My aunt doesn't want me to bring my dog to Christmas day

[onethickpony]

My Aunt has told me that she doesn't want me to bring my dog on Christmas day. There are going to be 22 of us so I can understand maybe she is worried about it being overwhelming, but my dog is very clean and well behaved and has been at most large family gatherings without issue.

Should I just respect her wishes or AIBU to push back and least ask why? Sad to think of my dog alone on xmas day (yes i am a crazy pet parent).

How far do you have to travel to get to your aunts house? If less than an hour , that's great , go over & stay for 2 hours to exchange gifts and eat dinner , then go home = dog not alone more than 4 hours total Christmas Day .
Further than an hour = be grateful you have a dog and stay home with her , much nicer than spending it with 22 other people
No need to ask Aunt for her reasons , her house = her rules

Dog owners often describe their dog as friendly or well behaved when they’re actually a bit of a nightmare.

I'd be amazed if your dog was a welcome addition at all other family gathering as you think
My guess is there to polite to say no and it puts them in an awkward position to say no so that tolerate it .

@PurpleDaisies

Dog owners often describe their dog as friendly or well behaved when they’re actually a bit of a nightmare.

So true! A 'friendly' dog is often one which comes up to you, licks you, sticks its nose in your crotch and leaps up at you, or even just stands at your feet wagging it's tail. None of which I want. If I am round dogs I want one which is aloof. Not violent but absolutely not friendly.

I would not take my dog somewhere where there would be so many people, probably including screechy, excited small people. However....

I prefer the company of my dog over most all humans so would prefer to stay home with him

I don't have 22 members of my family who I even tolerate enough to spend time with

I refuse to have anything to do with people who don't like animals, especially dogs.

I refuse to have anything to do with children because I don't like them

So I'd stay at home. But you do what you need to. I would however ask why. If you have a lovely relationship with someone it's a normal thing to do, but what would I know..l..I prefer dogs to people maybe that's why

I love dogs, so I say this with the utmost kindness. Your aunt is never going to tell you the real reason. It could be that she doesn’t like your dog’s character or it might have big boggley eyes that freak her out a bit (I’m thinking pugs and chihuahuas) or she might think it’s a bit smelly, or she doesn’t want your dogs hair and dirty paws and drool all over her soft furnishings. Or she might just not like dogs in general. But she’s not going to tell you that because she doesn’t want you to know that she thinks your beautiful fur baby is a stinking flea bag.

So the only thing to do is just accept it and either stay at home or go and come home early so the dog isn’t by itself all day.

This being rabidly anti-dog MN, of course people are going to say you shouldn’t take it.
It’d be welcome at any family gathering of ours, though - we’d all be pleased to see it.🐶

I refuse to have anything to do with children because I don't like them

All children? Even family children?

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

This being rabidly anti-dog MN, of course people are going to say you shouldn’t take it. It’d be welcome at any family gathering of ours, though - we’d all be pleased to see it.🐶

She shouldn’t take the dog because the dog isn’t welcome. It’s nothing to do with liking or not liking dogs.

@SecretSpAD

I would not take my dog somewhere where there would be so many people, probably including screechy, excited small people. However....

I prefer the company of my dog over most all humans so would prefer to stay home with him

I don't have 22 members of my family who I even tolerate enough to spend time with

I refuse to have anything to do with people who don't like animals, especially dogs.

I refuse to have anything to do with children because I don't like them

So I'd stay at home. But you do what you need to. I would however ask why. If you have a lovely relationship with someone it's a normal thing to do, but what would I know..l..I prefer dogs to people maybe that's why

Why would you need to ask why? Perhaps she feels about dogs the way you do about children. No one needs to justify not wanting someone else’s dog in their home.

My Aunt has told me that she doesn't want me to bring my dog on Christmas day.

There is your answer

I have owned dogs for most of my life and yet I still dont get this recent entitled behaviour that some owners deem to have .

