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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU - taking a dog to a dinner party unannounced is the height of rudeness?

145 replies

Vashna · 24/12/2018 09:30

AIBU to think if you’re invited to a dinner party, you don’t presume to turn up with a dog? Last night, I did a dinner party for 12. They were mostly people DH had invited (this is another issue) but anyway - one couple came with a little dog in a bag! Now I love dogs (it was a Pomeranian she said), but we have cats who we don’t really let out in the evening. The woman wanted to sit with the dog at the table and the husband seemed equally clueless, but the dog wouldn’t settle so in the end she agreed to put in in a room in the basement. It was yapping all night. The cats were freaked out and one peed on my daughters bed because he wouldn’t come down to use the litter tray. So my daughter had to share with my other daughter and her mattress is ruined with cat urine. This couple stayed until 1am and the woman was clearly very drunk by about 10pm. Meanwhile, another couple had a row and she stormed off in a taxi at about 12. I be told DH I’m not catering for his random contacts again and I’ve had enough. He says he thought the evening was “interesting” but thanks very much and not to worry about it. AIBU to think IANBU and people in their 40s should know better than to behave like this?

OP posts:
fleshmarketclose · 24/12/2018 11:57

I have my own small dog I would never presume that she was invited wherever we went. I don't even take her to dd's as there is a no pets clause in her rental contract. Incredibly rude and very poor of dh not to understand how much extra work this has caused for you.

Catmeouws · 24/12/2018 12:03

Are you in the USA?

Vashna · 24/12/2018 12:06

I can’t really just go out today and leave him to it because I know he wouldn’t do anything and I wouldn’t make his family feel unwelcome. I did tell him this morning that I can’t do all this entertaining again, especially when it just gets sprung on me as he’s prone to doing. I told him I will get caterers next time and I mean it. His words were, “Ok darling whatever you want. It’s Christmas Eve, let’s not be in a mood. The sun is shining.” This is what he’s like. He does work very hard in many ways, but on some issues it’s as if he couldn’t care less.

OP posts:
Vashna · 24/12/2018 12:07

No UK Cat.

OP posts:
Wordthe · 24/12/2018 12:09

Your husband must have known that these people would be difficult, and then he conveniently acts like catering for a dinner party is no big deal and why are you making such a fuss
I think this is all some sort of dominance behaviour thing

Travisandthemonkey · 24/12/2018 12:09

Oh dear. This is not a dog problem.
You’ve got one of those DH’s sadly

Unaaagggi · 24/12/2018 12:13

YADNBU.

We have numerous dogs and it's a right palava doing anything because we have to make sure they're all okay before we can go anywhere and sometimes we'll turn things down because of them but we wouldn't dream of taking any with us anywhere where they weren't expected. It would make our lives so much easier if we could take them sometimes but I wouldn't dream of it!! Really really rude! My sister does however. Her one dog has to go everywhere with her and it drives me mental!

matildawormwoood · 24/12/2018 12:14

This is so rude, I'm severely allergic to dogs and wouldn't have been able to breathe properly if there was one in my house. How do people not think of these things!

rose789 · 24/12/2018 12:17

Nightmare!! I love dogs but not uninvited in my home. My aunty has brought her dog to my house and other relatives houses because “he loves parties”. No he’s a Labrador he loves food.
Last Christmas Eve she dropped in for a drink (uninvited) and brought the dog. I spent Christmas Eve re-cleaning my house to get rid of dog hair and trying to get rid of the smell of wet dog (guest with allergies and COPD coming the next day)
YANBU

DarlingNikita · 24/12/2018 12:17

I can’t really just go out today and leave him to it because I know he wouldn’t do anything and I wouldn’t make his family feel unwelcome.

You can, actually. You're just in a rut of THINKING you can't.

Tell him you're off out on whatever your equivalent is of a bike ride and you probably won't be back until after they arrive.

If they feel unwelcome, express your sympathy that THEIR son has failed as a host.

Mishappening · 24/12/2018 12:18

I get quite steamed up about people bringing dogs to my home without permission.

My SIL knows we do not want dogs in the house or garden but last summer she brought it with her just the same, and thought she could inveigle us into accepting the dog by saying how hot it would be in the car. I told her that I agreed it would be hot and the dog would suffer, so she should not have brought it.

