Pre-Rinse Or Bad Spin?

Dear Dog Lady,

At a recent dinner party, the hostess allowed her dog to lick our plates after we ate. She called it the “Lucy Lab pre-rinse” and asked us to put our plates on the floor while the Labrador retriever licked them clean. I don’t have a dog and am unused to such unsanitary behavior. Is this customary?

Dina, Great Neck, NY

Dina, usually the plate licking practice happens more discreetly. Your hostess lacked proper judgment when she allowed the pre-rinse to become part of the party. Understandably, this display was not the palate cleansing you had in mind.

Often dog keepers forget pet politesse. They just assume everyone will think it adorable when lovable Lucy, or whatever dog, laps up the remnants of the salmon remoulade, or whatever dish. Dog Lady has been guilty of this and cringes when she thinks of how it plays to the uninitiated. Your letter provides a good reminder that private rover rituals should not be flaunted when company comes.

Posted by Dog Lady at September 10, 2006 01:36 PM