josh10524

Sorry, but it's very simple. If your friend doesn't like the rules that the person who graciously allowed their house to be used lay down, they can fuck themselves. Don't say it like that, obviously, but that's all there is to it. Whatever your opinion of animals is, is irrelevant. Shouldn't even come into the equation.

krwlz

Also, very much fair enough. The garage should be pretty safe regardless, and I was assuming a fair climate.

balderdash111

Post Script

The friend called up today and apologized for being (her words) "a twat." All is well.

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analog

Indeed. If such were happening to me, it would be a "no kids" rule. I'd rather have 5 dogs than 1 child in my home.

It doesn't even seem to be an allergy issue, because that would have been brought up first.

However, while I agree that pets are very special, they're setting house rules... and since the overwhelming argument is "you wouldn't keep your kids in the garage", then it stands to reason that parents of kids would be just as whiney (if not more so) if they had said "no kids". Either way, there's a group of people who feel slighted.

balderdash111

True, but you should be careful about creating a false equivalence between saying "no kids" and "no dogs." It is much more difficult to ditch kids for a few days than it is to ditch a dog. For a dog that lives outside, all you really need is someone to come over to feed, water and hopefully play with the dog every day. For a dog that lives inside (or one that lives outside for that matter), you can drop the dog at a kennel. You can really do neither with kids.

So saying "no kids" has a greater impact on guests than saying "no dogs"

In my opinion, of course.

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highthief

She can live, in that case.

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Menoman

This thread has gotten retarded,

Honestly, are you going to ask me if I'd sacrifice a pet over a child? Get a clue aight?

I have seen quite a few arguements here that say "I do this for my pet and he does this for me", but none of the arguements couldnt be said about family as well.

Which brings me to the point of , pets = family. Pets deserve to be treated like family, I don't believe that you should be able to own a pet if you don't think this way.

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Trisk

While I can understand people loving their pets like family, and even considering their pets to be part of their family....I think the couple is overreacting.

As much as you love your pets and as close as they are to you...It's not uncommon for dogs to not be allowed into certain public or private properties. While you may not mind the smell of your dog or the fur if it gets everywhere, some people do, and when you buy a dog, that is one of the consequences you should be aware of and be able to deal with in a mature way.
People do this with small children too.
While your dog and/or kid may be cute and lovable, not everyone will feel the same way. If someone told you that you couldn't bring your infant to the movies or into a fancy resturant, you would be expected to obey their wishes like a mature individual or go elsewhere. The same thing is true with pets.
They just aren't welcome in all situations, and being either a parent or a pet owner, you need to accept that you will have to go places and do things without your child/pet once in a while.

While pet owners may have a point in telling you that you need to understand the point of view of the pet owner, the pet owners need to understand the point of view and wishes of someone who does not own or want anything to do with their pet.
If they weren't expecting an issue like this to arise at some point in the course of their pet's life, I don't know who they think they were kidding.

Gilda

We have no children, but do have a cat, a shark, and quite a few fish.

My family is Grace and Sissy. Our cat and fish are pets, which occupy a space somewhere between family and highly valued posessions. It might be more accurate to say that the pets are highly valued posessions.

There's nothing wrong with becoming very attached to one's pets, or even thinking of them as family. Equating them with children is, I think, a wee bit foolish.

Wanting to bring your pet along on a vacation isn't insane, but taking offense when pets aren't invited and comparing them to the children that are invited is going a bit overboard.

Gilda

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mokle

Clavus speaks the truth.

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MSD

My cat is part of the family, he sleeps in whatever bed he finds most comfortable at the time, and we'll get up in the middle of the night to let him out of the house if he wants to go out since we always make sure he's in before we go to bed. If we go on vacation (only for a weekend, we don't take real vacations,) he stays inside, we put out an extra litter box (he usually just goes outside) and some extra food.

It's asinine to assume that a pet is invited to anything at all, and it's absurd to be offended that other people don't share your excessive attachment to them.

Marvelous Marv

Clavus, you are the king of the pithy comment. (I said PITHY). You should copyright some of this stuff.

I just need to know if you'd put on your safety glasses before you beat the dog with the cat.

Either that, or this chick needs to get a grip. Is the question whether or not the dog can survive a night without her (extremely likely), or whether she can survive a night without the dog?

I recommend counseling, and not for the dog.

