here's a twist! It's the owner that suffers from separation anxiety!

[lezzpezz]

My neighbour is hosting a party tomorrow and SHE is the one suffering from separation anxiety!

I suggested that she put her dog in another part of the house so it is away from the 30-40 eating and drinking guests, as she knows the dog will be underfoot and into food plates etc. and it is not the best environment for the dog to be in for obvious reasons.

The owner is frantic! She is so worried about the dog being kept in a room with the following that I have suggested:
a light, radio, blankies, food and water, all the basics!

I have also given her tips such as tire the dog out well before the guests arive, give it great toys to occupy it and all of the general rules to follow for when a dog is suffering from sep. anx. But she is losing it! hahaha

[cpietra16]

Okay that is a little strange, but I wish 1/2 the people were like her, so not many animals would be dumped off so unceremoniously at shelters:sad:
I remember before I had kids; I paid someone 80.00 a week to come and sit with my cats 3 hrs a day so they would not feel abandoned

[Prin]

My doggies are never locked up for that reason. They don't even care if they are or not, but I do. Boo locked himself in the office room for a full night once and I freaked when I woke up and he wasn't around. When I found him, he was just asleep, not complaining at all. IMO, I wouldn't lock up kids in a room when company was coming over... And everybody knows, kids get into just as much trouble as dogs at parties... I remember being 8 and being totally drunk at a party...

[rainbow]

Prin, is that why you don't drink now?

Is there anyone she can take the dog to for the night so it would have some company and attention?

[Prin]

That's where it all began, rainbow.

What kind of dog are we talking about here?

[Jackie467]

that is a bit strange for just having the dog in another room for a few hours. In my family the dogs are put into their own room and the children are asked to play back in one of the bedrooms with video games or something too (actully generally this is what the kids would rather be doing than sitting and listening to boring adult talk and constantly being told not to yell or run. I mean the kids should be able to be noisy and run around, afterall they are kids) Maybe my family is strange, but it's not like we don't let the kids or dogs out to pee or eat or anything if it is going to be a while. also I should add the kids can come out and sit if they would like, but they can't be screaming and running around like maniacs like they can in the "child area".

[Dog Dancer]

We had people over for a BBQ a few weeks ago and when one lady arrived (we'd never met her, she was a friends date) she freaked out when she saw we had two dogs. She wouldn't come into the yard. We assured her they were totally friendly - hope she wanted to go home. I was all for saying "Bye Bye", but alas we had to put the dogs into the bedroom (I just put a baby gate in front of the door so they could see us.) The girls were not very happy about that at all and whined off and on through the evening. This lady would't walk past the bedroom without my holding her hand to get to the bathroom Anyhow, as the evening wore on I excused myself and said I was taking the dogs for a walk. Heck if I was going to leave them locked up alone just because of her. Next day the BF told his buddy that it was not nice of him to bring that lady when he knew we had the dogs and she was acting rude for being so unreasonable.

[Prin]

That's weird... I mean I guess she didn't know you had dogs, but all the people I know who are afraid come here and expect the dogs to be free and expect it to be a learning/adapting experience for themselves. Maybe you just don't brag about your dogs enough.

[Dog Dancer]

Prin I told her that kids who were terrified of dogs in my old townhouse units now own dogs because of my two girls! She didn't care. I realize that she probably didn't know I had them (and they are big enough), but she flat out said No she's terrified of dogs and was going home if she had to be near them. Damn guests! I was proud of the BF though for telling his buddy off for bringing her because he knew we had the dogs and they're never locked up. I don't plan on having them over again for a long long time.

[joeysmama]

Your neighbor is obviously a rational, sane woman !! I don't see anything strange about that behavior at all.

When we were first married the landlord told us he was coming to install a smoke detector. We were petrified that he would let our cat out. We were allowed to have cats but we just didn't trust him to be careful and she was an inside cat always.

So we put her in the bedroom with a sign on the door etc. When I got home she was in the closet afraid to come out. I guess he tested the alarm or something. So I was jammed into the closet (9 months pregnant--it's amazing I ever got out) with the phone to her ear so she could hear my voice and my husband's voice at the same time trying to soothe her.

Crammed in there cooing to the cat, with Tom at work, on the phone, cooing to the cat.

[Ed U KayShawn]

i know a couple who is like that lezzpezz, all too often people feed something to the dog or someone spills something the dog eats it and the dog is ill for the next few days because of it. I agree it is usually safer for the dog if we protect them from far too many sloppy and just plain "not thinking" houseguests!