Hosting a dog

[Anonymous]

We have a dog. We have wooden floors, three christmas trees, and doors that are always open. Our dog hasn't scratched anything up and our floors look pristine. She doesn't touch the trees or the presents under them. And she has never run outside through any of the open doors. No matter who is outside or what is going on. Just ask them to bring a crate, but don't say no. And don't listen to the obvious dog haters on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like dogs in other peoples' homes but have never lived with one. My SIL and her family are coming to visit. They were going to fly and board the dog, but now they're driving and asked if they can bring her. I'll admit, I'm not particularly psyched to have a dog on our house (mainly thinking about shedding and one more boisterous body in a relatively small space and possible constraints to our outing schedule), but I'm open to considering it. I'm sure my kids would be thrilled, though then they might start begging for a dog themselves, which would be tough to manage with or travel schedules.

What do I need to keep in mind about having a medium to large size dog in our two story all wood-floored home?

Have you met the dog? What breed is it? Our home owners can be cancelled if there are any incidents with us having allowed some breeds or mixes on our property.
Have them bring baby gate [keep t away from exterior doors], crate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I would worry about your kids opening and closing the front door and the dog running out and getting lost. That's honestly my biggest fear when we bring our dogs anywhere.

This. Are they bringing a crate. That may be helpful during some times.

BTW Op, I'm a dog owner and I do occasionally ask if I can bring our dog - but I would never expect a "yes". I would like to know how the host really feels and not have the host say yes out of any feeling of obligation or being nice. AND I would need to know yes or no in a timely manner. Kennel reservations can be hard to get over the holidays and pet owners are often particular.

This is true. I know what we're asking and No is just fine.

That said, we've only brought him on one overnight. It didn't go well, so we board him now.

If we asked again, I would want the hits to be 100% ok

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't and I have two dogs of my own. Christmas is already stressful when you have visitors, adding an energetic dog that you don't know and doesn't know you/your family could easily just be way too much.

Boarding a dog is not cruel, it's not like by saying no you're forcing them to torture their dog.

[Anonymous]

When my brother brings his dog it is a disaster. Not everyone can remember to leave food around. Small things like this that a dog owner would not know will become a problem, trust me

[Anonymous]

Not to leave food around

[Anonymous]

My dad doesn't have a dog. He offered to dog sit for me when my dog sitter backed out last minute of dog sitting for my vacation. He had her for several weeks and he developed a bond with my dog. Now when I visit him, he looks forward to seeing my dog as much as me. You may be surprised op, the dog may not end up being a problem. My dog is a small breed and she's 5yo. She sleeps a lot, doesn't run off if she gets out without a leash and doesn't really get into stuff. Some dogs are just lazy and relaxed. Oh, and I have hardwood floors in most of my house and she's never scratched them with her nails. Dogs nails aren't extremely sharp, unless it's a puppy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dad doesn't have a dog. He offered to dog sit for me when my dog sitter backed out last minute of dog sitting for my vacation. He had her for several weeks and he developed a bond with my dog. Now when I visit him, he looks forward to seeing my dog as much as me. You may be surprised op, the dog may not end up being a problem. My dog is a small breed and she's 5yo. She sleeps a lot, doesn't run off if she gets out without a leash and doesn't really get into stuff. Some dogs are just lazy and relaxed. Oh, and I have hardwood floors in most of my house and she's never scratched them with her nails. Dogs nails aren't extremely sharp, unless it's a puppy.

This is my parents too. Our dog is crate trained and sleeps in a crate at their house (but not anymore at ours). He is really relaxed around them because he knows them, though I don't think that was the case the first time he stayed with them. We have a high energy golden retriever fwiw, but he is a total people pleaser too, so sucks up to people for approval. He is mature and can go a long time without being taken out if necessary. Doesn't care about the christmas tree, or anything not a dog toy or food. It really depends on the temperament of the specific dog though. Ours has been to lots of other peoples houses and is well trained. He is not at all aware of his tail though, and can wag things off a coffee table, etc. It's a bit like child proofing--no breakables at tail height. How laid back are you and your spouse? How much do you trust your sisters judgement about how the dog will behave?