Dog Or Wife - Who Comes First?

I am staying in my building in the city that has 273 apartments. Sadly, most people seem not to know each other. טוב שכן קרוב מאח רחוק - Better a close neighbor than a far away brother. When we eat the korban-pesach the Torah commands us to invite our neighbors first. But here it's not like that. Everybody to themselves. I think I should organize a major farbrengen. Since I am the frummest looking guy here I will crown myself Rebbe. I will say I am from Michigan and call myself  ... The Mishiginer Rebbe:-).

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Anyway, tonight in the elevator my upstairs neighbors [who have probably never seen me but we were very friendly to each other in the elevator], a couple in their 60's had an interesting exchange. She said "I want you to read that email yourself". He answered [with a slight edge in his voice] "OK, but first I have to walk the dog. I haven't walked the dog in a long time." We reached the ninth floor and I smiled and wished everyone a good night. They responded in kind, hoping in their heart of hearts that this very Orthodox looking Jew would not open up an advanced Rabbinical Seminary in the building with odd Yiddish speaking young men as students who always seem to be walking around with a towel and smaller velvet bags in a larger plastic bag.

Back to their exchange: I thought that putting the dog's needs ahead of his wife's needs was somewhat ill-advised. So if they were to come to me for advice I would have suggested that he first read the email. The dog can wait - no? If it was really important to him to walk the dog he could have rephrased his comment "Is it OK if I first walk the dog and then read the email. Poor Woofie hasn't had a good walk in days and that is really one of her main pleasures in life." His wife would have felt better. So it appears to me....

Remember - you can say a lot of things but it is critical that they be formulated in the most sensitive way.