 degree weather before it dawned on me they I was not welcome because I now had a dog. Even worse...my son-in-law put the poor cat in his car and took it to a rescue home instead of taking it in because their new home is toooooo nice for pets. I am still in shock and can't believe this from a child that had many, many pets when growing up including rabbits that ate the carpet in their bedroom, hamsters that often escaped and ran the house, more cats than I can remember and a golden retriever that shed a grocery bag of hair a month in our 4 bedroom home. I am not about to go back and visit them until they remember the difference between a home and a house.....and I wonder what will happen when my 18 month old grandson spills his milk.......

[CarCarDawn]

Hi again!! I know I am really lucky - - I have neighbors and friends who really like Riley and will watch him for me rather than have him in a kennel. I guess because everyone in my family - - my husband and my 2 daughters - - have allergies - - that I can relate to some family members who don't care to have Riley in their home. It's just a comfort level - - mine, Riley's and others that I am concerned about. I still say: "Love me - - - love my dog!!!!!

[toomanypaws]

Gosh, I was wondering why we're never invited anywhere and then I just realized that maybe it's because we have 3 little dogs with a wild personality that almost act human, but we call them cairns. All I can say is that's is their loss for not getting to know and accept these remarkable sweethearts into their home.

[Scully'sMom]

Amen, toomanypaws! I'd much rather put up with some rambunctious dogs rather than some snippy humans.