Page 23 | It's a bloody dog!

MammaKel · 2024-12-27T16:40:24+00:00

Ugh, I didn't realise how batshit crazy people were about their "furbabies." We went to a family gathering yesterday where SIL and BIL and their DDog were - they don't have kids, and DDog is their baby but omg. I could get past the calling each other mummy and daddy, calling my in laws grandma and grandpa and telling my kids he was their fur cousin and showing us pictures of taking him to see " Santa Paws" but there were two instances that genuinely made me cringe a bit .. We were exchanging gifts, and they asked me where DDogs were, I laughed because I thought they were joking, but nope, totally serious and was upset he'd be left out, so I apologised (for some reason) and moved on very quickly.. The next one was that the dog was getting a bit agitated, and they said he was tired and getting a bit cranky, so they were leaving so he could have a nap.. I'm mostly being light-hearted, and I'm an animal lover (have 4 cats), but I just didn't realise how far it went AIBU or is this just the norm now?

jhar · 29/12/2024 20:47

I still don't see an answer re do they buy for you and kids
And if so, would a small dog present really be an issue if they don't have children.

If they do have kids, fair game, include the cats

chattyness · 29/12/2024 23:29

Blabadder · 29/12/2024 17:47

Fuck me that’s creepy! Skin nanna???

Show quote history

Absolutely! 😱 Surely everyone knows that the correct terms are furless nanna and furless granddad 😂

SafetyLady · 30/12/2024 00:46

Sorry the cafe doesn't offer anything suitable for coeliacs. It is often rubbish having a dietary requirement and struggling to find anywhere outside of home to eat /drink 😥Probably especially tough on a little one who might feel left out of treats.

To be fair the margin on a "puppichino" is probably more than I could resist if I ran a coffee shop, whereas gluten-free (where ingredients seem to be very expensive), not so much.

It's not fair, but it is just business.

Sosayallofus · 30/12/2024 01:48

They sound absolutely batshit tbh.

YouMustBeTheWeasleys · 30/12/2024 08:54

I need to rejoin this thread and comment that the same relatives who pissed me off with their puppy on Christmas Day yesterday in all seriousness asked if the dog was welcome at my house when I invited them over for DH’s birthday!

It’s amazing the lack of awareness some people have - they were told absolutely not!

Closetheblinds · 30/12/2024 09:34

Xurlywhirly · 27/12/2024 16:57

Dear God, yep that would just make me laugh out loud in their faces!! What a pair of muppets!! I wouldn't take that nonsense seriously for a moment. 🤣🤣

On a serious note, it's actually dogs and owners like this, that can be a real problem.

If they can't comprehend their dog is not a fucking human, then they won't be treating it how it needs to be treated, you know, like a dog.

It's behaviour is probably abysmal and if it has a nasty streak in it, they probably feel sorry for it when it gets upset. Recipe for disaster.

We've all heard about the XL bully 'parents' whose furbabies wouldn't hurt a fly....

These people are all fucking idiots and shouldn't be allowed to own a goldfish let alone a dog.

I get your point point but the delivery is grim

owlexpress · 30/12/2024 10:18

YouMustBeTheWeasleys · 30/12/2024 08:54

I need to rejoin this thread and comment that the same relatives who pissed me off with their puppy on Christmas Day yesterday in all seriousness asked if the dog was welcome at my house when I invited them over for DH’s birthday!

It’s amazing the lack of awareness some people have - they were told absolutely not!

I don't see what's wrong with asking tbh. Lack of awareness would be turning up with the puppy in tow regardless. They probably know you weren't happy so they've asked. You've said no. No issue.

CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 30/12/2024 10:50

A much loved dog of ours died a few years ago and while it took a while to stop getting visibly emotional about it there is no way in this world that I feel the same grief for the loss of Teddy than I do for the death of my Mum in 2013, just not comparable. 🙄

My dog loved me unconditionally and we had an amazing relationship until he died of a stroke aged 14 six years ago. He wasn't my 'furbaby' but he was my constant companion and a delight to be with. My mother on the other hand was cold and unfeeling and should never have had children as we were clearly a nuisance and she never protected us from our heavy-handed drunken father.

I think you can easily imagine whose passing I mourn... and which one I don't...

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 30/12/2024 12:31

CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 30/12/2024 10:50

A much loved dog of ours died a few years ago and while it took a while to stop getting visibly emotional about it there is no way in this world that I feel the same grief for the loss of Teddy than I do for the death of my Mum in 2013, just not comparable. 🙄

My dog loved me unconditionally and we had an amazing relationship until he died of a stroke aged 14 six years ago. He wasn't my 'furbaby' but he was my constant companion and a delight to be with. My mother on the other hand was cold and unfeeling and should never have had children as we were clearly a nuisance and she never protected us from our heavy-handed drunken father.

I think you can easily imagine whose passing I mourn... and which one I don't...

Some people are not able to comprehend that we may have better relationships with an animal than some humans. Sorry for your loss.

I lost my collie a few months ago and she meant more to me than many humans in my life. She was by my side constantly, whereas a lot of the people let me down regularly. There's part of me that will never be the same now she's gone.

CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 30/12/2024 18:47

I'm so sorry for your recent loss @IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos , they leave a great big gaping void when they have to leave us..

MauveVelcro · 30/12/2024 23:49

I think buying presents for pets is a little odd. They, the animals, have no concept of gifts

Hmm. I disagree 🙈

We buy our dog a Christmas present for under the tree. Christmas morning she was very alert, very curious in general, walking round with big tail wags - totally normal, there was a lot going on and squealing excited children because Santa had been 😂

When we settle down to open the family gifts under the tree, we (5 of us) generally sit in a big circle on the floor and pass the gifts out. Ddog came and sat with us, just watching. There was a pile of gifts in front of each person and ddog was just happy to sit and watch and paid no particular attention to the gifts either side of her. Hers was at the back. I took it out from the tree and put it in front of her...and call me nuts if you like, but she knew.

She looked at me, she looked at the gift and she totally knew and understood that this particular box was hers, her equivalent of our piles in front of each person. Without me saying a word (so no high pitched voice getting her excited etc). It was instant excitement, sniffing it all over, pawing at it. And when we opened it (a big squeaky soft toy) she was like the epitome of doggy joy, so so happy 😭😄

Maybe I am one of those crazy animal people afterall 👀😂 But I would bet my last penny that ddog understood at a VERY basic level the concept 😁

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 31/12/2024 07:20

MauveVelcro · 30/12/2024 23:49

I think buying presents for pets is a little odd. They, the animals, have no concept of gifts

Hmm. I disagree 🙈

We buy our dog a Christmas present for under the tree. Christmas morning she was very alert, very curious in general, walking round with big tail wags - totally normal, there was a lot going on and squealing excited children because Santa had been 😂

When we settle down to open the family gifts under the tree, we (5 of us) generally sit in a big circle on the floor and pass the gifts out. Ddog came and sat with us, just watching. There was a pile of gifts in front of each person and ddog was just happy to sit and watch and paid no particular attention to the gifts either side of her. Hers was at the back. I took it out from the tree and put it in front of her...and call me nuts if you like, but she knew.

She looked at me, she looked at the gift and she totally knew and understood that this particular box was hers, her equivalent of our piles in front of each person. Without me saying a word (so no high pitched voice getting her excited etc). It was instant excitement, sniffing it all over, pawing at it. And when we opened it (a big squeaky soft toy) she was like the epitome of doggy joy, so so happy 😭😄

Maybe I am one of those crazy animal people afterall 👀😂 But I would bet my last penny that ddog understood at a VERY basic level the concept 😁

My old family dog knew it was Christmas. Soon as the tree went up she was extra alert, and you couldn't leave any presents under it unless you wanted to risk her nibbling an edge open to see if it might be hers. She was ridiculously excited about it.

As I got older and my parents brought me in on the Santa myth (younger sibling), we got to the point where she had to be shut in my room with my while "Santa came" because she'd get so excited she'd wake the younger one.

And even when we were both outside of the Santa myth, and therefore wouldn't be up at the crack of dawn, we'd have to have her in with me, because the presents STILL couldn't go out til that night. She would also be up at the crack of dawn, jumping on us, running up and down the stairs, trying to push open the living room door to get to the presents.

