PUT AWAY YOUR PETS
People get ~strange~ when it comes to their phones and their pets. Don’t tell them to put either away, right!
As a former service tech (the following was not something I could say aloud at the time): “Please put your pets away BEFORE the service tech arrives!”**
(**Professionally trained and certified service dogs not included.)
[NOTE from Sherry: see https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs, esp Q5 & Q17, for clarification re: the above.]
Let me say the quiet part out loud: your pets are NOT as nice as you may THINK they are. Literally hundreds of homeowners claimed aloud things like “my pet is nice, it won’t bite.” The little teeth marks on my high ankle work boots prove you WRONG. Your pet is NOT nice to strange people walking purposefully through your house. Sure! If I was an ordinary visitor and sat politely on your sofa she might settle down, but I’m not at your house to politely sit on your sofa. I have a job to do and that means that my quick movements will automatically irritate pets to no end. It is who they are, I don’t blame THEM.
I have an appointment. I’m wearing a uniform (some pets hate uniforms for some reason). Yes! I was bitten “gently” several times (yes, a few drew blood) and never because I behaved inappropriately. Small dogs, in particular, would follow me nipping at my calves, large dogs would sometimes grab my hand with their mouths (they don’t know they have sharp teeth). Some clients had “attack cats,” too.
When I was trying to communicate about the issue and get approval for service (pest control), I didn’t need a cacophonous animal disrupting the conversation (or the owner constantly yelling at the pet to “behave”).
Understand, I love dogs and cats (your rodent or scorpion … not so much). If an animal was friendly and the body language proclaimed “I’m calm” I would do what I could to be a friend. If he was nervous, or snarly, or had his tail down … I ignored him and did nothing to challenge his right to be in charge.
Second issue: Multiples.
If you have more than one pet, one of them will be jealous or upset. The upset one will be the more dangerous to a stranger. If you only have one crate … put that one in it. As a service tech I needed to know WHERE every pet was. I can’t remember how many times I almost sprayed insecticide on a cat because they did not tell me there were THREE. I saw two and was careful, but the third … was hiding right where I needed to treat. And don’t wait until the tech arrives to round up your cats.
Things other than dogs and cats.
If you have hired a pest professional he or she will need to know WHAT you have and WHERE. I was fortunate in this because I asked, “Do you have fish, birds or any other pet in this house?” Well! They DID, “by gum.” But they didn’t volunteer the info before I asked. Fish, birds, iguanas, snakes, and certain rodents are sensitive to chemicals. Special precautions had to be taken.
Oh, the stories I could tell … often I had permission to enter a house when the customer was not there. Aside from the occasional “still occupied” bedroom (I made sure to knock on every closed door I was entering to announce my presence), I also had to deal with their pets. Since the customer was not home I did a quick survey of birds, fish, etc. before treatment. Cats were always a problem because a) I never knew how many, b) they would hide, and c) some cats will scoot out as soon as a door is opened. Dogs were another issue altogether. a) Aggressive, b) Needing attention, or c) A runner. Thankfully I never lost a pet.
I unlocked one house, closed the door, turned around to face a 4-foot at the shoulder dog. “My life is over,” I said to myself before it turned and went to lay down on its bed. In another home I entered through the garage, closed the garage door before entering the house, when I opened that door there were two big, loud, aggressive dogs staring me in the eyes. They gave me an inch to enter so I took it and slowly went about my duties as they continued to growl and bark. But then I had to climb the stairs … they got in front and were at face height. Since they hadn’t attacked I chose a different option: I spoke authoritatively and pointed to the bottom of the steps. Both stopped barking and obeyed. I finished my tasks, thanked the dogs, and left. (That does not always work).
Third issue: Liability.
In Michigan and some other states … if your pet bites it may be reported and could be euthanized. You can also be sued. As a pet owner myself it was a responsibility I never took lightly. We inherited a “cute” dog. Almost every visitor, even after being warned, would bend down and try to pet the growling, snarling, hair on end, tail down, terrier. Were they blind? There should be a reprieve if the human was behaving stupidly.
Let me tell you the other side of pet safety. Some service technicians have no pet training. Others have no common sense (I know, I tried to train one). Put your pet away to save yourself having to deal with “God’s gift to animals!”
One trainee thought he had a magic touch. Unfortunately, he didn’t and EVERY dog he tried to pet was one step from creating a crime scene. I tried to tell him, but eventually he was canned for other reasons and I was a very happy man.
If your cat stops in front of anyone walking, or if your dog ever growls at people … do yourself a liability favor. Protect yourself by putting away your pet.
If your pet is your bodyguard, put him away and invite a bodybuilder over instead. Let’s both be safe.
Copyright 2026 Donald Whelpley
[PLEASE NOTE that Don is always open to discussing the thoughts and opinions he shares here and welcomes comments as shared in the comment section. He doesn’t use other social media platforms and won’t see whatever you’d like to share with him if you post it elsewhere.
ALSO, Don is always open to offer his thoughts on various topics. If you have a specific request, you can let him know in a comment; he reads – and replies to – them all. ~ Sherry]
See more GUEST POSTS from Don
Being sensitive to the mood of pets was essential in my line of work. Many times I would be working outside and a dog would run toward me barking. I behaved confidently and most would veer off and stand at alert. I’d continue my task at an unhurried pace. Owners were often amazed that Fido hadn’t attacked. If I had taken an aggressive stance it could have ended differently. I had no groundless complacency that I was “gifted,” or that I had a special bond with the animals. I just made myself of little consequence to them. I’d be lying if I said I was never afraid.