Ignoring the DOG (no - not when he has to go outside) :)

[Juulie Downs]

IMO -- The rule to ignore the DOG in your friend's sitch was written to mitigate an unintended consequence of the larger DOG rule, rather than to confer a certain advantage or disadvantage in the larger balancing equation. So there's no judgment involved in deciding whether some hypothetical advantage may or may not be available.