Your Aunt has clearly said dont bring your dog but you think you still can ? Why ?
Just because it has been there before it dose not give you the right to bring her when ever you want ,
But look at it from another perspective ,
There is no way you can make sure that no one feeds you dog something that will upset her stomach or even kill her if it is chocolate/ mince pies/ christmas cake . you will always get that one aww but she looks so sad and it was only a bit of . . . . but times that by the other 22 people , esp if there are youngsters around.

She is very likely to get her paws / tail stood on at least once.

She is likely to be overwhelmed by so many people , even if she knows some of them.

All the different smells cooking / people / perfume / cigs / would be a sensory overload for any dog

So in fact your Aunt is actually looking after your dog by asking you not to bring her .

And to ever it was up thread that said leave the dog in the car boot with a hot water bottle you are a disgrace to pet owners ! and I would very happily smash the car window to get the dog out .

Her house her rules unless you want to host Christmas?

I definitely wouldn’t want someone dog in my house at Christmas or any time of the year.

Go or don’t go, the choice is yours.

It wouldn’t occur to me that family dogs wouldn’t come to Christmas Day (I always host and have around 19-25 people 6-8 dogs usually) I turn the utility room into a doggy crèche with beds everywhere, the radio on (Carols from the Kings), they all gets lots of walks and garden time and they all get a present and a roast dinner, too.

But I suspect that makes me unusual on here. It’s lovely (for us) though.

I refuse to have anything to do with children because I don't like them

Did people hate you as a child?

As I often say to these comments children cannot help being children. A gay person cannot stop being gay, an old person cannot stop being old, a black person cannot stop being black - is it ok to say you hate them too? No, so it shouldn't be ok for children (i.e. young people) either.

Op I understand. Our dog is like yours very clean and well behaved.
I understand how much you get from your pet.

I would not like a gathering of 22 ,nor would my dog. Though they might tolerate it better.

I never allow her in the kitchen or near food or plants.

Your aunt is hosting and has asked not to bring it . So you really can't.
I get that your dog possibly has seperation anxiety so you will have a decision to make.

I never used to understand pet lovers until we got a dog who has changed and enriched our lives for the better.

@Jibberjabberhutt

It wouldn’t occur to me that family dogs wouldn’t come to Christmas Day (I always host and have around 19-25 people 6-8 dogs usually) I turn the utility room into a doggy crèche with beds everywhere, the radio on (Carols from the Kings), they all gets lots of walks and garden time and they all get a present and a roast dinner, too.

But I suspect that makes me unusual on here. It’s lovely (for us) though.

You have space for the dogs - not everyone has a utility room/ other they could use. Some people have allergies or phobias to dogs, everyone’s different.

@PurpleDaisies

I refuse to have anything to do with children because I don't like them

All children? Even family children?

Lol especially family children!

Lol especially family children!

Your poor family. I don’t think that’s funny at all.

@Jibberjabberhutt That sounds like a perfect Christmas! Can I come?

I’d be gutted if my pup couldn’t come with us to a family event, and given the distances involved for us to travel, it would in reality mean us not going at all. But if your aunt says so then that’s all there is to it. I think you just need to plan to leave early, or sadly just not go.

Could you get some of those little clip-on antlers, that people put on dogs at Christmas and take it along and tell everyone that is a baby reindeer?

Just a suggestion

@PurpleDaisies you don't know my family . But no reason to feel sorry for them. They have enough slaves to cater to their every entitled little whim.

But this isn't a thread about my family, so I'll leave you all to the dog hating.

I HATE it when people ask if they can bring their dog over when I invite them to an event. I have a baby and a cat I do not want your stinky dog running around, licking everything and jumping on the furniture. I don’t understand why people with dogs assume it’s ok to take the their pets to other people’s houses- it never happens with other animals. I’ve never had anyone ask “mind if I bring my iguana along with me- promise it won’t poop on the floor”