Dear Labby, petiquette expert

Proper petiquette is serious business. Dear Labby is here to help.

Remember, your dog's manners are a reflection of you. And your manners may well influence how others see your furry baby. From dog park disagreements to rifts with your roommate to defending your decision to dress up your pup, Dear Labby's got the solution. So don't let pet etiquette problems destroy your dog's reputation or your own. Trust a professional--Dear Labby to the rescue!

Your questions answered:

What does your 'curb your dog' mean, exactly?
But I didn't make him fat!

Did I choose "cruel" name?
Apology for outing gay dog?
Granny slips scraps to the dog
W ho am I, the free clinic?

Tell family I want a dog?

My dog is a Halloween scaredy cat
Ask Jack on small dog issues
Begging dog at dinner party
Should dogs be curbed--or free to pee?
Unwanted, untrue comments about purebred
Houseguest is scared of my dogs
Dog leaves mark at friend's house
Dog eats horse poop--warn strangers?
Family not following your training rules?
Dragging behind...
Kids at the dog park, continued
Pup unleashed: Call the police?
Poop pick-up: Who's responsible?
Intrusive sniffers
In Memoriam: a mummy?
Ok to leave dog in car?
Dealing with grief
What breed to bring home?
Owner vs. guardian vs. other
Too poor for pup
My friend bought instead of adopted
Who should stop rough dog play?
In-law with smelly dog
Puppy announcement--gift needed?
Help--my friend's dog is a prolific shedder!
Big dog getting bullied
At the groomers: to tip or not to tip
Strangers are giving treats to my dog!
Appropriate to correct someone else's dog?
Do I have to be friends with my dog's friends' owners?
My dog muddied a stranger's pants. Who pays?
How do I respond to an unwanted comment?
Puppy polo? No thanks.
Mom says my dog stinks
Droning on about dog ok?
My dog has gas.

Got a petiquette question for Dear Labby? Email dearlabby@dogtime.com

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DogTime newsletter

	I like this 7 days ago by Anonymous
	Dear Labby: I live in a household of nine adults and one child. We fostered a lab/chihuahua mix dog for a local shelter and the first few hours of taking care of the dog, she snapped at my sister's toddler. Scared, my family immediately sent the dog back to the shelter. No questions asked, either. Since then, I've joined Dogtime and have done lots of research on why it happened. I've grown to love dogs and have gained a desire to adopt one of my own. My family, however, has shied away from ever getting a dog now. How do I convince them that dogs are not as bad as they think they are? 8 months ago by Pluupy
	Dear Labby: I have a very well behaved Rottweiller mix I rescued 5 years ago. I have invested time as well as money for him to be well behaved which as payed off. He is my first dog, but I am convinced he is one of the best dogs in the world. He doesn't bark, doesn't chew, isn't aggressive in no manner nor possessive. Yet his major problem is his breed. No one seems to give him a chance. Some people at the dog park act weary around him or don't let him play with their pooches just because of his coloring and it is very hard to find a home (I rent) due to his breed. I have even been told to basically get rid of him. What can we do to fix this. I don't see very many news stories about Rottweiller attacks, yet they are considered an aggressive bread. If you ask me we as humans are creating a lot of homeless pets due to bread discrimination. To me if a dog is not well behaved its the owners fault, not the dogs nor his/her breed. 11 months ago by Angie
	Thanks for 'Dear Labby' for addressing all of these questions! I have a problem with my little dogpack, and need some advice from either Dear Labby, or one of your experts! I have four remaining dogs living with me - a 5 year old 'blue-teagle' (he's huge!), a 6 year old teacup chihuahua, a 4 year old papillon (all are males) and my son's 3 year old chi-weenie (female) All are neutered/spayed. Here is my question; Last week three of my dogs - the blue-teagle, papillon and chiweenie attacked my oldest chihuahua (a teacup 3 1/2 pound little 7 year old blonde boy) with a ferocity I had never seen. They actually were biting him to the point of pulling skin! Now, we have had fusses before - the 6 year old chi sometimes growls in warning at the others when they are bugging him, and sometimes (though rarely thank goodness) it results in an all-out fight. I have been bitten (accidently) trying to break up these fights because when they erupt, it is chaos. I am actually afraid the pap, chiweenie and blueteagle will kill one of the two teacup chis. Because of the attack, my little blonde chi is living with my daughter now - he was so traumatized that he hid under the tv cabinet in a corner, so I wanted him in a safer place! How do I break up - or even better stop these brawls before they begin? It is horrible! I don't even know what sets them off to the point of such violence. If anyone out there knows a method of stopping these attacks upon each other, I would truly appreciate it! I love all of my babies, and want my little blonde boy back. Thanks to you all! over 1 year ago by Anonymous

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