I don't think it's a bad idea. I feel the same as you when it comes to friends and family and their pets. I am very quick to tell them, no animals in the house, and if your pet can't behave outside then you need to take them somewhere else. I'm hitting the send button also.
Jim

I am a HUGE dog lover but would NEVER even THINK about taking one of mine to someone else's house without asking permission.

The very thought astounds me...dogs never act the same outside their own environment...

Even though my dogs are well trained and are actually better behaved outside the home, I still wouldn't do it....

Are you sure they are your 'friends'? LOL!

...nope...never mind...hitting the send button...I think we're all on the same page here...

Im with you on that too. Your house, your rules. Some dogs, no matter how well behaved/trained they me be, have a natural instinct to go chasing after cats and other animals. As for the block party and such like that, dogs dont know who is not a dog person or better yet, who may even have allergies to them. Or even those who may be petrified of them.

I don't think you're wrong for feeling that way.
I have 3 (2 large ones & a small one) dogs and a
cat, who all get along great. My mother stops by
out of the blue with her 2 large dogs, next thing
I know, the cat is hiding in my houseplants, and
it's a free for all... barking, broken plant stems,
they're banging into the glass coffee table, lamps
are teetering, ashtrays and glasses and knocked
over.... good grief, it's looks like WWW III when
they leave, and now my dogs are riled up for a good
30 minutes after they're gone...
let's not even get into the time her & her dogs
stopped by for a suprise visit while I was out in
the yard checking my jugs, and her dogs ruined 4
of my containers, after I worked so hard to teach
my dogs to keep away from my containers... GRRRRR

The comedian Ron White put it best in one of his
standup specials when he said, "I'm a dog lover...
actually I just love MY DOG". I would never show
up to anyones house with my little "zoo", even if
they were invited, but thats just me.

Hitting send......
Millie

I adore cats and really don't like dogs. If someone brought either animal to my house I would be angry. What nerve!

I always ask first, and arrange for a sitter or kennel if its not ok. If someone's dog is "revenge pooping" they definatly need some retraining (usually the people, more than the dog) and would do well with crate training (the dog, not the people!). My dog can't come over to my MIL's, but 95 yo Gramma Lou next door loves having Dora stay there when we do the family rounds.

I love dogs and cats...I don't like people who don't listen to me when I say something nicely to them.

If you invite them over again, or they stop by and they have their dogs, I would politely remind them of what you said and reply, "I'm sorry, I love you, and I'd really like to enjoy your company today, but with your dogs here, I cannot entertain you."
Go in the house. Shut the door.
If they don't understand then, they are really really thick.
And if they think you're rude, they should look at what they've done by disregarding you and your neighbor's request.
DH has a friend who has a dog that is absolutely insane. My dog is a very calm dog (though a hunter, she is good to the cats and other dogs), but this dude's dog is a jumper a barker, and always trying to hump my dog. Not to mention what he'd do to the cats. The friend is welcome at my house. The dog is not. The friend knows it, he doesn't bring it (or maybe he can see in my eyes that if he does, he risks his dog getting clubbed in the face by me...I don't like ill-mannered pets, particularly if they go after one of my own).
(This comes from someone who has a biscuit for every neighborhood dog and digs places in the garden especially for them to lie down and cool off)

I am glad to hear your comments. My friend's husband was very resentful when I would not let their dogs in and commented that the dogs were then stuck in the car and it was hot. I had no idea they were out there. Luckily they were in the shade and it was probably OK. They let them out and they ran unleashed around the neighborhood crapping everywhere.

They live 7 minutes away. The dogs should not be stuck in the car and should stay home. But, I'm a cat person, what do I know?

They took their dogs on a trip up north and left the dogs in the back in a parking garage while they spent three hours in a museum. Temps were below freezing. When they got back there was a note on their windshield that it was too cold to leave the dogs in the parking garage and animal control would be called. They left but were a little indignant and somewhat ashamed.

What to do?

Bakemom, your friend's husband is not a responsible dog owner!

We are the owners of a large, sloppy Newfoundland. My husband's family are intense dog people. They wouldn't even think of asking before bringing their dogs to visit, they just show up with them. And we are expected to just show up with ours. I personally find this mind-boggling - hugely inconsiderate! But then, I wouldn't show up at a party with my kids, at any age - and they're adults now - unless the invitation had included them. We are an incredibly self-centered nation, but that's another soapbox. I wish you good luck with trying to teach your friends some basic manners.

It really amazes me how far folks will go to appease their dogs...The other day, on a garden tour, the hostess told a group of us to ignore the mastiff and he won't bite...
IGNORE THE MASTIFF??
He was about 5 feet tall...and drooling!!
I have a hyper German Shepherd. She has a crate. She loves her crate and when she needs to remember her manners, that's where she finds them again!!
Perhaps you could mention that if they MuSt bring their animals, they might bring their crates, too??!!

Wow, Bakemon. Maybe the next time they show up with their dogs and they are going to leave them in the car, you just shouldn't let them stay and visit either. Shade or no shade, it's too hot to leave them in a car. Just like some people shouldn't be parents, there are people who shouldn't own a pet either.
Selfish inconsiderate people seem to be the norm today and it just boggles the mind to see and hear about it; but cruelty to animals is against the law and at least where I live, what they did with their dogs is against the law. Maybe you should have placed an anonymous call to the police or the MSPCA about it. Sounds cruel, but someone needs to make sure their pets are safe and you shouldn't be forced to have them in your home when you don't want them there and they shouldn't be allowed to run all over a neighborhood either.