I mean I know I am, I’m mostly just laughing at myself in this post.
For the record, I love my ILs, they’re good people and I appreciate them all the more having sadly lost my own parents.
However! About 10 years ago I’d had a horrible break up with the ex I’d been with since school, and was literally just about to marry that week. I was a wreck afterwards and ended up moving back in with my mum. Mum had the opportunity to rehome a little dog, and did so as she thought it would be good for me. It was, this dog was the love of my life from that moment on. When I moved out again and was working, mum looked after the dog. He was kind of our dog. When mum got ill and I moved back to care for her, the dog was a comfort to us both, and when I was grieving after mum died the dog was there in the night when I’d wake up sobbing and scared.
I mention all the above to explain that although ‘just a dog’ he really does mean an awful lot to me, and I’m probably a bit soppier over him that I have been other pets. So a few years later I meet DP, who though ‘not a dog person’ when we met, is now frequently to be found with the dog cradled in his arms like a baby, or researching the best ways to keep him cool in the hot weather, or planning dog friendly holidays so he’s not left out etc. His parents have similarly taken to my pooch, and are actually quite obsessed with him.
His dad likes to come and take the dog for walks, which is a big help when we’re both out at work - but one or the other of us is usually at home and FIL will still come as he likes to do it. They’ll seize on any excuse to ‘dogsit’ and like to look up various facts etc about the breed to pass on to me (repeatedly, seriously the same conversation every time) which is fine. FIL in particular would always be feeding the dog stuff which he’d been asked not too, so the dog put on weight (and would get the shits repeatedly, which was fun for me) and that did annoy me, as does the fact that FIL has now made it his mission to get the dog to lose weight and likes to give me advice on his diet/exercise etc. But I’m conscious of how much they help us and how much they love my dog which is sweet so I don’t mention that I managed to keep the dog alive and healthy for its entire life prior to their involvement and just smile and nod when being told what I should feed him or what I should ask the vet or that he needs a haircut etc. They’ve bought him a bed, toys, bowls etc etc to have when he’s at their house. They bought him a completely unnecessary harness (small breed who walks perfectly well/doesn’t pull on normal lead) and tried to insist on me using it as it was ‘better’ for him despite dog hating it and it rubbing at him/ giving him a sore near his groin until I quietly lost it.
What’s really started to fuck me off however is that they’ve taken to referring to themselves (jokingly my DP assures me) as ‘mummy Pat and daddy Frank’ in relation to the dog. (*names changed obviously). I mean it’s sickeningly twee and I’m not one to particularly refer to myself as the dogs ‘mummy’ (well only when I’m talking exclusively to the dog and nobody else can hear 
) and it really doesn’t matter but also HES MY FUCKING DOG OK?
I know it’s stupid and I assure you I am laughing at myself for letting it wind me up because I genuinely am grateful that I never need to worry anymore about who can have the dog if we’re both working out of the house or there’s a wedding or a weekend away etc - so lucky to have them in that respect (although I managed before DP as my sister always helped out, paid a dog walker, had a colleague who did dogsitting for friends for free as she missed having dogs of her own, and also moved a 5 min walk away from work so I could get back to him at lunchtime).
Right this is an essay sorry. Go ahead and tell me to get over myself! We’re ttc at the moment, god only knows how they’re going to be with an actual baby! (DP thinks that FIL at least will still be more bothered about the dog!!)