We have all heard of and discussed dinner etiquette, etiquette when traveling to another country and, of course, baby shower and wedding shower etiquette. But who has ever heard of pet etiquette? A friend of mine recently said that her kennel club was offering pet etiquette classes. At first, I thought these might be classes for the pet, but as it turns out, this class is really for the owners.
In short, pet etiquette is simply thinking of your neighbor when it comes to your pets behavior. Whether you have a dog or cat, pig or goat, not everyone loves animals, so we need to think about how we can make our neighbors happy without violating the rights of our pet.
I then began to think of things I could do as a dog and cat owner to show my neighbors that I respected their right to privacy from a howling dog or scratching cat. As I discussed this topic with my friend, i realized I already was an owner aware of pet etiquette.
The first thing an owner needs to do is to make sure when walking your dog that he potties on the curb or dirt on a vacant hill. I have seen way to many people let their animals relieve themselves on a person's yard. Not only is this not respectful, but your plants could end up suffering because of Fido.
Secondly, don't assume everyone will love your dog or cat. Before pushing your animal on your neighbor, realize that anyone interested in your pet, will make positive comments and ask if they can pet your animal.
Thirdly, make sure that Fido's living area is not next to your neighbor's bedroom window. No one wants to be woke up in the middle of the night with a yelping dog. Also, if your dog is having a rather difficult night, it would be a nice gesture to bring him in the garage till morning.
Fourth, don't talk constantly about your animals to neighbors, family or even worse, strangers. I'm not sure which is more irritating, someone talking constantly about their kids or their animals. Your best friend doesn't need to know that Fido just learned two new tricks this week, or that Fluffy is pregnant again for the fourth time. Talking briefly is of course OK, or answering questions if they are brought up. But definitely leave the cat and dog pictures in your wallet
Hopefully following a few simple steps such as the ones above will make you a responsible pet owner who has very good pet etiquette. After all, our children model manners they have learned so who knows how closely our pets are watching us.
