Parents Wanting to Visit with Their dog...what Would You Do?

I think it is rude when people assume that you will be comfortable with having their dog in your home. My sister does this with her horrible, nasty little rat dog. It is notup to you to control allergies etc to accommodate the needs of a dog. And yes, I have a dog, and no we don't assume people want it in their house.

11 moms found this helpful

If you don't want a dog in your house, then that should be the end of it. You are not obligated to have the dog there. Making arrangements for their dog is their responsibility, not yours.
I have some friends and family who are fine with me bringing my dog when I come visit, others who aren't. I abide by their preferences. If they don't want the dog in their house, they don't owe me an explanation as to why. It's their house, their rules. When I visit there, I leave him with my daughter.

My dog IS like my child. My daughter even refers to him as her little brother. And if I were visiting someone who didn't want kids around, I would have left my daughter with a sitter as well .

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I didn't read the other posts, but good grief... people and their dogs!!! I like dogs, but I would never impose mine on someone else's house ESPECIALLY a home like you describe. Small area, no place for the dog to be if the visit was not harmonious. Kids are unpredictable and some dogs get nervous and snappy especially in a small space where they have no room to get away from excited toddlers. No one knows how this dog will react since it hasn't been around kids.
You have allergies too?? No question... no way.

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all. I think you know the boundaries of your situation. In my opinion your parents should have asked if the dog would be a problem and would be ok to bring and been prepared to make arrangements for it.

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I would have said no.

Its a small house, you have a family of 4, plus your Mom and Dad.
And, you, have, allergies.
Case closed.

I am an animal person. Have had pets of many kinds all my life.
I still, do not understand why a person has to bring their dogs, everywhere they go and on trips to other people's homes, too.
To me, that is rude.

6 moms found this helpful

i don't understand why anyone would assume that their dog needs to be included when they go visit someone. that's just plain rude to me, and that's before adding the factor of the the already tiny and overcrowded apartment. i absolutely think you are right to tell them nicely that it won't work with the dog. hopefully they will respond back that they can find somewhere else for him/her/it to go. good luck!

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it is incredibly inconsiderate of them to even suggest it to you. of course you are completely and totally right.
khairete
S.

4 moms found this helpful

I wouldn't allow a dog in my house and I do have enough room. Please tell them to make other arrangements!

4 moms found this helpful

It's possible you haven't heard back because they are investigating options. Wouldn't that be wonderful :) If they can't come up with anything, I suggest the dog stays in the car. They can walk it and take it to the park while they are there and I'm sure the kids will want to play with it at times so the dog should be fine. If they are worried that the dog will mess their car, then believe me he will mess in your house. You can also look in your area for a pet hotel and forward them the name. My mother in law would do this to us without asking so consider yourself fortunate that they at least told you they wanted to bring the dog. You may be able to cut this off at the pass!

God bless!
M.

4 moms found this helpful

They need to make arrangements for the dog and not bring their dog into your home. People who don't get it must not have allergies and asthma.

4 moms found this helpful

well, i would suggest a pet-friendly hotel for them to stay in while they visit if I lived in a small 2bedroom 1 bath place - that's not fun to have 6 people vying for one bathroom.

This is what I would tell them - I'm SOOO excited that you want to visit!! Our place is small so I took the liberty of finding a pet-friendly hotel that is only 2 miles from the house!!

Sorry you won't compromise on a dog. I understand since it hasn't been around children. But now please understand this dog is like a child to your parents...I know my dog is.

4 moms found this helpful

I would say no. My son is allergic to cats and dogs, but even if he wasn't, we don't like animals in our home. It's our home and our choice as it is yours. Be nice, but firm on the issue.

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If you "ABSOLUTELY" will not let the dog in the house, then the best thing IMO is for them to have a neighbor come take care of their dog while they're away - at THEIR house. I guess it depends on whether or not it's an indoor or outdoor dog. Outdoor dogs a neighbor could easily take care of. Indoor dog may need to go to someone elses for a visit (a neighbor or friend) or yes, put the dog in a hotel for dogs type of boarding.

