Pet friendly?

shanderson317

I'm debating the idea of having a pet friendly day. I'm having more of a party than reception very casual dress (jeans, t-shirts, etc.) so the damaging fancy clothes isn't an issue. Just looking for thoughts, comments, ideas, etc.
Thanks

jess9802

Problems include guests with allergies, aggressive animals/fights, poorly trained dogs, people (esp. children) who are scared of dogs, how to pick up after the animals/the mess they create, as well as adequate water and shade for animals if it's a hot day.

christineann316

I'm also considered bringing the dogs to our casual wedding celebration, but I don't want my focus to be on them.  I want to enjoy the day with  my guests, so they are staying home unless someone volunteers to be in charge.  I know they would behave, but I tend to over focus on making sure they don't bark and bother people.  . 

KatyRoseM

Allergies, fearful guests and picking up after them really can add up to make this difficult, I wouldn't do it. 

Avion22

Also, unless this is a group of dogs who normally spend time together, you really have no idea how they will all ineteract with each other ahead of time.  Sometimes dogs that don't each other can get really aggressive.

jasmineh7777

I love animals, but what you're suggesting sounds like a huge liability.

CassieeK

As a guest, I wouldn't want a bunch of dogs around me.

zitiqueen

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_outdoor-weddings_pet-friendly?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:666Discussion:d26ad0b1-c242-4073-b249-ca6ea612af7aPost:fcc86b9b-6a91-4f47-b49f-307163f970c4">Re: Pet friendly?</a>:
[QUOTE]Also, unless this is a group of dogs who normally spend time together, you really have no idea how they will all ineteract with each other ahead of time.  Sometimes dogs that don't each other can get really aggressive.
Posted by Avion22[/QUOTE]

This. If you're hell-bent on this, call your insurance agent and ask about purchasing liability insurance for the day because there's a very good possibility this won't end well.

Although sane, responsible pet owners would know better than to bring their pet to something like this.

Enami

While it sounds cool, I don't think it would work. I am not comfortable around dogs I don't know, and I don't give a sh*t what the owners say about their dog being well trained. If I knew there were going to be a lot of dogs that I didn't know at a wedding, I wouldn't come. And I love dogs, and I'm not a breed-biased person.

ABeautifulMind

I'm in total agreement with the others.  I LOVE animals.  We have a cat and a golden retriever.  We treat both like they are our children and take our dog pretty much everywhere we can.  With that being said, a wedding to me is a place pets should probably not go.  Just like all the PPs mentioned there are so many issues involved that I think it would be more of a pain than fun.

KellyBrian2013

Not to mention that a lot of people who consider themselves to be dog saavy are anything but...

I can't count how many times an "experienced" owner tells me how "friendly" their dog is and how it "just wants to play" as the dog has its hackles raised and is in a staring contest with another dog (dominant & aggressive behavior).

This has bad news bears written all over it.

thesupernovagirl

I have a lapdog I'm considering bringing to the wedding/ reception.  He will be social for about 15 minutes and then nap the rest of the time.  Don't freak about what other people say.  You should know wether or not this will work for you.  

KarenLM

Besides the above problems, there is the "elimination" issue.  Not all dog owners are prompt in cleaning up after their pets, and you wouldn't want an unsuspecting guest to leave with more than they came with, lol!

balletdawn

My brother got married at a ranch with a lot of land, but he put "please no dogs except Nina"(his dog) because the ranch owners suggested it. They were also worried about liability.

We are having our dogs walk the rings down the aisle on a leash with a friend. After the ceremony, a dog sitter will pick them up and take them home and feed them dinner for us. That way, we can have them be part of the ceremony but not underfoot (or pooping under feet) the rest of the day. 

OuachitaTrixie

Even the best behaved dogs could end up becoming difficult if they feel scared or overwhelmed because of the large group of people and other dogs.  For the animals sakes I would not recommend it.

Another issue could be alcohol laced frivolity.  The "stupider" folks get the more likely some poor dog will get his paw stepped on.  If that dog is already on edge that might be what makes him snap at someone.

I am all for alcohol and I'm all for dogs, but it scares me that some completely innocent creatures could have a horrible night.

cozysparky

For the sake of the animals, I don't think this would be the best idea. If there were just a few dogs that already knew each other they could be fine, but meeting a lot of new animals can be stressful for them, not to mention possible fights/injuries. Plus people will be expecting the dogs to "behave" while being distracted by the wedding and not really have time to pay attention to their responses to the situation. Even the most out-going and well bahaved dogs need supervision in new situations, and I feel like the guests won't be able to do that while focussing on a wedding.