Bringing dogs as guests. Should you?

Guests arriving with uninvited canine friends in tow can be the stuff of nightmares for hosts, so be sure to check that an offer to stay also extends to your dog, says David Tomlinson

Many years ago an old friend suggested that my wife and I might like to stay with him in his house in Devon during a brief visit to the West Country. Looking back, I still feel guilty that, after accepting his kind offer, I failed to mention that we would be travelling with our three springer spaniels. (More on travelling with dogs.) I knew that he liked dogs but hadn’t anticipated that his new wife was less, shall we say, enthusiastic. When we arrived we received a warm welcome but I noticed that our host’s wife was unable to disguise her horror when she spotted three black-and-white springers (mother, daughter and granddaughter) peering out at her from the back of my car. Clearly, she thought that her beautiful home was about to be invaded by a pack of unruly, muddy hounds that would probably sit on the furniture, even bark all night.

Perfect dogs as guests

I am pleased to say that it all ended happily. My dogs were used to travelling, and preferred to sleep in the car, which they regarded as their mobile kennel. As properly trained gundogs they knew how to behave. When the tailgate was lifted they remained seated, with no mad rush to get out and charge round the garden looking for rabbits. If I may say it myself, they were an appealing trio, and they started their charm offensive from the outset. By the end of our two-night stay my friend’s wife had become a member of their fan club.

Be sure to check that the invitation includes your dog

Of course, I had made the unforgivable mistake of not mentioning that we would be arriving with our springers, so I fully appreciate her initial alarm. It’s a sad fact that many people have never come across a well-behaved dog, nor have they ever met those that are happy to sleep in a car, so the arrival of house guests accompanied by uninvited four-legged friends can be the stuff of nightmares. So, the rule of travelling with dogs is to always warn your host or hostess that you will have canine companions and check they don’t mind.

The second rule, and equally important, is to never accept an invitation if you think that your dogs are likely to embarrass you or your host. They may well be welcome if they are obedient and properly trained but there are often traps for the unwary. Are you, for example, absolutely confident that your dog won’t chase your host’s cat, chickens or sheep?

Cats?

I still recall with a shiver a trip away from home with my first springer when she was a puppy. My old boss, now retired, had invited us to stay with him in his cottage high in the Pennines. “Yes, do bring your dog,” he said. What he hadn’t told me was that he lived with six cats. Usually my young spaniel thought that cats were fair game but in a house surrounded by them the power balance was somewhat different and her behaviour changed. If she entered a room, she looked around nervously to see where the cats were. The latter were careful to sit in lofty positions where they were safe. In truth, my dog did her best to pretend that they weren’t there, so I’m pleased to say that there were no disasters.

On another occasion we had been invited for lunch by a shooting friend. The dogs got on well (mine was a full sister to my friend’s) and there were no problems. My spaniel even ignored the parade of peacocks outside the kitchen door. However, there’s temptation and temptation. When a hen peacock trotted by, accompanied by a brood of partridge-sized poults, my dog gave in, speedily catching one of the young birds and proudly presenting it to me. Fortunately it survived (she was a soft-mouthed gundog after all) but it was close to being a major incident.

Sofa sleeping

If your dog has a habit of sitting on your sofa or sleeping on your bed, then it’s probably best not to take it to stay anywhere unless your host’s dogs do the same. They soon learn where they can climb on furniture and where they can’t. Mine have always been banned from sofas but if visiting a house where such behaviour is permitted, they are quick to do so. Frustratingly, dogs are always swift to pick up bad habits from others but never the other way round. Something to consider when bringing dogs as guests.

Dogs are in many ways just like children: you may love your own but don’t assume everyone else does. Generally speaking, though, dogs should make easier guests. They should not make a noise and will sleep where their bed is. However, if they don’t overnight in a kennel at home, don’t expect them to do so when staying away. I once put my dog in a hotel kennel; it was a smart country-house property. She clearly hated it, so after one night she moved back to the car, where she was much happier.

Stud fee?

One of my favourite stories concerns a friend who was invited with his field trial champion labrador to a shooting weekend. The host warned my friend that his bitch was in season, so the two were ostensibly kennelled apart. Some 63 days later the bitch gave birth to a fine litter of puppies. My friend still wonders whether he should have billed for the stud fee.

Bringing dogs as guests

• Dogs like routine, so if staying away from home try to keep to whatever schedule they are used to, such as a walk before breakfast or supper.
• As most prefer sleeping in their own bed, bring it with you.
• Never expect your host to feed your dogs as well as you.
• While most labradors will eat whatever is put in front of them, many others are not so obliging: make sure to bring a supply of their food with you.