Tom! a very brilliant buddy of a friend of mine. He is so adorable and polite you can’t help but spend some time with him. I am going to share an experience with you concerning Tom but before that let me give you a brief on how to tell someone not to bring their dog politely.
You can hang a formal notice on your gate instead of telling anyone verbally. Notice or no dog rule is a formal announcement which sounds strict yet polite. Also you can build some crates outside your house but in your boundary to tackle the situation when any unwanted guest suddenly appears with a dog without any prior notification.
Well, now let us resume our story. My friend met Tom when he was a little puppy. Now Tom is a full grown well trained dog. By nature Tom is cool and calm. But he becomes restless all of a sudden without any reason and that time his master, which means my friend even fails to cool him down! I am sharing all these from the experience of a dinner party in my house which ended up with disaster. Let me cut the long story short, Tom left a baby of an invited guest with some scratches while playing with a red tennis ball in the corridor.
After that incident, I started searching on the internet and met some psychologists to discuss how to tell someone not to bring their dog politely! Let me share what I have learned with you.
Probable Reasons Why You Do Not Want A Dog In Your Home
There are several reasons why you do not want dogs in your home. Truthfully, dogs are very adorable animals, however, there is a number that is not so appealing. Reasons why you do not want a dog in your home.
1. Some breeds are quite fearsome
Being chased by dogs is not a good experience, and this might have influenced your aversion towards dogs. Although some individuals grow out of that fear, some, however, live with it for the rest of their lives.
Someone who grows this fear will not consider keeping a dog as a pet. You can imagine visiting such with your pet bulldog. There’s a great chance that this would not end well. As a dog lover, your opinion of your dog is that they are adorable animals. But diverse is the case for anyone who has had horrific past experiences with dogs.
2. Dog allergies
Some people are allergic to dogs and should not be blamed for their dislike of dogs. Allergy is a matter of health concern and should not be taken for levity. Persons who are allergic to dogs were probably once dog lovers and had them as pets.
3. The home décor
People who live in glass houses don’t throw stones. A house with very delicate décor and/or furniture, most especially the ones that can be easily chewed on by dogs. They can be hyperactive and can easily make a mess of things.
No one would want a guest dog that would be responsible for destroying their furniture and other delicate home decors.
There are other possible reasons why you would not want to have dogs in your house, from trying to avoid pet hair getting stuck on their furniture, also to avoiding dealing with the destruction of home gardens as dogs are known to develop a habit of digging.
You might own a pet yourself and it is normal among pets to get quite aggressive at the sight of other animals in the house, and hence place the no-dog rule to prevent this.
How To Politely Tell Someone Not To Bring Their Dog?
Culturally, dogs are acceptable pets. It is however normal to have an aversion towards dogs. You can simply tell someone not to bring their dogs to your house by letting them know that you appreciate their company but you are not comfortable with their dogs accompanying them. You must be bold about it, let them know about your no-dog rule via a chat or a friendly call before they arrive at your place.
Conveying the No-dog Rule Before They Arrive
A dog owner might feel uneasy when you tell them they can’t come with their pet when visiting you. You will have to tell your friends not to visit you with their dog in a manner that is polite and considerate.
Telling your visitor upfront that they can’t visit you with their pet could be a reasonable approach, however, it becomes much more difficult to deny your visitor access when they’ve already arrived at your doorstep.
So, you must let your friends and colleagues know about your no-dog rule beforehand to avoid being put in an awkward situation.
The message could be passed on to them courteously via a friendly text, chat, or call. You must be very polite and accommodating while making this rule known to them. You can go ahead to state the reason why you are not comfortable with dogs in your home, remember to pass the message in a courteous, yet friendly manner.
You should also seek out possible solutions and suggestions from your visitors that could help tackle this challenge.
Conveying the No-dog Rule When They’re There Already
There are chances that your guest might have traveled from afar, coming along with their dog, without giving you prior information. This situation can be handled in different manners depending on the level of relationship you have with the person.
Let the person stay and make it clear that you do not welcome dogs.
