The Dog at the Party
I fall into the category most often referred to as an ambivert. While I love opening up my home and entertaining; there are many days where I’d rather curl up on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea. This can make social gatherings rather uncomfortable because I eagerly agreed during a sociable moment but by the time the party comes around, I’d really rather do anything but interact with other humans. Fortunately, I have found a brilliant solution to this dilemma: the dog at the party.
The dog at the party provides the perfect way out for anyone feeling overwhelmed, isolated, burnt out or just in need of a break. People require at least an attempt at conversation whereas dogs require nothing more than an ear scratch or belly rub and the occasional dropped snack. Need a conversation starter? You can discuss how ridiculously cute the dog sitting in your lap happens to be. Need to extricate yourself from a conversation that you’re bored with? Oops, looks like I should take the dog outside for a moment. You can even just sit on the couch and pet a dog and you’ll still be having a good time!
Any parties at my house come with the open invite to bring both children and dogs. My reasoning for this is two-fold. First off, I quite like dogs and children so I figure that all gatherings will only be improved by their addition. Secondly, most of my friends have dogs and/or children and I want them to be able to come and visit without feeling like they have to rush home to let the dogs out. Or relieve the babysitter. You can’t really kennel children.
Regardless of the type of dog, big or small, hairy or naked, I truly believe that all types of social gathering can be improved by their addition. Allergies? Not a problem, I have a cupboard stocked with several different kinds of antihistamines. So if you happen to be in the neighbourhood and see a gathering of people in my kitchen, stop by. I don’t know what kind of party it will be, but I can guarantee there will be dogs.
