My dog barks louder than your dog.

While I was an intern, I once had a boss run out of his office, trip over a chair and shout, "I need all the chairs put in storage! We don't sit in a crisis situation!" The crisis that he was referring to was a power outage. In another state.

That day, as I was walking around collecting chairs and wheeling them into the closet - all because New York City didn't have electricity - I realized how valuable my bachelor’s degree really was.

That happened years ago and just as I thought I might have to finally retire the story, I ran into my former boss at a networking event. Thankfully, he had plenty of new material.

“My dog knocked over our Christmas tree,” he said as he positioned himself one inch in front of my face.

“Your dog knocked over the Christmas tree!” I repeated, hoping to attract an audience. “That’s really something!”

Like a moth to a flame, a woman who introduced herself as a miniature poodle owner announced, “My dog ate the Christmas tree.” Apparently her dog did this either immediately before or after he knocked an air valve out of an SUV tire.

As someone who can’t stand losing, my boss countered with, “My dog head-butted a kitchen window screen! It's ruined!”

She said, "My dog is sick right now.”

And I swear, my boss revealed, “Well, my dog is dying.”

Yes, that's what it came down to. And no one can top a dead dog, so don’t even try.

Exchanges like this are what good networking events are made of. So when I found out that a reporter at a national women’s magazine was writing a column about social etiquette during networking, I was tempted to reply.

Specifically, the reporter wants to know, “…about what to do when you run into people you know at a social function. Other than say hello, should you then each go your own way or should you feel obligated to join them/ask them to join you?”

I think the answer should be, “Try to top the dead dog.”