Author: Thomas Farley

D.J. Bornschein, founder and president of Catsbury Park, an adoption cafe in Asbury Park, N.J., says he would never push for compensation if something he owned was ruined by a friend’s pet. Instead, he says he would want to do anything in his power to reduce the friend’s feelings of remorse. “I suffer second-hand embarrassment very easily,” he says. What about the flip side? What if one of the cats in his care damaged something belonging to a customer? (As the owner of an establishment where felines roam free, he does admit there have been times when one of the cats up for adoption have knocked over a patron’s coffee or scratched something.) As a business owner, there is a different standard, he says, explaining he will refill a coffee and offer to pay for any damage unwittingly wrought by a feline in his cafe. Robin Sklar, a television industry professional living in New York City, acknowledges that most pet parents think only the rosiest things about their canine sidekicks. With that said, what if her well-behaved Pug was having an off-day and chewed up one of her friend’s handbags? “Paterson would not do that,” she says with a smile. “But if she had, I would definitely offer to pay for the bag.” And if the friend refused? “I would find some other way of making it up to her, such as taking her out to lunch.” And to avoid a repeat scenario, Paterson would not be invited to that get-together, Sklar jokes. Nancy Maddock, a professional organizer and owner of Ready. Set. Let’s Organize in Greater Boulder, Colorado, says she keeps an eye out for visitor belongings at all times and warns out-of-towners to close the door to her guest room when they move about the house—lest her Italian Greyhound gets into their luggage. And what if, hypothetically, her energetic 3-year-old dog was the houseguest and, say, peed on a host’s rug? “I would wipe down the spot immediately and offer to have it cleaned professionally,” Maddock says. There would likely be a peace offering also, explaining: “If they insisted ‘Don’t worry about it … the carpet’s a mess anyway,’ I would probably send them a few bottles of wine.” With all of this in mind, I’m betting you’ll keep closer tabs on guest belongings in your home the next time around. On the off chance your Westie still wreaks havoc despite your best preventative efforts, popping open a bottle of wine to ease guest and host tension may not be a bad idea. But if you and your pup are in someone else’s abode, please do me a favor and don’t spill your wine on their carpet, lest we head right back to square one.,A friend visited our home recently and without thinking, left her designer handbag in our entryway. While she and I were catching up in the living room, our year-old Westie found the handbag and tore it to shreds. I apologized profusely of course and even offered to pay for it; to my surprise, she accepted. What is the etiquette for hosts and guests when a pet destroys someone’s things?

It’s up to all pet parents to research and determine the best food choices for their dogs. And yet, that measure of control disappears when well-meaning friends, family members or even strangers give our dogs something to eat. This is particularly challenging during the holidays, when a bevy of human goodies that can be harmful to our pets are in such ample supply. And our dogs make it oh-so-easy for others to slip them table scraps. Whether at the dinner table, in the kitchen or at a backyard picnic, they can be relentless with their begging and pleading. More often than not, they win out. Rather than putting one more thing on your plate (literally and figuratively) by having to remain on your guard during the gathering, I would make a brief but polite announcement to your guests. This can be done in the invitation or once everyone has arrived, something along the lines of: “For those who have not yet met Daisy, she can be relentless when it comes to asking for table scraps. Unfortunately, she’s on a restricted diet, so if she asks for anything you’re eating, please don’t give in.” That’s what New York-based commercial and film actor Haas Manning does for his 4-year-old Doberman Pinscher, Diesel, who has a particularly sensitive stomach. After food allergies caused him to lose hair, break out and scratch, Diesel endured a dietary process of elimination that ultimately determined lamb to be the best meat for him. All was well until—without Manning’s knowledge—one of his nephews fed the Doberman some chicken. It was only when Diesel started scratching behind his ears in the days following that the actor tracked down the cause—and the culprit. With experiences such as that one fresh in mind, Manning ensures that all guests know plain and simple that his pup is not OK eating human food—not even “once in a while.” Calling Diesel a “Velcro dog” because he sticks so close to his papa, Manning says that fortunately, he’s able to keep close tabs on his sidekick, as Diesel is rarely out of his sight. For anyone who starts begging you to feed your begging dog, I encourage what longtime dog lover and pet parent Robin Arnold does: have sanctioned, healthy treats on the ready. The Greenwich, Connecticut, resident often brings her 6-year-old Standard Poodle, Jimmy, on visits to schools and hospitals. Packing treats that Jimmy likes, she instructs any child who wishes to feed the therapy animal to do so with an outstretched arm, open palm and an Arnold-approved goodie. The poodle, who features regularly in Arnold’s Instagram, is an angel around kids, but since that is not the case with every dog, Jimmy is helping little ones practice a safer way to engage with a pet. Those who want to treat your pooch to something from their plate have good intentions. They may not know a little bit of turkey or chocolate could do your pet harm. Ease your worries and avoid awkward mid-meal conversations by making house rules clear from the start. Include a brief explanation about why feeding your dog human foods can be a no-no, and then allow guests to indulge their desire to treat your pet by having approved dog-friendly snacks on hand. After all, pups should be able to embrace the spirit of the day and give thanks for their blessings, too.,Q: