How to silence/deal with friend’s annoying dog??

[Flawedperfection]

Hello!

Firstly, I’m a dog person and have my own little fluffy angel. Love them.

But…my friend’s dog is the most whiny, demanding, annoying little piece of crap ever. Sorry, I’ve tried to ignore the constant whining and/or barking when I’m at my friend’s house trying to have a conversation, but the dog will not stfu. I smile uncomfortably, trying to tolerate it but it is so loud and constant that it ruins the time we have together.

My friend seems to tolerate it too/seem completely oblivious, then goes absolutely nuts, screaming and threatening the dog with a hairbrush which is also not great.

The dog is also getting on a bit and when I let him on my knee, always urinates all over me- every time- and my friend just smiles indulgently and chucks me a rag- every time. Even if I put a blanket on my first (if I get time), it is often damp already anyway!

Any tips on how to shut the dog up or at least quieten it down a bit, or what to say to my friend? I just don’t want to visit anymore, which is a shame as she can’t really come to me as I live nearly an hour away and she doesn’t drive.

You and your friend both sound awful and I feel sorry for the dog. If it's old it's possibly having some problems that being threatened with a hairbrush isn't helping.

I’ve just been honest and said how annoying the dog’s behaviour is. Wouldn’t you find this annoying- to be loudly barked at during an entire conversation? As I said, I love dogs and have one myself, who is not perfect, but is fairly well behaved and not a nuisance.

Yes it’s annoying. But clearly it’s not used to affection and hasn’t been trained. Your ‘friend’ can’t complain their dog is a pain when she clearly hasn’t trained it. If I had a visitor my dog gets a chew/kong/licky mat, is boundary trained and doesn’t make a fuss if I have visitors. If he’s done something he shouldn’t I don’t lose my shit and chastise him or threaten him. You want a good relationship with your dog losing your shit is not going to foster that one bit.

I wouldn’t visit her in her home, tell her she’s being cruel poor dog just wants attention and as she’s not trained him to settle whilst she’s busy or whenever he’s just doing what he knows to do. Horrible some people should not have dogs.

You and your friend both sound awful and I feel sorry for the dog. If it's old it's possibly having some problems that being threatened with a hairbrush isn't helping.

Ignore this, you don't sound awful. It must be frustrating, listening to that,then getting pissed all over. Could you maybe go out for a walk when socialising with her, let the dog burn off some steam?

@TyrannosaurusRegina

You and your friend both sound awful and I feel sorry for the dog. If it's old it's possibly having some problems that being threatened with a hairbrush isn't helping.

Ignore this, you don't sound awful. It must be frustrating, listening to that,then getting pissed all over. Could you maybe go out for a walk when socialising with her, let the dog burn off some steam?

Describing the dog as the most annoying little piece of crap ever is awful. The poor thing sounds stressed out and badly treated.

Don't go there then? Easiest solution.

Don’t let it on your knee then it can’t pee on you.
I think the only other things is not go there, unless you meet somewhere nearby like a cafe, or agree to meet for a walk, at least the dog will be exercised, but you may not want that after an hour of driving.

Suggest that your friend works with a qualified, insured and experienced Behaviourist. There is a reason the dog is barking excessively and urinating on you. The dog sounds stressed and if it is getting on as you say, it is possibly also experiencing some health issues, and should be checked out by a vet for this.

If you don't like the behaviour of her dog then you do not have to go to her house but for the welfare of her dog it would be good if she could work with somebody on this.

Well for a start I wouldn't sit there and let a dog pee on me, so would suggest you stop allowing it to sit on you.

The whole way she treats the dog sound horrible; who the hell threatens to hit an animal with a hairbrush, or anything else come to that. Does she actually ever hit the poor thing?

Frankly, if the poor animal has never been trained it won't know any different and will just keep howling and barking because no one's taught it how to behave, and unless she's does some gentle training with it nothing is going to change - threatening with a hairbrush is not training.

Personally, I'd keep well away from her, she sounds horrible.

However, if you want to go on meeting her I'd do it in a café or park but not in her house.

I started dating someone with a dog like this. The entire time was spent dealing with the dog and it chewed everything. He ruined one of my handbags in seconds. In the end I just stopped going to their house.

Thanks all, and yes, I won’t interfere but will mention dog behaviourists to my friend. I do like the dog btw, and never show I’m annoyed/stressed but it’s truly an earsplitting sound! Also, my friend would never hit her dog and it absolutely devoted but admits she’s spoilt him. But he’s not v old- 8, which is younger than my dog, so maybe there’s time!

Is anyone actually praising him when he is quiet?? Positive reinforcement of the good behaviour rather than just negative reaction to the unwanted behaviour.

Why on earth did you let the dog back on your knee after it peed on you the first time?

YABU, it's not your dog to "deal with". If you don't like it, don't visit her.

Don’t go to her house. Meet half way

Obv answer is to not go to the house

Whilst I get that the dog might be annoying, the way you have worded this is an absolute disgrace and I don’t believe you’re a dog lover based on that.

Immature and horrible.

Dogs don’t behave the way they do for no reason.

You should hear what I (and my friends) have to say about children, then @Clumsyvolcano- we actually hugely dislike them, can’t stand the little stinkers in fact, if I’m to be brutally honest with you. But don’t worry, none of us will be having any of those!! 😉

Any tips on how to shut the dog up or at least quieten it down a bit, or what to say to my friend?

Well, I would be telling her in as clear terms as possible that abusing her dog is unacceptable. If she has a hairbrush to hand and uses it to threaten the dog in front of guests, it means she almost certainly uses it. Poor dog.

I couldn't be friends with someone who abused their dog. You sound rather unpleasant too OP.

I wouldn’t want to be friends with someone who hits their dog so that would solve the issue for me.

Take some treats or a toy to keep the dog occupied. Your friend clearly hasn't bothered with training the poor thing. Threatening it with a bloody hairbrush and shouting at it will only exacerbate the problem. Dogs don't understand that kind of reaction.