It seems from some of the things I’ve read lately about animals and their owners that we need as a society to go over the rules of Pet Etiquette. 

1.     Just because you love fluffy or spot to jump all over you does not mean that the rest of us do.  Pets should have basic good manners, such as not jumping on, licking or mauling guests to your home.  Especially puppies should have basics obedience that they sit to be petted and not jump all over guests.  What they do not learn as pups they will not be likely to learn or obey when older.  What may seem cute with little spot will not likely elicit the same response with Cujo after a few months of growth.

2.     If you have pets living inside your home it would be very polite to have areas where they are not sitting/sleeping for guests to rest.  Do not offer fluffy’s favorite hair covered chair to your guest.  If there is no where in your home that the dog or cat does not occupy, then use a cover to provide a clean place for guests to sit.  Same goes for the car, keep a seat cover/blanket for clean sitting of guest passengers.

3.     Animal elimination is really no different than that of a child… would you allow little Johnny to squat on the rug in the living room?  Then why is the pup or kitten allowed to?  No different than potty training, learning to go where it is appropriate just takes attention and repetition.   They will soon give you a very clear signal when they need to go out or have access to the litter box.  Make the “drop-zone” a designated area where it can be easily cleaned or an appropriate ‘behind the bush’ for county folk.  Clean litter boxes often to prevent avoidance by Fluffy.

4.     Good Behavior.  We all respond better to positive responses than to negative ones.  So providing stimulation to encourage wanted actions (play) works much better than just reprimanding after the unwanted behavior.  Best is to have lots of regular activities such as walks, park time or other such activity.  This is also true for house cats.  They require a certain amount of interaction and will be more likely to stay out of your house plants and off the curtains with more socialization.  This could be as simple as rolling the ball for then every time you pass through a room or providing some other action toys.  My kittens’ favorite toy is a piece of plastic from a tomato package which makes an interesting noise when she bats it around the room or a ball with a little tinkling bell in it.

5.     If the pet is not yours there are also some Pet Etiquette rules.  Do not approach or encourage a dog to jump on you with out the owners’ permission.  This practice can also endanger the future of the dog as it could end up jumping on and hurting someone, especially a young child.

6.     Never offer treats to other peoples’ pets.  This has two bad possibilities:  1.)  It teaches the dog to look (possibly quite aggressively) for treats from strangers and could have them bite hands in the process or injure or scare other guests, especially children.  2.)  The dog could have dietary restrictions you don’t know about.

7.     The treat offering can also cross over to pets begging for (or stealing) food outside of specific times/places.  A dog given a treat only in it’s dish or when put in a kennel or tied, will learn that this is a positive experience.  If they are given treats from the table or when having picnic or outdoor dining, then they will learn to bother people (guests) and possibly hurt small children in an attempt to have that treat.

8.     Some training systems use food as a reward, although this works for this situation it is much better to have an animal respond because it is enjoying life and wants to do things because it loves you and just enjoys your attention.

These are just a few basic points of Pet Etiquette but they should get you and your pet off to a great start to be better guests and hosts.

Lorna Wall

Lorna & Pete Wall raise Border Collies as stock dogs and treasured family members in Poplarfield, MB  at Wall 2 Wall Sheep Ranch.  You can view their dogs in pictures and videos at www.wall2wallsheep.com