Weird job interview... inappropriate or??

It's inappropriate to my opinion. But you can take it as experience. Next time You'll be more ready to react to such questions.

One thing for sure, just bring positive mind with you when having another interview, what ever the result might be. It's all part/stages that you might have to go through until getting right job

Update, she offered me the job but then took back the offer when I told her I had a surgery coming up next month. So... ya...

Seriously? Why isn't that illegal? The US is like the only western country that doesn't protect people's jobs when they are ill. ,

Admitting here I didnt read the whole thread....and I realize this is an older thread but happened to see it and thought it was interesting...

heres why...

america has privacy laws that prevent doctors, therapists from telling employers that they are seeing someone for health issues. (HIPPA/HIPAA laws)

Employers can not prevent someone from applying for a job because of mental or physical handicaps, and can not hire, fire or prevent, discriminate against someone with a physical or mental handicap (ADA laws)

but in certain jobs if the person being interviewed opens the door for the discussion they can proceed with the discussion. they cant decide whether a person gets the job or not on their handicaps but they can continue with the discussion that the person attending the interview brought up.

According to the first post the original poster brought up that they may have a mental problem of anxiety. this opened the door for the discussion of whether this person has a mental disorder, and how they are caring for that. and could impact how they react and care for the dogs.

animals can tell when someone is anxious, having trouble socializing, some dogs do not react in a caring way when they encounter someone who is showing fear anxiety, discomfort around them.

Some human beings that are uncomfortable and anxious are not so caring around dogs and cats.

because the original poster opened the door for the discussion the employer needed to make sure her dogs were not going to be in a position of being harmed should the original poster have a panic attack, and make sure that should a panic attack happen the original poster doesnt get bitten or other wise harmed by the dogs reactions to the original poster being anxious.

Again employers can't discriminate and prevent a person from getting a job based on their health issues

but they do have a responsibility that should someone ........... disclose......... on their own that they have a problem, they have to make sure everyone is safe and no one and nothing is a danger to one self and others. (in this case since a disclosure of a problem was voluntarily given the employer had to make sure the dogs were safe and wouldnt hurt anyone and that the employee was going to be safe to hire and not hurt their self or the dogs.)

No one would know. These laws are useless. Discrimination is all over the place, and not based on mental health issues only.

did it feel inappropriate? if yes, then it was. period.

Personally I feel you walked right into this one. You opened the door for such scrutiny. I don't like the nature of the questions and they are crass to have asked them but I don't think they infringe on your rights. You opened the door and basically welcomed them to ask. Unfortunate yes. I wish it hadn't gone in such a direction. Perhaps though the interviewer appreciated your candor.

I have felt similar during an interview. For a teaching job, I once said I like teaching "to get out of my head". I don't know if that was such a good response. But, hey. We all learn somehow. I know this thread is from a long time ago, but keep your head up!

I said I like teaching to get out of my head, and that happens to be true, but it's not the best thing to divulge to an interviewer. I should have just made up something else.

Sometimes sharing less is more appropriate than sharing more. Every person in the world is not necessarily out to be your friend.

But when the interviewer asked you those personal questions you could have either been like, "I don't feel comfortable answering that", or the other option would have been to not bring it up at all and just make up another reason (real or not) why you want the job. It's good to prepare for situations like that ahead of time.