One good thing was that it made her visit nice and short!!

EncroachingLoaf · 24/12/2018 12:18

I'd be annoyed with someone bringing an unannounced dog to my house (I have a cat).

However I'd be much more annoyed if my DH treated me like nothing more than a skivvy to host and entertain his friends and family. Angry

Wordthe · 24/12/2018 12:19

As per a previous poster, this is not a threat about problem dogs this is a thread about a problem husband

Willow2017 · 24/12/2018 12:19

No way would i be paying for caterers when my dh decided to host some weirdos in my home!

if he wants to play mine host he can get on with it. Why should you have all the inconvenience and expense for people you dont know and are nothing but ignorant arses? If he doesnt care why should you?

Let your guests know what happened and how your dp hasnt put a hand out to help once today. Maybe they could shame him into being a better partner?

And pointedly say very calmly and clearly that he is running around after and clearing up after your guests today you are sitting down and staying there to chat and relax as he has done nothing for the whole run up.to xmas.
Do not cave in!

Wordthe · 24/12/2018 12:21

I agreed it would be hot and the dog could suffer so she should not have bought it
Nicely out maneuvered😅

Vashna · 24/12/2018 12:31

When DH comes back I will ask him to hoover around. He will huff and puff but he’ll do it if he thinks I’m about to lose the plot. However, cooking is something he says he doesn’t do and he just won’t get involved. He argues there are things I won’t do and this is his “thing.”

OP posts:
ShadowHuntress · 24/12/2018 12:31

Uh I had a relative who would do this every time we invited them. Because we have 2 dogs of our own, he would bring his along for every event so they could ‘play’. Thing is, we have had our garage converted and dogs go in there when we have company as they’re not great with small children. Relatives dog was completely untrained and didn’t play well so he didn’t want us to lock his dog in the garage with our dogs. This meant his crazy dog would be running around everywhere with my dogs barking like mad in the garage as they knew another dog was in the house. He also chased our cat up a tree once. Obviously, this relative is no longer invited over as we asked him several times not to bring the dog and he would do it anyway

Vashna · 24/12/2018 12:34

The woman was so drunk when she left she was veering sideways, so I gave the dog to the husband. Neither of them apologised for any inconvenience.

OP posts:
DarlingNikita · 24/12/2018 12:35

cooking is something he says he doesn’t do and he just won’t get involved. He argues there are things I won’t do and this is his “thing.”

Then he'll have to figure out something else. I assume he's capable of buying ready meals and putting them in the oven, or picking up the phone and a takeaway menu.

But you never know, given a gentle push he might miraculously discover that he can cook after all.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 24/12/2018 12:41

If he doesn't cook, and to be fair not everyone can cook for dinner parties, then he needs to be booking a restaurant and hosting it there. Getter caterers in is a compromise, but it would still be you doing all the organising and if he does this at short notice then you wouldn't have time to book caterers anyway.

Brigante9 · 24/12/2018 12:44

As pp said, you have a dh problem. I think I'd do a big foot down asap, no more catering and he can organize caterers, why should you do it? No more random dogs, I wouldn't have allowed dog in a bag lady through the front door, my werewolf would have eaten him and been very stressed at a strange dog coming in.

I very nearly brought one of mine today (on train to parents) but it would be too stressy for him, not to mention the family.

OlennasWimple · 24/12/2018 12:44

Yeah, you have a DH problem OP

On the cat pee on the mattress, google for some quick fix solutions but in the new year you'll need to get it professionally cleaned (if not replaced). It's a smell that lingers

Coronapop · 24/12/2018 12:59

I don't like dogs personally and I find visiting people with dogs tedious enough (no I don't want your dog's paws or slobber on me or my clothes, nor do I want to pat your dog. I came to see you not your dog...)The idea that you can take your dog to a dinner party without checking with the hosts first is totally ridiculous. They should have left the dog in the car since you have cats - or gone home if they found that unacceptable.

Wordthe · 24/12/2018 13:04

Ok so cooking is a thing he won't do, and he invites 12 random people round for you to cook for

So there needs to be a thing (roughly equivalent to cooking) that you wont do but you can invite a load of random people around and insist that he does it for them

Billben · 24/12/2018 13:23

“and we all have to live and let live”

Not in my own house I most certainly do not have to live and let live 🙄