I'm a little late to this thread, but this is one thing that gets a strong reaction from me. I have dogs who do tend to bark at visitors sometimes, and I fuss at them/put them in other rooms if necessary. That said, my friends know that if they come to my house, I'm not going to keep my dogs locked away all day just so they can be comfortable. For me, it's their house, too. I do have certain friends who do not like to be around dogs, and I try to keep that in mind when they're over, but at the same time, I would not have them over for prolonged periods of time. I guess what I'm saying is there is a happy medium. Like many others have said, if you really are uncomfortable around that person's pets, don't go to their home, especially if you've asked them to do something and they won't. But my dogs' needs come first. Grown-up adults can make their own choices and take care of themselves, so that's what I expect when I hold up my end of the deal.
I feel like if you invite someone over to your house then you have a commitment to not terrorize them with your pets. It is the same thing as not letting your child run around like something escaped out of an asylum.
I think that is rude. That seems to be a little extreme. I would put my 8 lb. toy poodle in a different room if someone was uncomfortable around him. I love my dog and would rather him not have to be stuck by himself. However, I think it's just common courtesy to do if someone is uncomfortable around him.
I only have cats now but I grew up with dogs and in both cases I always try to be considerate of my guests needs and feelings. That said, it is my home and if a guest is really uncomfortable I would suggest they do not come over. I agree one should not let a dog or cat jump all over their guests. However, it's a little unreasonable of a guess to expect the pet to never be in the kitchen because pets shouldn't be near food or stare at you while you eat?!?! That's really more your problem then the owners problem. It's a little like someone who doesn't like kids asking their friends to keep their kids completely away from them whenever they come visit. You're at their house so in some regard you have to just deal with their living arrangement. If I were you I would simply tell my friends that I would prefer to get together somewhere else because animals make me uncomfortable. At that point it's up to them to decide whether they want to make appropriate accommodations to have you over or not.
