Our house rental particulars include the statement that we don’t want smokers or pets living in our house when we rent it out. I expect I am going to get a good deal of support for the smoking ban even from smokers, but I guess animal lovers are less likely to agree with the ‘no pets’ requirement.

As we have had fewer enquiries than I anticipated, I slightly relented when the agent said that a middle aged couple with a dog were very interested. To get a quick let I agreed for them to view the house… They were nice and they loved the house… they said they’d replace all carpeting downstairs at the end of their tenancy… but then I asked about the dog.

I was hoping for a tiny Jack Russell or a poncy King Charles spaniel, but certainly something small… but they had a Rottweiler.

It’s interesting how defensive people are of their pets, even when they come from a breed with a reputation for gratuitious aggression. Even the name Rottweiler is scary… so we said no to them.

We’re working on the basis that we’d only let to someone we wouldn’t object to as neighbours… so still looking for a non-smoking petless tenant.