I have read the thread about "Loving a Dog: Against All Odds". It goes without saying that I love my dogs so much! I just would like to share with you what happened to our family last New Year´s Eve. It´s a tradition here in the Philippines to have a family dinner every New Year´s Eve. We call it media noche. Also on Christmas eve (noche buena). Since every one else had their own families, this was a yearly event. As it happened, my brother in law and sis in law were the only ones who weren´t able to make it to our house. They live just across from our place. The reason? Their 4 adult labradors didn´t want to be left behind because they got so scared with the firecrackers. Well, some of the family members got irked because they say that this only happens once a year. I don´t know... what can you say about this? Was my brother in law´s reason justified?

If i´m in the same situation your relative was in i´d skip the get together to be with my dogs and make sure they are safe. Dogs are family too. I treat them as such. How would I feel if I go and then later on find out that something bad happened to my dog just because I ignored their safety. Can´t live with that. There are other times to be with family and being a family doesn´t just mean having fun, sharing laughter, eating food but caring and loving specially in times of need. By the way, why did they not invite the Labs? I´m sure it would have been a real blast of a get together. Hehehe. Pardon me for the joke.

Thanks for the insight dob My mother in law is allergic to dogs, so pets are not allowed inside her house. My hubbie and I didn´t have dogs of our own yet that time so it was kind of a confusing time for me too.

I would choose the dogs too...and then organize a get together on a day that the firecrackers don´t happen. I love my family, and because they also love me, they understand my pets are my own little family and I would always choose what is best for them. No question.

I agree with the others - would never leave my dogs alone knowing that they are scared.

I am the same, I was invited to a wedding in london but I didn´t go (hubby did) because 1) Laddy was just a pup 2) I didn´t know if any kennels would take him because he has tablets for his heart 3) I thought he´d be scared of being in kennels over night so yes I´d choose dog over family anytime.

i would not leave my dog alone if he was scared

I would have stayed at home too. Taz our last dog was terrified of fireworks and used to get worked up into a terrible state when he heard them.
We´re trying to get Barney used to them by playing video clips of them on the computer so that Nov 5th and new year won´t be such an ordeal for him as it was for Taz. So far they don´t seem to bother him in the slightest, but I´m not sure how he´ll react when they´re going off all over the place like they do on Guy Fawkes night.

never leave her alone as she is terrified of fireworks. "funny" thunder doesn´t bother her.....

I understand why your family would not leave their dogs, I wouldn´t leave mine knowing that they´d be frightened but as you are only across the road surely there was nothing stopping them popping over for 1/2hr or an hour each at a time. Compromise

If were me I would make sure the dogs were safely confined, then gone for a visit. That´s hard to say really because everyone in my family except my grandma loves dogs so my dog goes with me when I go back home...grandma just deals with her LOL.

dogs!!!!

My family is important to, but thankfully I have a very trustworthy friend who the dogs love and she enjoys looking after the dogs if I need to be away. Hogmany (Dogmany) I am always with the dogs, but Guy Fawkes night I like to go to the village bonfire. The dogs would hate it so they stay at home with my son.

my family would understand if i chose to stay home because my dogs are scared or i have exhausted all options in leaving them alone or with somebody. they are family and they would know you´ll drop everything when it´s a life and death situation with them..but to leave scared dogs alone just to have dinner.. they could have brought food to them across the street.

18.May 2008 05:12Thanks for the insight dob My mother in law is allergic to dogs, so pets are not allowed inside her house. My hubbie and I didn´t have dogs of our own yet that time so it was kind of a confusing time for me too.

So the solution is that next year you do it at someone´s place who is not allergic to pets so that the Labs are invited!!!

No kidding! When I have a feast, I invite my friends with their pets (so my Carmen has some crazy company!!!)

hehe well, your dogs are you family!
after all, you live with them and not with your relatives
so i think it´s pretty clear who comes first
for example, our dog is 15, and someone always have to be at home to take care of him, so never mind new year´s eve, christmas lunch or sisters b.day...he´s the most imortant to us all, so we all just go along with that

i think the dogs would have been better of crated and left at home. Dogs shouldn´t come before people. And they don´t expect to. they expect you to be thier leader and they expect to take secound fiddle to eating and most other activities. Knowing you are in charge makes a dog feel safer. secoundly a miserable isolated human that has alienated his/her family will not be able to be the happy cheerfull owner that the dog needs. not to mention the family may grow resentful of the dogs and then if you really need thier help for the dogs like emergency babysitting or something they might be reluctant. you can make human enemies easily or a least lose friends with little cause. your dog will always love you and forgive you even if you don´t deserve it. so because human relatonships are not as strong as dog human relationships they need to take a precedence.

Your relative made the right choice. Believe it or not, the dogs are also your family. In fact they are a daily part of your family life. Their loyalty to you is absolute. Shouldn´t you return the favor?

I guess I would agree with everyone else.You can look at your dog and should be able to tell rather there scared or there happy.My babies are sad every time I leave to go to the store they expect to go with me.sometimes they can when I´m not going to be to long.I don´t like for them to be in the car for very long at a time.

The Dogs, by all means, I know mine are my life, and I would do anything for them.

Yupp definitely stay home with Mocha no doubt about that!!.. agreed with everyone. Mocha doesn´t have much fears besodes walking in really hard pooring rain but thats all i know about her fears lol ..
but just saying if i had to leave my family or dog behind it would be my family cuz in my case i´d definitely choose Mocha over anyone the fact she was always there for me and we´re always there for each other and she was always there on my down times and bad times and she´s such a great dog.. but my family´s never really there for me.. they never call or too busy or what not. but yupp dogs totally come first to dog lovers and their pets