50 weeks of the year she was super calm, unbothered by anything (except fireworks), impeccably behaved and just very chilled. But Christmas, she knew. She loved it. And once all the presents were out she could find hers in amongst them and would get them and open them herself. Then madness would reign for 30 mins and she'd crash.

She died 9 years ago and I still miss her like you wouldn't believe.

Blabadder · 31/12/2024 09:02

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 31/12/2024 07:20

My old family dog knew it was Christmas. Soon as the tree went up she was extra alert, and you couldn't leave any presents under it unless you wanted to risk her nibbling an edge open to see if it might be hers. She was ridiculously excited about it.

As I got older and my parents brought me in on the Santa myth (younger sibling), we got to the point where she had to be shut in my room with my while "Santa came" because she'd get so excited she'd wake the younger one.

And even when we were both outside of the Santa myth, and therefore wouldn't be up at the crack of dawn, we'd have to have her in with me, because the presents STILL couldn't go out til that night. She would also be up at the crack of dawn, jumping on us, running up and down the stairs, trying to push open the living room door to get to the presents.

50 weeks of the year she was super calm, unbothered by anything (except fireworks), impeccably behaved and just very chilled. But Christmas, she knew. She loved it. And once all the presents were out she could find hers in amongst them and would get them and open them herself. Then madness would reign for 30 mins and she'd crash.

She died 9 years ago and I still miss her like you wouldn't believe.

Show quote history

Having a tree in the house and lots of people coming and going makes my dog excited too. She doesn’t believe in Santa though. And nor did your dog, however sweet.

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 31/12/2024 09:06

Blabadder · 31/12/2024 09:02

Having a tree in the house and lots of people coming and going makes my dog excited too. She doesn’t believe in Santa though. And nor did your dog, however sweet.

Show quote history

I didn't say she believed in Santa. I said she knew it was Christmas, whatever that meant to her, and knew what presents were and could identify her own. She knew when it was the day presents arrived. She got excited about it. And there were no extra people in the house for that moment. She also was very much not a baby. She was a dog, she knew she was a dog and she came from working stock.

Good try on taking it away. Dogs have personalities and there are certain things that get them excited, same as people. They aren't people, but those things aren't people specific.

ILoveAnnaQuay · 31/12/2024 09:27

My dog spent Christmas with our dog minder and her (teenage) kids. It didn't occur to me to send him with a present for himself. However, he came home with yet another soft toy as her dogs each had a present on Christmas day so she didn't want him to feel left out!

Christmasbear1 · 31/12/2024 13:39

@IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos

i didn't realise until I had a dog that they have their own personality. It's like they can understand what we are saying sometimes!

@ILoveAnnaQuay you sent your dog away at Christmas!!??

NotAnotherPylon · 31/12/2024 18:15

@ILoveAnnaQuay you sent your dog away at Christmas!!??

Jeez, the hyperbole🤣🤣🤣

User8646382 · 02/01/2025 15:31

Christmasbear1 · 31/12/2024 13:39

@IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos

i didn't realise until I had a dog that they have their own personality. It's like they can understand what we are saying sometimes!

@ILoveAnnaQuay you sent your dog away at Christmas!!??

Our dog understands everything. We have to spell things out that we don’t want him to hear. He’s very clever - I would say he has the cognitive ability of a 3 or 4 year old.

NotAnotherPylon · 02/01/2025 20:42

User8646382 · 02/01/2025 15:31

Our dog understands everything. We have to spell things out that we don’t want him to hear. He’s very clever - I would say he has the cognitive ability of a 3 or 4 year old.

Show quote history

That’s nothing. My aunt’s dog had read the complete works of Shakespeare by the time he was 18 months. He was also a chess master and taught karate in secret behind the local leisure centre. Thankfully he wasn’t too well clued up on Christmas though or he might’ve expected a present.

wastingtimeonhere · 02/01/2025 21:47

Mine is like a child too, opens doors and turns on lights(big enough to reach switches) ,and the cognitive ability of a teenager as she doesn't close doors or turn off the lights on her way out..

ILoveAnnaQuay · 03/01/2025 08:42

Our dog is pretty thick by dog standards, but has cottoned on to us spelling out the word Bonio.