It's a bloody dog!

[MammaKel]

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?

My SIL is the same. She couldn’t leave the dogs on Christmas Eve because they’d feel left out.
She loves the dogs and they are her whole life so I don’t begrudge it but sometimes I do feel like saying ‘you know they are dogs right?’

My dogs are laughingly referred to as the grand-dogs but done with humour - the rest sounds excessive!

But if dogs are tired, don't they just lie down in a quiet corner and snooze? They surely don't need to be taken home to their own bed like a toddler! I bet the couple just wanted to be off.

I think it's annoyingly cute. I love love my dogs and aren't OTT with them like this. But I prefer that rather than the people that abuse their dogs, leave them outside/locked up all day, or let them escape and get hit by a car (this just happened to a friends neighbors dog).

Point 1: If they didn’t buy presents for your cats then that is odd. If I want to buy for an animal, gall that’s my prerogative and don’t expect back. So essentially YANBU

point 2: as a PP said, dogs can get tired and grumpy, especially young dogs. So this was a responsible owner. So YANBU

A puppaccino isn't anything special though, it's just whipped cream which they already have which takes very little effort on their part, isn't going to go to waste etc. Providing gluten free options takes a lot more work.

I think the fur baby things is beyond nauseating but each to their own. As long as the dog is properly trained (and I don't like dogs!)

But asking where presents are is the issue for me - very rude. Doesn't matter if its for a child, an adult or a dog it's just rude!

I agree (and I will admit to being "Mummy" to DDog, having bought dog and DC matching Christmas pyjamas and got her a stocking "from Father Christmas" - the latter two more for the DCs benefit though TBF!)

There is a fine line though I think and it's hard to stay on the right side of it.

For example, dogs who are allowed to eat human food from the table (there is one in my family) because they are "part of the family" but this just results in them being poorly behaved at mealtimes/begging/jumping up, and probably tbh isn't great from them nutritionally unless you are very discriminating about exactly what you feed them from your plate.

Oh my goodness. I probably would have said "ffs - it's a bloody dog, have you gone mad???".

I say this as a massive animal fan, I have a dog and I don't eat animal products but this humanisation of animals is weird.

It's mumnet slang, I thought people would be confused if I didn't

I know I'm being a bit of a Debbie Downer about it, really. I do love animals and want them to be treated well, and obviously, they can treat their pet however they want but expecting other people to is the problem, I don't see an animal in the same league as I see actual children.

My four, yes, four cats are well cared for, although I don't know if I am unreasonable for not getting them presents now.

I have never wanted kids, therefore my dog can not be a substitute child.
My dog is a pet, but she is my companion and family member too. Seeing her as that has no impact on anyone else at all... so it is strange that some people get so uptight about what I refer to my dog as.

Cafes offer dog treats because dog owners go there and it is nice for the dogs to also be catered for.

It's not cute or lovely. It's batshit.
I don't mean loving thier dogs.. that's fair enough.
But to get offended that someone didn't buy your dog a Christmas gift?! I'm sorry but that's utterly nuts. Not in a cute way.
Even if they didn't get offended but there was some level of expectation there.. that would still be nuts.
Dogs aren't babies. They can be loved like family by their owners obviously! But they aren't related to the rest of the family by blood. No one else consented to having those dogs as family.. just the owners. It is beyond mad to have any expectation that the rest of your family are going to treat your dogs like babies just because you have chosen to do that.

I mean saying this.. I wouldn't even be like this about my actual children! It's so entitled. I buy my kids presents.. and i do have some expectation that my mum and my husbands mum will buy them gifts.. but beyond that it's just a lovely bonus if people do decide to. I don't expect all family members to fork out cash for my kids just because I chose to have them!!

Whereas I often said "hold this a mo" when handing our infant son to someone else 😱

i lost my dog 8 weeks ago to cancer. I absolutely loved the bones of him. I just didn’t tell everyone in case someone like you was watching.

I agree, used to love dogs and we had a much loved rescue for 18 years. Like many people we nearly got a lockdown puppy…but I gave my head a wobble and decided against it.
They’re bloody everywhere now. There was a young woman in the pub with her Christmas puppy yesterday. She was a bit upset that I decided to ignore the puppy.
Our lovely rescue was a Christmas puppy that was discarded by March.
So excuse me if I don’t coo over puppies anymore .

I adore my cats, and I grew up with cats and dogs.

But no. People who treat their dogs in this manner are beyond ridiculous, and I'm tired of tripping over dogs on leads in shops. They shouldn't be in there unless they're genuine serve animals. I really wish shops would stop catering to them.

Using the excuse of a tired dog to leave a family gathering they probably wanted to get away from? How clever.

But asking for presents and not bringing your cats any? No, that’s beyond the pale. 😜

haha I was thinking eww, cringe, but then I've just realised DH & I call ourselves Mummy and Daddy to the dogs. "Go and find Daddy!" �

Anyway, despite that, I don't buy my dogs Christmas presents and, in all other respects, treat them as dogs, not people! (We have actual human children) They think themselves fortunate to get a bit of turkey. (Have to keep them out of the way at Christmas as absolute gannets and I refuse to be at the emergency vet over Christmas ever again)

But some people really do think of pets as their babies I guess - just get a cheap dog chew next time - maybe they think it's unfair if they have DN's who they buy for that their "fur babies" don't get something too. Or maybe a bottle of Pawsecco if their DDog is old enough

It seems some folk think dogs should live in a kennel in the garden, have no toys, no nice treats etc.

No, you are free to be as batshit crazy as you want about your animal in the privacy of your own home. Call it what you want, refer to you as its "mummy" if you want, feed it on fillet steak and let it sleep in top quality egyptian cotton bedding. Nobody cares.

However, there are owners who are batshit crazy and get the hump when other people refuse to play along. Whether that is allowing their animal to jump all over you while weakly saying "oh he's only being friendly" and you tell them to get their animal the fuck away from you, or like the OP's relatives, get the hump when you haven't bought their animal a christmas present. Or like another thread, that you will not accept their animal into your own home.

Apart from the present (if they were serious) I don't see the issue. It's wonderful if an animal gets treated well by a human. They obviously enjoy the dog very much.

You sound a bit condescending.

I guess op tried to stave off upcoming drama crisis.😹🙈🙈

Hard agree.

Who cares?
yes some people are weird and cringeworthy with how they treat their pets but some people are weird and cringeworthy with how they treat their kids as well!

As long as the pet (or kid) in question isnt causing a problem for others then leave people alone to be happy in their weird little worlds.

I admit I baby my dogs alot but also Im not an idiot....the nervous one was popped upstairs in a crate with a chew when I had people round for christmas!

"But they aren't related to the rest of the family by blood. No one else consented to having those dogs as family."

Both those things apply to adopted/step children as well, TBF.

I agree with you it's not necessary to get a dog a present, but "it's not related by blood" is not the reason...

I'm really sorry about your dog, I'm sure he knew he was very loved.