Dear Prudence,
My wife and I recently invited our extended family for an open house cocktail hour. We received a call from my uncle informing us that they would be bringing their pets (four dogs, including a puppy), but not to worry because they are all “house-broken.” Our family has no pets, and my 4-year-old son is nervous around dogs. I reminded my cousin that the invitation did not include animals, but if they had to bring their dogs along, we were happy to have the dogs stay in our fenced backyard. This did not go over well, and my uncle told me not to expect any guests that day from the family. Was I wrong? I feel terrible and actually love dogs (just not inside my house when I am hosting dozens of people).
–Really Dog-Friendly