Do you want your dog to be in your wedding?
5 tips to make sure your playful dog doesn't destroy the dress, eat the food
The first time I saw wedding photos with a dog as the ring bearer, my immediate thought was, “Only white people are brave enough to do this. Black folks would be scared the dog would ruin everything, and that’s not even including the love-hate relationship some black people have with dogs already.”
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My Labrador Retriever mix was untrained, unruly and loved to have a good time. That included eating out of garbage cans, shedding on clothes and furniture, and knocking Christmas trees over. My German Shepherd was properly trained but had the same shedding habit. She didn’t, however, reach up on countertops and take my father’s pork chop off the counter. (That family BBQ certainly did have to make some adjustments.)
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My Lab mix was fairly friendly to everyone we liked. On the other hand, my German Shepherd was a naturally born guard dog and she did not play games. She once chewed up a piece of paper with the phone number of a man who was trying to date me, and I had no other way to contact him. (This was before smartphones were glued to our hips.)
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Interestingly, my Hound mix (who is half their size) is even more territorial about anyone getting too close to me if she doesn’t know them — specifically men. Between these three, and personal experience at weddings, I just didn’t think black people would include their dogs in their wedding and definitely not give them something small enough to chew on or swallow.
That is, until my cousin had a big wedding. (I was not there.) But in all those beautiful photos, there sat her dog. I had to retract my black-people-at-weddings statement. Her dog behaved and posed patiently for pics. Since then, I’ve learned a few tricks for how to make sure wedding dogs don’t become a disaster. Here are five.
Lesson 1: Let your dog get used to the dress.
Earlier this week, I watched my own dog leap up onto my mother’s white T-shirt, and she happily pet her. I shook my head, knowing full well my dog knows better than to do that to me while we’re outside. Not only do I have a firm rule about wiping pet paws each time they enter my household, but I have a no-shoes policy for humans too. I don’t want any outside dirt on my floors, my foot stools or anywhere else, especially not on Sweeper Sundays.
My dog also knows not to leap her dirty/muddy/grass-stained paws on my clothes outside. She immediately gets the command to get down. Instead, if she wants my attention, she hops in the air like a kangaroo. (It’s entertaining to watch.) My mother doesn’t practice it. So I shrug and glance at random paw prints on her clothes. If she doesn’t care, me neither.
But for brides who do care about making sure their wedding dresses don’t end up with paw prints, consider wearing practice dresses around the house. It doesn’t have to be white. It doesn’t have to be lace. It doesn’t have to have pearls, diamonds or other accessories. But it needs to be the length and the material of the dress, so your dog gets used to seeing you in it. Just as you teach your dog the “down” command in any other scenario, make sure she knows this is the case when you’re wearing this type of outfit. If you’re feeling brave enough to do a final “down” test with your actual wedding dress on, make sure you have a portable garment steamer or laundry stain remover handy.
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