AIBU to expect that my SIL doesn't bring her enormous stinky dog to Xmas dinner?

[aanorthcote]

Ok I know I'm sounding bah humbug and it's only April but DH and I have just bought a lovely new house (and I mean new....new carpets, new paintwork, new new new) and are expecting to move in autumn and are back at PIL house for Easter and planning our first family Christmas at our new house. After doing almost ten years at my PILs house for all family events and giving in to the children's Christmas celebrations being worked around my SILs "hobbies" and feeding horses etc twice a day, I'm v excited about being able to host Christmas for the first time. The kids waking up in their own beds to find a magical transformation of the house, doing Christmas dinner and decorations my own way, and not being a guest in someone's house with small children for ten (yes ten!) days at a time....it's all a dream come true. SIL has no kids, substitutes her horses and dog as family, lives in her parents' pockets and gets handouts from them to maintain her hobbies, although she's almost 37. When discussing our new house and celebrations, it was expected that she would bring her enormous, v smelly lab to stay for a few days, sleeping inside on the new furniture, stealing food under the table, ripping open presents, waking the kids by barking inappropriately, slobbering over the baby's toys, (sh*tting in the kitchen floor when left in overnight) ...all the things he does now whenever we come to stay and I'm a bit miffed at the idea. I'm from a country where animals are kept outdoors and I don't feel the need for a grotty dirty dog (he is) taking the shine off our first family Christmas just because she sees him as a child-substitute (hangs head in guilty contravention of the Christmas spirit). Am I a complete Scrooge? How do I broach it in a family where the frigging dog is more doted upon than the grandchildren and we've never had any babysitting or help with the children in FOUR YEARS!!!

YABU for mentioning Christmas in April shivers.

I'm not a massive dog lover myself but I think unless you want to be stuck going to the PILs house for every celebration you'll have to let SIL bring the dog. If you don't it will give them an excuse to always host which you're clearly not enjoying.

That doesn't mean you can't lay down some ground rules though - presumably being in London you have less space than they do so use that as an excuse. Maybe ask them to make the dog sleep in a bed they bring for it in the kitchen at night with the door shut (assuming you'll have nice shiny easy to clean tiles), put it in the garden when you are eating so it doesn't beg for scraps etc...

And book yourself a table at a nice restaurant while they are here and just announce you are going out and they are babysitting - 4 years without taking their turn is too long!

YABU I'm afraid.

The dog won't make any more mess than your kids - less probably as it probably doesn't know how to use crayons . Stock up on Febreze to get rid of any dog smell and bite your tongue.

Haha I have a dog and I wouldn't bring it any where it think it will make a mess or upset people. Labradors are smelly. You have every right to say no! I think just be honest with her and say it is too much x