Being assertive in this situation would suffice, however, you must note that keeping the interpersonal relationship is of utmost importance. The relationship you have with them should prompt you to welcome them, treating your guests with hospitality, most especially if they have always similarly treated you. It is not good that they came to visit you with their dogs without prior information, however, you should note that you must not rub it in their noses.
Give an apology for whatever inconvenience your no-dog rule could bring, however, you must maintain a firm disposition on the rule even though you let them stay this time. This would give your guests a clear caution that you are not comfortable accommodating dogs.
Offer alternative solutions to tackle the challenge
There are chances that you decide to stand firm on the no-dog rule and decide that you can’t manage the situation. You can offer alternative solutions to the challenge that could be beneficial to you and your guest. Suggesting the dog should be left outside might not be welcomed by your guest, most especially if the weather condition is not conducive.
A better option is to get the visitor’s dog to a boarding kennel. All you need to do is to explain the reasons why you can’t accommodate the dog and proffer this alternate solution.
This solution might however not sit well with every guest. There are chances that after all the explanation and providing an alternate solution, you just might feel offended and decide to leave. You must know that there’s not much that you can do but to let the guest go. You could also listen to the guest’s perspective and make a compromise in this instance, let the guest stay with his dog, else this might hamper your relationship with this guest.
Some direct approaches that sounds polite in forbidding dog entry
Apart from all the aboves, if you still prefer direct approaches but confused how it can be done politely then here are some approaches for you :
Consider the relation and form your tone according to :
It is important for you to form your tone based on the relationship you have with the dog owner. If it is your childhood friend you mightn’t be so polite at all. But what if it is your boss or someone with whom you have a very corporate or formal relationship?
should you tell them directly not to bring their poochi, ketty with them? Never-ever! as there are more flexible ways to tell them. Tell them their presence will make you more than happy. Express your gratitude in advance and then tell ‘ I know how loyal your dog is to you and it will be difficult leaving it alone at home but sir I would have been very pleased if I had let you take your dog with you!. ‘
Tell indirectly describing a horrible incident about dogs:
You are inviting a person known for his assertion on the relationship he has with his dog. Also you are two hundred percent sure he is going to bring his dog in your house since he hardly attends any event without his dog.
While talking about the recent event or programme where his present is highly expected, share a horrible experience about a dog you recently came across. You can tell you got dog phobia after witnessing such a horrible and unexpected incident. After that you become very strict in allowing dogs in your house.
Note that, here you are not telling him directly but he will understand what he needs to do.
How To Prepare Your House If You Let Your Guest’s Dog Stay?
If you by any chance decide to let your visitor’s dog stay, there are certain things you’ll need to put in to accommodate a dog adequately. Just like you are making your guest comfortable, you must also ensure that you make the visiting dog comfortable as well. Usually, the guest should have gotten all the necessary things while coming, but it is safer not to take chances and make adequate preparations.
- Food and water: you should prepare separate bowls for water and feeding.
- Sleeping area: you must prepare a spot where the dog will be comfortable to sleep.
- Defecation area: placing litter boxes in different areas in your house for the dog to defecate in would be of utmost importance as you wouldn’t want the whole house to be littered with dog feces.
- You should also get treats for the dog.
- A couple of toys that the dog can chew on should be gotten to prevent them from chewing on just anything they find in your house.
When Should You Give An Exception To Let Your Guest Bring Their Dog?
Even in instances where you have been able to enforce the no-dog rule, there are times you might need to make an exception to the rule. You can accommodate a certified trained Service Dog. These dogs have gone through rigorous pieces of training to meet up with standards that enable them to provide relevant support and assistance to their owners in particular ways that go beyond them just being companions that help keep their owners warm and fuzzy.
Conclusion
It is okay to feel uncomfortable with the presence of dogs in your home. You however need to adopt ways you can solve the challenge amicably. Communicating with your friends and colleagues about your no-dog rule early enough would be quite important in this regard. Being selfless and looking out for each other is of the essence. You must ensure that you look out for the dog’s welfare as well.