Visiting Dog Outranks Resident Dog? (Warning: Long)

[figee]

Actually OP states that she quietly fumed and didn't speak to aunt and uncle when they were there in the first instance. So I suspect it was very clear to them. She might not have known the other dog was there but when it became clear the other dog was there, the sick dog leaves. In the second instance, if the other dog has permission to be there then neither dog has 'precedence'. But if my dogs are there first, and are in a strange environment then they should be able to stay. And, as I said before, the OPs attitude in the first instance would make me wary of any assurances she made about the health or temperament of her dog in the second. Further, the 'resident' dog wasn't in 'her' yard or property. So if I was visiting with my dogs and my dogs were in 'my' yard, even if only while visiting, they would have precedence. So the solution has to be either fencing the yards, building a dog run or keeping the 'resident' (next door) dog at home.

[TootsNYC]

can't one train a dog not to bark just because there's a party outside? I've known lots of dogs who would have been able to stay inside and not end up hoarse.

[gramma dishes]

No point in even revisiting the first incident.  Everyone agrees, including the OP, that as soon as she realized there was another totally unexpected dog on the premises hers needed to go home.

In the second case, there was absolutely NO reason her dog should have been locked in its own house.  That was a yard her dog was accustomed to being in and she was in perfect health.  The OP's dog did not behave badly by chasing or growling and snarling at the other dog.  Apparently it didn't even bark at the visitor.

As far as Aunt and Uncle's dog being "old", if it was healthy enough to make the trip it was healthy enough to be around other healthy dogs. 

Clearly the dogs themselves figured it out with no problems!  Sounds like they had more sense than some of the humans here.

This really isn't much different from dealing with kids.  Same rules apply. 

If your child is ill with a contagious disease, then of course you do not allow your child to be around other children.  But if your child is healthy and is playing in what s/he perceives to be his/her own yard, should the parents of a stranger child who happens to be visiting next door be allowed to tell you that you must keep your own non-threatening, appropriately behaving child inside?  I don't think so.

Since the two yards are connected and not fenced, what if the stranger child wants to play in "your" yard?  He/she isn't YOUR guest.  Should you have to make your own child come inside and stare sadly out the window while the stranger plays with your swing set and sandbox?

If the kids start fighting or stealing each others toys, then you deal with that.  But you don't apply artificial boundaries to the child who lives there without very good reason to do so.  And you know what?  Just like these dogs, most children find a way to play together peacefully.   

[Mental Magpie]

Actually OP states that she quietly fumed and didn't speak to aunt and uncle when they were there in the first instance. So I suspect it was very clear to them. She might not have known the other dog was there but when it became clear the other dog was there, the sick dog leaves. In the second instance, if the other dog has permission to be there then neither dog has 'precedence'. But if my dogs are there first, and are in a strange environment then they should be able to stay. And, as I said before, the OPs attitude in the first instance would make me wary of any assurances she made about the health or temperament of her dog in the second. Further, the 'resident' dog wasn't in 'her' yard or property. So if I was visiting with my dogs and my dogs were in 'my' yard, even if only while visiting, they would have precedence. So the solution has to be either fencing the yards, building a dog run or keeping the 'resident' (next door) dog at home.

You're right about it being obvious to them, I missed the part about not speaking to the aunt and uncle. 

Otherwise, I'm with gramma dishes on this one.


TootsNYC: It is hard to train a dog to not do something when that stimulus isn't around often enough to recreate the situation.  Czar (Golden Retriever) is hard to train to not freak out about thunder when it happens maybe once or twice a year where he is.

[CrochetFanatic]

We don't see Aunt and Uncle much, maybe once or twice a year, so I doubt they noticed or cared that I wasn't speaking to them that day.  If they did, they probably would have brushed it off.

[bopper]

I think in the first case it was reasonable to ask you to keep your sick dog away from their healthy dog.

In the second case, I think it was reasonable to see if your dog could visit with the other dog as well, but being ready to take her back home if it did not work out well.