That being said - if it were me, and it was a small trained dog, then I'd likely welcome it into my home. I can deal with chaos for a couple days.

3 moms found this helpful

I HATE it when people want to bring their dog to my house. I am not much of a dog person, I have three kids, it's a tight fit, they shed, they are not MY dog. I would say the exact same thing you did. I mean really, what if I had a pet pig that I ADORED....she's so great with kids, she doesn't bark, she's like one of the family! How many people would say, NO THANKS, no pigs in our house! I think you are being perfectly reasonable.
Laura

3 moms found this helpful

It wouldn't be a problem for me, but you're allergic!
No, it's not unreasonable.
You've told your parents the dog is not welcome. The ball is now in their court. They can stay home, get a dog-sitter, or board the dog at a kennel. That's all just part of being a dog owner, right?
I would not leave my dog unattended in a pet-friendly motel room either. Kennel or sitter is the least stressful on the dog.

3 moms found this helpful

I would NOT want a dog in my house. We were sort of put in this position ourselves a few years ago at thanksgiving. my husband adores his aunt and loves to have her stay with us, that year her 20 yo DD was coming and had just gotten a golden retriever pup. It was important enough to DH that I did relent and let them stay, the cousin slept downstairs in the living room with the dog and got up numerous times in the night to "walk" the dog. we didn't have any accidents to deal with, but it was alot of stress for me, and for the cousin that picked up that i wasn't happy. IT all worked out ok in the end but I wish we hadn't been put in that position.
SInce it;s your parents if you don't nip this in the bud now, you'll be dealing with it forever.

Sad some people would chose their pet over their grandchildren.

3 moms found this helpful

the dog could be the "cherry on the top" for this visit!
Love me, love my dog.....is how most dog owners feel.

We do not travel with our 2 80lb dogs. We share dogcare with our neighborhood & help each other out on wkends/vacations/etc. One more blessing in our life! & when I say "share dogcare", I mean we hand house keys over to each other & are in/out of each other's homes. Truly, truly a blessing to have this mutual trust!

Maybe that would be an option for your parents.

Oh, & my sis does not have this in her neighborhood....but her ILs all share dogcare. Or my sis has been known to drop her dog off at my house on her way to the lake! If it's a 4wheeler wkend, the dog is with me. If it's a boating wkend, the dog goes...he even has his own life jacket & loves riding on the jet ski!

Some families are just more dog-oriented! Sounds like your parents are too!

2 moms found this helpful

For me, it would depend on the type of dog, its level of training, how it does with kids, etc. But I am a dog lover. I have one of my own and am taking care of the neighbor's dog this weekend. I might have expressed it to my parents as a concern for the welfare of the dog, which might have been better received by them. Telling them you were concerned about its safety, getting enough exercise, etc. since you have a small home and no fenced in yard. I never impose my dog on others and have a variety of excellent pet sitting options. However, some people don't like putting their dogs in a kennel and for others it's a financial burden. I have the neighbor's dog this weekend because he's never been in a kennel and they were uncomfortable with that option. They didn't want to leave him alone and have someone come in because they thought he would get lonely. Everyone is different in the options they prefer for their pets.

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I am a dog lover! But even with that, my aunt has never been to visit because I won't let her bring her dogs and she refuses to travel without them. It's not a big deal or relationship-breaker, just the way it is. And she is fine with that. You don't need to compromise and let the dog come, even if you had a mansion. Your parents still love you and you still love them. They can visit if they want and either find a hotel or a neighbor/dog play place to watch the dog at home.

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For some people leaving their dog behind is like leaving their kid.
And you have to look at the expense of boarding a dog or getting a pet friendly hotel room, which the deposit is usually 100$ .
I'd let them bring the dog. If the dog is trained what's the issue?
How long is the stay?

2 moms found this helpful

I would let them know they are welcome to stay at a pet-friendly motel and bring the dog over for a visit to see how he is. I also live in a 2-bedroom place and we have no room for a dog visitor.

