DEAR ABBY: My question may seem odd, but your advice would be appreciated. I have family who live in another city and have a medium-sized active dog. I have invited them to visit me in my newly built home, which has soft pine floors throughout.
I mentioned to them that I would like to supply dog booties when they visit so their dog’s claws — and the grit that gets caught up between its toes — would not scratch my brand-new floors. We are a family who has always removed our shoes when we enter a home.
I have tried inviting them numerous times over the past two years, but they always have an excuse why they can’t visit. Another family member told me that a comment was made that, “If we have to put booties on our dog and they want a showcase home, then it will be empty of us.”
Am I being silly and too particular with my request and thereby causing ill feelings within the family? — DOG BOOTIES IN CANADA
DEAR DOG BOOTIES: Your request is neither picky nor “silly.” After paying top dollar for a new floor, I know I certainly wouldn’t want somebody’s pet scratching it up.
A considerate guest would either comply or leave the dog at home. If they prefer to decline your invitation, LET THEM.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
You've invited someone to your home and put a restriction on the pet.
They have declined.
It's over and done.
Don't worry about it.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Sorry. If you brought your dog when visiting me he would be tied up in the backyard with plenty of shade, water and food. Dogs are not allowed in my house. Unless they're a service dog (which has never happened) my comfort in my own home trumps your idiocy in bringing your dog along.
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“Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything.” ― Julia Child ―
My mother had to tell the cousins to leave their mutts at home when we had them to the beach house. They left them behind, but thought it was weird they couldn't bring them.
Some people just don't get that not everyone wants to "visit" Fido.
Family from out of town probably knows that LW and her
family remove their shoes in the house. Inviting their
active dog to romp in the house (without the booties) is
like having a guest who deliberately wears stiletto heels
throughout the house. Just don't do it. Leave the dog
at home, or use the booties the hostess is so graciously
offering to supply.
DF's mom brings her little dog every time she visits. I find it aggravating because it pees and poops on the carpet, and then our dogs want to go on those spots. But whatev, it bothers him more than me because they are his brand new carpets but he doesn't want to say anything.
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Was it a bad day?
Or was it a bad five minutes that you milked all day?
Mawmaw brings her little dog to our house on Thanksgiving and any time she is here, actually.
Princess stays on mawmaw's lap or right beside her.
Monster and Princess don't really like each other.
They don't fight.
But anytime they get near each other, they give each other the doggie FU.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I travel often with Z. However, I don't take him places without asking first. And sometimes, I think the invitation to visit is more to Z than to me. I am the 'thing' that Z has to take with him when HE travels!
However, my dog gets along with most people and I take extra care to put him up or keep him near me when children are around. He's usually okay, but not always. He is easily spooked and then reacts. I have once had an issue with him, where my parents invited an unknown dog to their house without telling me. Z reacted and then had to be locked up for the evening. I requested that there be a warning in the future so that I could prevent any incidents and they told me that if I didn't like strange dogs popping by (strange even to my parents) than I should leave.
I left. Seriously, if you let my dog come, keep me in the loop so that I can monitor his reactions and behaviour. If you don't want my dog to come, tell me. I could have gotten a hotel and left him there so that the other dog would have had the yard to itself. Not a huge issue. If you don't want my dog to come visit (after you've invited him) than tell me. If you don't want him to come in the first place, tell me and I'll arrange a hotel, a kennel or a babysitter. Not that hard.
I don't take my dog to visit. I wouldn't want to be constantly focused on what my dog was doing. Doesn't mean i don't take her places when i am going somewhere. I will take her to the walking trail or outdoor type things. But, i really wouldn't want her in someone else's house.
Monster goes with me when taking the kids to and from school.
He goes to the park.
Various short trips.
We've never taken him on a vacation.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
We take our dog to homes where he has been invited. My parents love to see him and our good friends have 2 dogs that adore ours so he goes there too. We take him on short trips, a few days or a long weekend when we stay in a hotel but we bring his crate and use it when we leave the room and go somewhere he isn't welcome - like a restaurant. I wouldn't dream of taking him to someone's home unless they specifically invited him. And he wouldn't wear booties. We tried those for the snow and he yanked them off in no time at all.
