Kathy T posts over at Shak and Jill about something I feel fairly strongly about: Putting your dogs up when people will be in your house, but you won’t be there. Check it:

I know the cutest dogs in the world can be just plain nasty when
they are protecting their homes.  Even if it’s a big slobbering furball
of love when the seller is around, their personalities can drastically
change in the absence of the homeowner.  And honestly, when they bark
at strangers - especially strangers who have walked into THEIR house
with the homeowner gone - they are doing their jobs to protect that home.

Let me tell you, Lucy was NOT pleased that we were there.  She
snarled, growled, barked, and ran in circles.  She was angry.  She was
terrified.  My buyer and I did not stay around very long, not just
because the place didn’t meet her needs but also because we wanted to
spare Lucy the chihuahua from more stress.

See, you never can really know how your dog will act when you’re not around, especially when the people coming into your home are strangers. Even if your dog is a tiny little guy who is incapable of doing any damage, it still stresses them out terribly.

So please, for other people’s safety and your dog’s safety, put your dog up when strangers will be coming into your home.