I like dogs but I don't like other people's dogs in my home. Does that make sense? My cousin used to bring her dog over to our house for family parties and we already had a dog. Our dog didn't like having his territory invaded and he barked and the dogs chased each other all over the house. Then our dog pooped in the living room (which he never did) and that was embarrassing to us and our guests. Our cousin then tied OUR dog up outside because he was barking so much. It was HIS house! She was not allowed to bring her dog anymore and while she didn't LIKE it, she accepted it.

I hope your parents will understand your situation. Good luck!

2 moms found this helpful

No, it is not unreasonable. They just got this dog, and certainly they didn't ask your permission before they did. They are adults and surely they considered what they would need to do when they traveled when they were discussing getting the dog.
Be glad that you told them right up front, "no, it's not okay". Now they know. It may very well be that they were expecting that response, and were hoping they wouldn't have to deal with any alternatives, but now that they do, they are shopping around for places to board her/him. Sometimes that can take time to find the "right" place. I live near where you do, and there aren't a lot of places that I will leave MY dog around here. I have visited several. My favorite place was in St. Mary's (Pampered Pets) but they have gone out of business. Now we hire a pet sitter to come stay or a teen neighbor to come over several times a day if we go out of town. Our dog is part of our family and just "anybody" won't do, lol.
But, that is MY issue, not my parents' who don't allow pets in the house. So we don't take her when we go to visit them.
Don't read too much into not hearing back from them right away. Unless they have said something outright, then they probably aren't offended, just exploring the options they have available to them.

2 moms found this helpful

If you don't want the dog in your house, then that is totally within your rights. Frankly, it sounds like your home is way too small for them to even stay with you...I would ask for them to get a hotel room if they wanted to bring the dog...

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NOPE, never......and i have a large house

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You having allergies is the dealbreaker. Even if you could tolerate a dog in your small house for a short time, having to sneeze your way through the visit would be awful. I'm with you - dog's gotta stay away.

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I love it when people say their dogs are like their kids. seriously, those people need a major check :)
i say you are right. assuming, everyone is ok with dogs around the house (be it small or big house) is beyond comprehension.

1 mom found this helpful

I think it's rude when someone brings a pet to someone else's house. Pets come with a lot of dirt from outside. Kids can get sick when they are not use to the germs, not to mention allergens stick to the carpets for six months. It must be tough enough to accommodate your parents in your cozy home, not to mention extra uninvited guest. Your parents have no choice but to make arrangements for their dog prior their trip.

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I am a dog owner and when I go somewhere the dog cannot sleep I let him stay in the car and walk him. If there are children they can see him in the park and throw the ball or frisbee for him.
Dogs are brilliant about knowing family for strangers and so he makes friends with children. I have teased the kids at Quaker Meeting who ask me if he likes children. I say he really does. He eats about two per week. They laugh and he's happy to play with them.

1 mom found this helpful

If the MUST bring their pet, I'd send them directions to a near by pet friendly hotel.
Tell them there's no room for the dog and he'd be much more comfortable (and happier) if he was put in a kennel for the duration of their vacation.

1 mom found this helpful

A pet friendly hotel may be the way to go - why don't you locate a few in your area and check on pricing for your parents.
They could bring doggie on vacay with them, your children could be introduced to the dog, you could figure out how the dog reacts to children and vice versa, etc. etc.
It may well be that you all fall in love with dog - it may be the most well behaved doggie in the world and next visit you may ask them to bring it with them. But, for now, a compromise is in order. JMHO

On another though completely - maybe they got a dog because they were lonely and wanted something to take care of. Just thank your lucky starts its not a parrot or something that they want to bring with them.

:)

You are right, they are wrong. You have allergies and no room. They asked and you gave your answer. I think it might be nice if you can see if one of your dog owning friends can refer you to a vet or pet sitter they can use, or a pet hotel or something. And if you can afford to help them with it, that's nice but it's not an obligation. If they have dog loving friends, they can leave the dog at home and the friend can stop by and feed, pet, walk the dog, whatever.

Sounds to me like your relationship with your parents is already strained otherwise you'd be more than happy for them to visit you with their new "kid".