I don't blame the OP for wanting to keep her home nice.
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
I question why a person would use such a soft wood for flooring.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
My questioning it has to more to do with practicality.
Soft wood is harder to take care of, it's so easily scarred with just regular wear.
It doesn't make sense to me.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I'm liking the concrete floors I'm seeing on the different shows.
I think a radiant heat floor would be amazing.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I wouldnt want to walk on concrete. That would be hard on the legs after awhile. I want something that has a bit of give. I had ceramic tile in my kitchen in a previous house and it's hard and cold and if you drop something on it, you can be sure it will shatter into a million pieces. At this stage of life, i prefer something a little softer under my feet.
Yes, concrete floors are too hard to walk on all the time. DH is always in pain when he comes home from trade shows after having to stand and walk on concrete for days in a row. Plus they are cold.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
I don't even like tile. We're having our kitchen floor ripped out and replacing it with hardwoods. It's cold and not pleasant to walk on. Not to mention everything breaks that falls on it.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Sealed cement (aka concrete), used extensively in convention
centers, is the. most. unforgiving. surface. to. walk. on.
Square Dancers at National Conventions bring 3-4 changes of
shoes to each dance session (morning, early afternoon, late
afternoon, evening, night) since they will be dancing on sealed
cement all day. It is actually harder than steel to dance on.
There is absolutely no "give". Now, if we could dance on a
"floating" hardwood floor, we'd be in heaven! A floating floor
is actually two floor, laid crosswise to each other, with closely
spaced beams between them.
We did a heated tile floor in our master bath years ago - it
was great to walk on early on a cold morning, and it was
cool in the summer months.
I worked on concrete/cement floors from the day I started working.
8-12 hour days, always on my feet.
But having it in your house and the time on your feet in different.
I doubt you're going to be constantly on your feet, at home for more than it takes to finish a chore.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Even after a deep cleaning, you can't get all the dust and skin out of them.
I've said many, many times, I'd rather have ugly vinyl linoleum than carpet.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Ok? Sooo your point is what? I work hard. I want to relax at home. And i don't want to relax on concrete at home. If you do, then get it.
My point from the first time mentioned concrete is that I like it.
Have I told anyone they had to have it?
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I'd like to think I keep my carpet pretty clean. At any rate, no one I know has died from dirty carpet infections so I think I'm good :)
Yep. I like carpet in the bedrooms. It helps them feel warm and cozy.
My boys suffered from allergies growing up, it's better now but they still have moments.
Deep cleaned the carpets once a month.
I dusted and vacuumed every day when they were little.
Washed bed clothes every othere day, vacuumed beds.
Used the filters and covers and took every precaution known.
Started pulling out carpet and you would not believe the dirt under them.
There isn't a vacuum with a strong enough suction to get all the dust a skin.
It's not a slam or anything, it's just a fact.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Nothing says "comfy and cozy, home sweet home" like concrete. 😐 It makes me feel institutionalized. I don't want my home feeling like an institution.
And yes I have seen the polished concrete and the painted concrete. It's good for countertops and decks but it doesn't belong on the floor inside the home.
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
Ok? Sooo your point is what? I work hard. I want to relax at home. And i don't want to relax on concrete at home. If you do, then get it.
My point from the first time mentioned concrete is that I like it.
Have I told anyone they had to have it?
And she and I (and others) said they wouldn't want it and why, and then you scoffed at the reasoning why.
No. I did not. Goodness.
I'm not getting into a piss in match with any of you.
I thought that's how a conversation worked.
You present your reasoning and thoughts and then I presented mine.
If you are bothered by my post, that's all on you.
You want to be offended? Be offended.
Your choice.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Nothing says "comfy and cozy, home sweet home" like concrete. 😐 It makes me feel institutionalized. I don't want my home feeling like an institution.
And yes I have seen the polished concrete and the painted concrete. It's good for countertops and decks but it doesn't belong on the floor inside the home.
Do you have nice rugs on your floors?
We do.
I think it's pretty.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.