I have a labrador retriever who likes to follow me around the house. This includes the bathroom. As long as he keeps his nose to himself, this does not bother me. Heck, I watch him go too when I walk him.
LukeoftheValley freaks out when the dog follows him into the bathroom. Door shut, no dogs allowed.
What do you dopers say: dog or no dog? Is it gender-related?
Well, what does he do in there?
I have two Pugs who follow me everywhere, including the bathroom. I’m a guy, and I don’t mind.
If you’ve just got one dog following you into the bathroom, you’re doing damn good. Or you only have one pet. In our house, it’s nothing to have three sets of beady little eyes boring into you while on the toilet.
Sometimes I get fed up with the inability to go anywhere or do anything by myself and shut the door in their faces, only to have a set of little cat paws reach under the door after me. Or she’ll try to shove the pocket door open. (When we lived in a place with traditional bathroom doors, they’d just shove until it popped open. Very embarrassing if you have guests in the house.)
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The dog or Mr. Valley? The dog mainly sits or lies down, although sometimes he wants a headscratch. Mr. Valley – only the toilet knows and it ain’t talkin’. Sometimes I think he’s writing a novel.
All of my animals have come into the bathroom. I live alone and don’t even close the door. They get confused when company is over and they or I do close the door. They look at me like “why can’t I come in this time?” I used to have a cat that would jump on my lap while I was on the toilet every morning for attention.
When I’m alone in the house, I leave the door open; sometimes the dogs come in, sometimes they don’t. The cat that used to own me would stand outside the door and yell, so I got in the habit of leaving it open, except when I was showering. Then I’d be washing my hair and hearing the cat yowling outside the bathroom.
It doesn’t bother me in the slightest to have the dogs in there, as long as they don’t show too much interest in what I’m doing. And as long as I flush, since somebody in the household (NOT me!) forgot once and one of them decided that what was left there looked just yummy! Mostly they just want the company.
Yes, I believe this is gender related. Think of this scenario:
You pour a bottle of water from waist high into a bowl. Your dog is standing right there. Will your dog try to drink the water as it is being poured into his dish?
Now substitute Luke for bottle, toilet for dish.
Also, suppose poochie decides to bump Luke out of the way to see what he’s staring at down there…Is there a squirrel in there? Do you need me to protect you? What are you hunting in that water dish?
Yep, gender differences. Equipment differences.
Just got a puppy the other day and yes, she does join both of us in the bathroom. No problems. Usually she just inspects everything or lays down and kips.
Previous dogs have also gone into the bathroom with me. No biggie.
My dog follows me to the bathroom, but I’m sure that when he can see that i’m going to do my business, he seems to leave, like he is respecting my privacy. He doesn’t watch or anything, he is very respectful.
But I do feel a little funny if he comes into the bathroom when I’m in the shower, or I’ve just gotten out of the shower and I’m standing there naked.
I feel like i should cover up, he’s only 6, and that’s a very impressionable age!!
Does he look at me when I’m naked and wonder what is going on?
He’s always naked. Or does he think I look weird with clothes ON?
One rule I do have is no dogs in the bedroom if there is any action taking place. It just feels wrong.
My bathroom is a dog-free zone. It’s a small area, and having two big woofers in there with me is just asking for trouble.
The dogs know they’re not allowed, and don’t try to enter. On occasion, I’ve tried to get one or the other in there to clean a wound or something (makes cleaning up afterwards easier) and it was VERY difficult to try to get them in. Even treats wouldn’t work.
I kinda like it that way. I don’t need a dog in my way when I’m getting out of the bathtub or trying to dry myself or whatever. As it is they both sit at the doorway and watch me 'til I’m done.
Max
I don’t let my dogs in the bathroom usually, either. My reason, though, is because they all want to come in, and I just don’t have room for three dogs to be petted while I’m in the process of taking shit or whatever. One at a time doesn’t bother me usually…whichever one decides to keep me company will just flop down on the little rug and nap.
I’ve heard of people being uncomfortable being naked around their animals. This I don’t understand. It’s not like they CARE! My former cat saw me in much more compromising positions than just…naked, after all.
Since I live alone I rarely bother closing the bathroom door. My sweet pooch is totally indifferent unless I’m taking a shower. She HATES having a barrier she can’t cross if she has to. She has, for lack of a better term, “separation issues”, harkening back to mistreatment my Ex handed out to her. He kept her locked in a stone cistern in the cellar every moment I wasn’t home.
