You have to draw the line to be fair to everyone

   If you are a pet owner you know that your pets are not human but you love them as if they are your children.

  You spoil them just like you would spoil a young child. You protect them because like a child they need protected.

  Unfortunately someone who has never had a family pet sees all pets as a nuisance that they don't want to be bothered with.

  Everyone is free to choose whether they want a family pet in their families or not.

  Although I have family pets of my own I have had friends who's pets I didn't exactly like. 

  But there is a line that you do not cross when letting your feelings be known about someone's beloved family pets.

  They don't have to like your pets, they don't have to pet your pet or even acknowledge your family pet.

  I had always felt as long as they didn't physically harm your pet they didn't cross any lines when visiting someone's homes that had family pets.

  But recently I had someone visit my home that crossed the line that I didn't know existed.

  I have two family dogs, one is nine and the other is ten years old. They are very much like children to us.

  My visitor was sharing the skin off his fried chicken we were eating with my Labrador. When I noticed I asked him why he was repeatedly only feeding her and not giving my other dog any?

  I thought he would say oh I didn't see her there. Instead he said with a stern attitude that it was because the lab didn't bark at him but the other one did.

  I tried to ignore his response then he threw another big piece to my lab as I watched the sadness in my little miniature Weiner dogs face as he once again made sure she didn't get any.

  Finally as I watched him tare the skin off another piece of chicken I stopped him. I said you don't have to share with any of my dogs if you don't want to.

 But I don't want you to give either of them anything if you aren't willing to give them both some.

  I thought ok he knows he crossed a line and I was upset he will share that piece with both of my dogs. 

  But nope. He just looked at me without saying a word and finished eating. When he was done he placed it in a bag and tied it up and threw it in the garbage.

  He was determined to make sure that my little dog that barked at him didn't get any, period.

  I was certainly upset by his actions. I understand he has never had a pet. I understand that he has no idea how a pet is a family member.

  But I wish he would have acknowledge what I said in some way, shape or form. I  learned that sometimes you have to set different boundaries that you never knew you needed to set.

 I didn't know before but I know now that the next time he visits my house and we are about to eat, I will ask him not to feed either of my dogs any food. 

  As soon as he left I went in the garbage and pulled out the bag he had put his chicken in that he had thrown away. 

  And boy the look on both of my dogs faces as I shared his chicken skin with them was priceless.