To say MIL not sleeping on new sofa when it arrives?

Get a cover for your sofa. You. It will keep marks off the sofa.

I wouldn’t want this either with a brand new couch and I also hate having guests in my lounge because I don’t sleep very well sometimes and get up in the middle of the night to have a cup of tea. If we have guests, they get a child’s room and child goes on a blow up bed with sibling but would fit in my room too. A pop up fold out bed is absolutely fine to sleep on and I have happily slept on one at a friends place in their home office room.

It doesn’t really sound a comfortable enough option for someone old enough to be a granny tbh (obviously you haven’t said her exact age but she’s not a youngster).

Can you look into a really good sofa bed instead? I got a box sprung one which has been brilliant.

I even less think she can sleep on a blow up! Thats insane at her age.

Can you and you DH get a blow up the two of you can sleep on and give her your room? Or else pay for a hotel? It just doesn’t sound like you can accommodate her properly as it stands.

That's no way to talk about OPs MIL!

But get a cover for the sofa, OP. You can take it off if you want to wield your lovely sofa to friends, but with children around, a big washable cover will be the order of the day.

My sofa is around 30 years old and three generations of dogs (and me) have slept on it as a regular thing. Once it was for a year as I had massive remodelling going on upstairs (nigtmare, don't ask) Old age has now taken the last generation of dogs but before that I just had a collection of very pretty cheap counterpanes from Amazon which I used as throws. They went in the wash and out on the line on a regular basis so no dog smell. Last year I had the cushion foams replaced for the second time. Do you like your Mil? Because I have a motto which serves me well which is "use things; love people"

No. OP does not want a large, smelly animal sleeping on her sofa. That is completely unacceptable and disgusting to many people.

Why don’t you have the toddler in with you and blow up bed in the toddlers room for mil

As a MIL, I'd book a dog friendly hotel rather than sleep on the sofa in a communal area.

I’m on your side here op. When you finally have something nice and new you want to keep it as nice as possible.

nice new blowup bed. You can get big ones now that are really comfortable.

Give her your bed while she’s over. No way would my mum have a sofa to sleep on.

I mean, I would never put MIL on the sofa anyway. She would have our bed and me and DH would camp on the living room floor if needed. Don't really understand why you would sleep in a bed and your DH's mother on the sofa.

Surely your toddler will be in a bed soon enough and so MIL can sleep there at that point with DC on sofa or fold out.

Do you have space for a chair bed? But get a cover or throw for the sofa anyway with a toddler and visiting dogs.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4589455

Or move toddler into your room and put MiL in toddler's room.

Just put a sheet on, job done.

DH had our sofas before he met me. (We’ve been married for 21 years). They’ve sat in 4 different houses, in rooms which have been redecorated around them. We had the sofa cushions replaced around 8 years ago and they are still
going strong.

How would a sofa know if you’re laying on it to sleep or watch a film? Unless she stays regularly for weeks at a time you’re making a fuss about nothing.

As a former dog owner, who had a medium, very hairy dog who was partial to rolling in godawful stuff...

The dog was ALWAYS given a bath the day before we went to stay with family. Because dogs smell, and it's polite to not smell - I wouldn't turn up unwashed and stinky, so why should the dog?

And... Different houses different rules. My dog was allowed on my bed and on the sofa at home. At Mums house, and some friends houses - he wasn't allowed on furniture at all. At other friends houses - he was allowed on furniture. He followed the rules for each house.

They learn what they can do where. The dog is more than capable of learning there are different rules for different places.

Your house, your rules. The dog has to do what you tell it, not you have to do what the dog tells you.

It's not unreasonable to say the dog is welcome but it needs to be washed and it isn't allowed on the furniture. That's perfectly reasonable.

I'm with @Bikergran on the cover. It'll also be useful for the toddler! Funny Fuzzy do ones designed for pets that may also come in handy (waterproof) for kids. You could even get two - one dog, one non. I wouldn't worry about the cushions being ruined - they're designed to be sat on. You're reasonable to ask that the dog not sleep on it (though I'd personally go the cover route because I wouldn't trust them to stick to it) - but honestly, easier all round to get a cover and not die on this hill. Alternatively, if you're that desperate to save the sofa, you can give up your bed for MIL and sleep on the airbed? I wouldn't personally but YMMV.

I can’t stand dogs so can see your point of view but if you already allow the dog then it seems mean and fussy to not let her use the new sofa. Just throw a cover on it. Also, it’s your husbands house too. Let him do the rules for his family and you do the rules for yours.

Is she the sort of person who allows their dog to sit on other people’s sofas? Just say the dog isn’t allowed on the new sofa

sleeping on the sofa infrequently won’t harm the shape/structure of it

however I would cover it, perhaps using a waterproof mattress protector and sheets if it’s expensive

One old lady sleeping on it every now and again won't ruin it unless she's in fact 30 stone in weight?!
Get a decent cover to put over it when she's here with the dog and pretend it's always on and then take it off and wash it when she goes. A cover plus a sheet will protect it from any dog related mess and her sleeping on it will do it no harm at all.

If you don't want her to sleep on the sofa figure out an alternative or tell her to book a hotel. I wouldn't let the dog on any of my furniture though....

Absolutely within your rights to say smelly dog can’t sleep on new sofa - that is a hard no from me.

Taking your smelly dog to stay at someone else’s house in their bedding is truly disgusting

Dog on sofa? Absolutely not. If that means MIL can't sleep on it either, hard cheese.