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yournamehere

Yet you say this to someone whose feelings you don't understand.

Why is it that parents get so defensive whenever someone loves a pet? What are you so worried about? And why do so many parents seem to feel so smugly superior to childless couples?

We just recently had to put our 13-year Golden Retriever to sleep because she was suffering from cancer. My wife is disabled (the reason we don't have children), and due to her limited mobility spent almost every hour of every day of those thirteen years with that dog by her side. To see her grieve over the loss of such a unique being filled with unconditional love and companionship breaks my heart, even while I grieve for the loss myself. To say that dog was not a member of our family would be so untrue; so unfair to her memory; so disparaging to the very concept of love; to think anyone is incapable of understanding that is just incomprehensible. I feel sorry for anyone inhabiting such a black and white; pets vs children world. I wish everyones' hearts were big enough for both.

In a way, I happen to like the way this woman views her relationship with her pet, and I think the real tragedy is that, for every one of her, there are dozens of people who treat their pets no better than livestock.

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analog

This is what's known as parental conceit. Assuming that one is automatically correct about something having to do with children simply because they're a parent and the other person is not.

You are comparing your feeling of being a parent to the feeling of being childless and the love one can feel for their animal(s). So, your argument is a contradiction of itself, and void.

^^ This is precisely the reason animals are so special. This is the perfect example.

So when some of you righteous parents (no one in specific) get old, and the children you've talked so highly of all your lives have you shipped off to a nursing home rather than deal with you, you can remember what love used to feel like when they also don't come visit you. Harsh, yes, but human beings are harsh all the time. Animals have an unconditional love that I believe should be more highly respected than it is.

denim

That's a pretty amazing thing to say to a guy with no kids.

I suggest you and yournamehere go back and read what I actually said rather than what you think I said.

bad jane

i don't think their nuts. and while you may not agree with the child/pet analogy, it's the closest thing they have to offer a comparison so that you understand just how strongly they feel about their pet.

i don't have kids, but (fortunately for me), my parents do. my parents also have dogs. i know my parents love me and if it were my life or the dogs', i know they'd choose me. however, if they were invited to go to a gathering where they couldn't take their pets--i really doubt they'd go (at least, they haven't done so since having dogs). they take a single vacation once a year without dogs or children (children are all grown now, but they've done this for years) and that is it. if the yearly vacation didn't involve flying, i have no doubt the dogs would have gone while the children stayed home. now, they don't always take all 4 dogs with them when they go somewhere, but they will take at least one (usually 2).

their dogs are part of the family. others can say what they want, no one really cares since my entire family feels this way. even my grandmother who was adamant about no dogs in the house, finally broke down and let the dogs stay inside because if she hadn't, visits to grandma's would have been day trips rather than weekend plus.

this is the lifestyle my parents have chosen. if they can't take their pets, they'd rather not go. i'm sure they have passed on lots of gatherings because others don't understand or agree with their feelings. but they prefer staying home with their pets to leaving home without them. they don't feel they've missed out on anything--if the dogs aren't welcome, they don't feel welcome.

smooth

um, I've been to some parties where this was met with some kinky results...

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hunnychile

In this particular situation, I agree...but in total truth, there have been LOTS of times I wish people got sitters for their spoiled, bratty sticky kids, so I have held parties that say, "Adults Only".

My dog was my baby - and very obedient, but I only took her where she was welcome. I would never take her without asking my host/hostess in advance either. My friends were always oppen and sometimes my pet stayed home for the night. I always found reliable pet sitters when needed (and ones I did background checks on) .......just kidding on that one

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vautrain

I don't want to paint with a broad brush, but I've encountered this in limited instances.

My wife is currently not on very good terms with her brother and his wife. She was always close with her brother, and, in a nutshell, her brother is now demanding that she be close with his wife. Nothing wrong with his wife, but my wife just doesn't feel close to her.

When my wife asked him why he demanded she have a close relationsip with his wife, when she doesn't demand that he have a close relationship with me, he basically said it was because they have kid(s), and we don't.

If this all sounds insane, believe me, I'm trying to make it sound as sane as I can.

Sorry for the threadjack.

alansmithee

That should be proof enough right there that pets != family. You can't OWN family.

vautrain

I think a lot of parents feel they own their kids.

bad jane

sad as it is, i would agree with that.