Most times she avoids the bathroom because that’s where the Dreaded Bath Torture happens. For a dog who’s half Lab, she hates getting wet. But as soon as she hears me turn on the shower, she whines and bravely moseys in anyway. (If I close the door for warmth during the winter, she doesn’t want to be enclosed in there with me but will huddle just as close to the outside of the door as she can get.)
Most times she circles a few times the flops down on the bathmat. But as soon as I step behind the shower curtain she gets upset. As much as she hates having mist in her face, she’ll have to nudge her head anxiously through the shower curtain at least once to make sure I’m still okay in there. I often keep a running pep talk going for both us:
“See, humans do the Dreaded Bath thing every morning!”
And humans are nuts. So?
“You love it when your fur is all clean and glossy.”
I’m not a fanatic about it.
“I’m waking up now; ‘Here comes the suuuunnnn…’”
I can howl better than that.
“Hmmm, this lily of the valley bath gel is nice.”
You even dream of washing my fur with that smelly gunk and I’ll guilt-trip you for days: tragic eyes, drooping ears.
“Maybe I can face this day after all. It’s gonna be a bitch though.”
Hey!
" ::sings:: You’re my brown-eyed girl…!"
:: whines::
When I finish showering and pull the curtain aside, she gives one polite lick to a wet knee, makes a “Ptui!” dog face, (tastes like lily of the valley gunk) and then slouches off in disgust. Humans.
Life chez Veb is just constant glamour and excitement.
So that’s where my bath gel disappeared to! glares in the general direction of TVeblen’s shower
::jitters::
Urp, um, ulp…my dog stole it?
Veb
The NinjaPooch stays outside the bathroom, just 'cuz the door’s closed (multi-person household) and she’s very restless.
Plus, she Sheds. Not in the way that most dogs shed, but she Sheds. You can literally run your hand down her back and come away with a full handful of fur. Wet human skin (post-shower) + lots of loose fur = no good.
OTOH, my bedroom somehow transformed into her bedroom somewhere along the line. So I know dry off in the bathroom, because I’m not allowed to kick her out of my room.
Related question: Who here lets the pooch sleep on their bed? My resident canine buddy used to sleep on a beanbag in my sister’s room. The sister left for college, and the dog migrated to my room. That was about two years ago.
Now my mattress is on the floor (she’s a little arthritic, mornings are tough for her), I no longer have fuzzy blankets, really (too much fur, it looks scuzzy), and she truly takes up more room than I do on the bed. Amazing, as she’s a quarter of my size. Darn puppy-dog eyes…
Weary sigh. One of our’s does–but not by my choosing. We have an Italian Greyhound (and they have close to no fur if you aren’t familiar), and my keeping the house at around forty degrees at all times doesn’t agree with his delicate and refined sensibilities.
:rolleyes:
So, yeah. He sleeps with us. Under the covers even.
You can see him here if you want.
[sup]BOLDING ADDED[/sup]
Am I the only one who spotted this atrocious pun? Or am I just the only one who is lame enough to make mention of it.
Erm … Don’t answer that!
What? You have some sort of huge sound system in your crapper? Do the vibrations help loosen your gut?
Erm … Don’t answer that!
While I detest the thought of someone so sweet as you living alone, Veb, there’s little mystery why such a cruel b@stard is now your “Ex.” Whadda frickin’ maggot.
As for myself, Piewacket the cat and my wolf hybrid Zen both view any visit of mine to the throne room as a splendid opportunity to mug me for some strokes. Due to the bath being redone with hunter green carpets and towels, Zen the white-fur-shed-monster, is no longer allowed full admission. This pisses him off royally since he gets to watch Piewacket cash in on the whisker scritching. He makes up for it by harassing the kitty every time he gets a chance. I liberally encourage this as it reduces Piewacket’s ego sufficiently to fit through the front door.
Oh, and no mutt on the bedstead! I use to permit this long ago with my first pup and paid the price with dug up and torn bedcovers. No more!
Da Best Pooch In This And All Known Universes does sometimes. She loves her big, fluffy dog bed. She also has free run of the house (and it’s big) so some mysterious canine instinct kicks in. Most times she’ll do the circle-and-snuggle routine to tuck in the pack at night then wander away to flake out elsewhere. For a few months it’s the front parlor loveseat. Or it’s her bed. Or the computer room rug. Or any of the hardwood floors when it’s hot. It’s all her range. The only times she really insists on sleeping right next to me is 1.) if I’m sick and 2.) during slammer lightning-thunder storms. Those are pack emergencies.
We both revel in the freedom. I traded up.
