To say no to dog on holiday

I am very much a dog person, and I'd be miffed if my close family excluded my dog. But there's a huge difference - my dog is a small, friendly breed, we've had her for years from puppyhood, they've all met her and like her. Plus no-one has allergies, and even though one family member dislikes dogs, their fear is of larger bouncier ones and they've met and come to know mine in less intense circumstances than sharing accommodation for a holiday. And if someone had a small child around, they know I can and will supervise the dog closely at all times when the DC is around (including keeping her on a lead even indoors if that was what was needed).

But if someone did say "no", no matter how miffed I was I'd keep that to myself and I'd find somewhere else for the dog to stay. Your BIL is completely out of order for kicking off.

Which is a rather wordy way of saying that I don't think you are being unreasonable in the slightest!

This dog is an unknown quantity, you hate dogs in general and haven't had the opportunity to get to know it gradually, and you don't know what they will be like in practice as owners, and the whole set up is too close and personal and going on for too long.

@Anon1274 they were bred for bull baiting, but unlike other similar breeds, they bond with people.

I love dogs but in this instance baby trumps dog every time! Get dh to stand up for your dc and say no.

It will be a blue Staffordshire bull terrier or blue French bulldog. In some countries a wide range if breeds are called pitbulls, but they are completely different temperaments. It could only happen if the dog has a crate and he accepts that it doesn't free roam around you/any children. But it looks like he will get outvoted and gave to drop out.

Stick to your original position.

Staffys are quite even tempered, BUT they have a very strong jaw and once they bite they don't let go.

It would be a flat no from me.

Are you a bit dim? Staffordshire BULL terriers were bred for blood sports including bull fighting and bear baiting. The clues literally in the name.

Wasn't the nanny dog thing a concept that a breeder came up with, even though his dogs killed his nephew? Some bloke beginning with C.

It's a bull terrier. The clue is in the name. A cross breed to combine fighting bulls and killing things.

It would be a deal breaker for me. I would put my foot down and say no. Either get your own accommodation for just you, your DH and baby and everyone else can sort themselves out or you all tell the self entitled potential dog owner to put his dog in kennels.

There is no compromise to be made here.

Almost certainly, there aren't many places that say no to dogs anymore and it's usually B&Bs where they have cats!

@Isiteveroktousethecword - it's not a compromise though is it? Some people don't like dogs, don't want to share space with them & don't want to spend a holiday on edge. The OP's word should be final. BIL can stay at home with his dog.

You're paying, you set the rules.

If he wants to bring a dog he hasn't got yet, he can stay somewhere else.

Also make it clear that when/if you go elsewhere the dog is not to be anywhere near your baby or you.

And you are not unreasonable.

Are you even allowed to bring a dog to the accommodation you have booked? (Even if it is allowed you should still say no, I agree with PP who said he can book his own accommodation if he wants to bring the dog)

And the reason one can’t trust children with dogs/ dogs with children as children generally, not all of them are not aware of appropriate behaviour, pulling the dog, trying to sit on it etc. I don’t let my friends kids play with my dog for that reason, as if the dog nips, it will be the dogs fault irrespective of what the child has done and will be put down.

I was just going to say much the same. He hasn't got the dog yet...he has no idea how it's going to be. He can't feasibly insist, he doesn't know the dog's temperament, foibles, triggers or what training it is going to need. What a stupid man. Very irresponsible, unrealistic and selfish.

I am not sure that you are correct. And I don’t think you have read my post in it’s entirely, no where does it state that a dog can be trusted with children completely. I think you made that up.

I wouldn't want a potentially dangerous breed around a baby. I have a small lovely trained fluffball and would be gutted to not be able to bring them but a young rescue from a larger, strong breed is a different matter. It's your call to make anyway especially as you are sponsoring the holiday.

The nanny dog thing is a myth. Please stop spreading it, no dog should be trusted with children completely.

I'm am a childfree dog owner and YANBU. It's an unknown rescue dog, that is going to have an unknown temperament and be barely settled into its new home before being uprooted and surrounded by noisy strangers. It's unfair to the dog as well as reckless. And given he is unreasonable enough to ask at all then I don't think he is sensible enough to trust to keep it separate or manage it safely.
If it was an older dog that lived with a family and they had had for years my answer would be different, but this is a stupid idea. (And the breed is irrelevant, I would say the same if it was labrador)

Nope, not unreasonable.

I love dogs. I HAVE dogs. If someone invited me somewhere that my dog wasn't welcome, I'd get a dog sitter.

Stand your ground, are dogs even allowed in the villa? That would be an easy way out! (Or, if you've not booked anything yet, book somewhere that specifies no animals?).

As a dog lover and owner, if someone was petrified of my dog he would be going in his crate.

At the end of the day, a dog is a dog! and if people are scared of them they seem to know it. It’s not going to harm the dog to spend time in their crate!

Dog of unknown temperament and baby in rented house sounds like a stressful situation.
Not even taking into account the phobia.

You’d put it in another room if someone was frightened though right?

Does the property even allow pets - many don't.