to not want her around my small children?

[blackblazernightmare]

Please don't flame me if you are a dog lover! I am not meaning to be unkind and am an animal lover myself.

My friend has a 5 year old Weimaraner. She wants to bring her on holiday (will be staying with us in house on south coast) this year. She is always saying what a well behaved dog she is though I have not her found her to be so - my friend is quite oblivious when the dog is obviously bothering other people, grabbing at food etc. She is always leaping up and is very boisterous and needs to be told several times to stop.

Anyway she claims the dog will be great with our 3 and 1 year old. The dog is not used to children and does not live with them. My instincts are telling me no - we would obviously try to manage them but what if one of them went over and tried to play with the dog and she got a fright and snapped. Any advice?

[lilyaldrin]

It doesn't sound like much fun on a holiday. You'd have to ensure the dog and children were constantly separated and supervised.

[KirstyJC]

I wouldn't like it, and I love dogs. Going on holiday with your own dog that you know, fine. Going on holiday with another person's dog, that isn't well behaved when you have little kids, not fine.

I would tell her to either leave the dog or go by herself. Instincts are generally right imo.

[theeternalstudent]

I wouldn't share accommodation with this dog and my children.
and I say this as a dog owner.

[MissBetseyTrotwood]

Sounds like a recipe for holiday stress to me. YANBU I think. Even if the dog's not people aggressive, she could knock little ones over.

For a weekend, it would be manageable. Not for the whole holiday though, no way.

[Iwannalaylikethisforever]

Agree with Kirsty . Instincts are normally right.
I would have "its me or the dog" talk ASAP.

[luccamum]

I have 2 weims, they are definitely people dogs, but theyare very big, bouncy, and have no idea of their size and strength.
A weim and a 1 and 3 year old?
No, I wouldn't do it.

[exexpat]

YANBU - I am a dog owner, and I wouldn't want to take small children on holiday with any dog that wasn't very used to small children and proven to be child-friendly. Even jumping up could be a big problem when the dog is presumably bigger than the one-year-old at least, and possibly the three-year-old.

[kitchensinkmum]

We have beautifully behaved dog, getting older now, loves children and very obedient but I would not ask to take him on holiday with family who don't have a dog . Would also NEVER leave him with other peoples children unattended or even out of sight with children Partly because the children might hurt him without meaning to but also because it's an animal and if it's frightened or hurt it might just might nip or snap . You can never be certain. Mine also rolls on his back with very large claws waving about. Even though he's having fun the large claws could scratch a child and the poor dog would get the blame. So... For all of those reasons it sounds like a bad idea

[NinjaBunny]

I wouldn't go.

I quite like dogs but have friends who don't realise that when their dog bites me, jumps up at me tearing my clothes, chews my posessions and snaps at my child that I don't find it adorably cute the way they do.

[Guitargirl]

YANBU - it really does sound like a recipe for disaster and no fun for anyone.

[Vatta]

Yanbu. You just need to tell her it's not safe, and would be stressful for everybody.

[CromeYellow]

yanbu, not a chance, it would be so stressful constantly trying to keep the dog and toddlers at a safe distance.

[blackblazernightmare]

thanks everyone, glad my instincts seem right!

[maparole]

I am a huge dog-lover and my SIL breeds Weimaraners. They are beautiful but "bossy" dogs and need a firm hand. It doesn't sound as though this one is getting that!

Regardless of that, I would never allow unsupervised contact between children of this age and any dog. If the dog comes on holiday with you, you would not be able to relax for one second.

[SybilRamkin]

Sounds like a recipe for disaster, don't even contemplate it. Say no!

[LEMmingaround]

I love dogs - but this would worry me too. If she were a little bit more realistic about her PFD then it would be less of a worry but its not fair on anyone concerned. Not sure what the solution is though :(

[Mushypeasandchipstogo]

YANBU. Go on your own or with her minus the dog. Do not consider it as Sybil says its a recipe for disaster!

[Onesie]

We had a similar dilemma and decided against the dogs coming. Basically there were about 5 kids and one dog. The dog would have to be monitored constantly to keep the kids safe. Nobody would have been relaxed.

[livelablove]

at the PFD. My dog is a lovely gentle dog who likes kids but she once nipped a visiting kiddie who stuck a finger up her bum! The two together are unpredictable.

[Objection]

normally I'm on the dogs side for these can of thing but if it's a weineramer (sp?) then YANBU. They are lovely friendly bouncy dogs - but they are huge, uncoordinated and very very strong. I've been knocked down and hurt by several in my time - not deliberately or viciously but they are big and clumsy!

[Ragwort]

No way would I go on holiday with anyone with a dog; but did she have the dog when you booked the holiday together? Did she just 'assume' she could bring it? Sounds horrendous.

[TodayIsAGoodDay]

YANBU. Trust your instincts.

I have noticed that whenever there is a story on the news about a dog biting a child the dog is rarely that families pet and more usually a grandparent's/aunts's/uncle's/ friend of the family's dog.