to ask my mum to stay in with her dog this weekend?

[beansmum]

My parents are coming to stay this weekend and I'm going out to the rugby with my dad. There WILL be fireworks as soon as it gets dark and my mum's dog always goes mad. Last year she was left alone in my house and chewed through a solid wood door. Wood bits everywhere, traumatised dog and I now have no door to my living room. Anyway, my mum has all sorts of things planned with ds. She wants to take him into town and stay out for dinner. I think it is a really bad idea to leave the dogs (she has two and I have one) alone, especially as mine and hers fight when they aren't happy. Should I insist she stays in with her dog? Is there any other option?

[beansmum]

tranquilisers? for the dog, not my mum.

[DustyTvHasSizzlingSparklerssss]

Could you keep the dogs seperate and put a child gate up, leave TV or radio on and make a hide away for each dog. We have cardboard boxes for our 2 with lots of cushions and blankets, put a blanket over top and part of opening to create a safe hideaway for them. It helps my 2 no end.

I use a D.A.P (Dog appeasing pheromone) plug inn to help calm my two around this time of year. It really does work, you can get the fromeither your vet or from good pet stores.

[Bubbaluv]

Ask her and see what she says. Surely she deosn't want her dog damaging your house again?

[beansmum]

I don't think she's that bothered if my house gets damaged judging by the way she reacted last year! Which is weird because it is technically her house, I rent it.

The house isn't big enough to keep the dogs separate, I wouldn't want them in the bedrooms or bathroom so that leaves two rooms and three dogs. My dog has a cage with a cover she can get into, maybe a couple of boxes for the other two would help, I'm not convinced though.

I just want her to stay at home! I think it's really mean to leave the dogs when we KNOW they are going to be upset. My dad really wants me to go to the rugby with him or I would happily stay home.

[DustyTvHasSizzlingSparklerssss]

I do agree with you, it is mean, we don't leave our 2 on their own on the 5th, I was just trying to suggest ways to help the dogs cope better if they were left alone.

No YANBU to ask her, but only you know your mum, do you think she would oblige?

Maybe suggest she and your DS get a takeaway in an a film, that way she will feel like she has done something planned with him.

It is so hard isnt it when you have pets that go crazy like this.

I have 2 dogs, one loves fireworks seriously she would sit outside all night watching them (I don't let her though) The other one is sent into derranged madness by the mere mention of a possibility of fireworks. They are like chalk and cheese my 2, but get on so well.

[Bubbaluv]

If someone brought a dog to my house, it caused damage and they weren't HUGELY apologetic I wouldn't invite them back, let alone thier dog!
Ask her if she'll stay home. There's no point hypothesising and coming up with alternatives until you know she is going to make it a problem.

[beansmum]

I'll speak to her tomorrow and say I'm really concerned about the dogs being left alone. The other thing is, I would rather she didn't take ds out for dinner. He's only 4, lunch out would be far more sensible. Actually, we could all have lunch together in town and then mum and ds could be home before it gets dark.

[Bubbaluv]

Perfect solution then! Fingers crossed she doesn't cause trouble.

[Callisto]

Valium. It's the only thing that stops my greyhound turning into a complete quivering wreck all night. Your vet will give you some.

[Callisto]

In fact, your vet will charge you a blardy fortune for 2 tiny pills, but ykwim...

[LoolaBoys]

DAP is the way to go. The tranquilisers just stop the dog being able to run around. They don't stop them being upset in their heads IYSWIM. Which is not fair on the poor dogs.

Get to the vets