Family Christmas Predicament

[bad company]

Mrs BC and I are usually out of the country for Xmas. This year in a weak moment I let my sister know that we were going to arrive home a few days before. She said she d like to come, great though I thought BUT what about her dogs?

She has 2 very badly behaved, untrained dogs. Mrs BC & I love dogs but not when they jump all over the furniture.

So how do I let her know that my sister is welcome but not her horrible hounds? She ll be arriving in her motor home so at least the dogs won t be on our beds.

Any ideas how to get through this without conflict?

[MattsCar]

Simple, one of you has an allergy to dogs or visitors coming that do.

[Stick Legs]

Motorhome you say?



Unruly dog?

CousinEddie said:

Oh don't mind him Clark, he's just got a bit of the old Mississippi leg hound in him, if you know what I mean...

[bad company]

Great start guys, very helpful.

I m thinking about claiming a dose of Berry Berry.

[Alex Z]

“We’d love to see you, but don’t bring your dogs as they aren’t trained and wreck stuff. Thanks”

[Quattr04.]

How about just being honest

We would love you for Christmas but the dogs aren’t trained and we don’t want them in the house, she will have 2 choices then.

Might shock her into doing something about it.

I did it to my mum, you can come but the dog can’t, after a few times she took him to training and now he’s a joy to have here and I love walking him.

[bad company]

Alex Z said:

We d love to see you, but don t bring your dogs as they aren t trained and wreck stuff. Thanks

Yeah, that’s probably the only way.

[MattsCar]

Problem is that when you say "your dogs aren't trained" they might take that as a slight on their ability as dog owners.

[Sheets Tabuer]

Say you can come but not your dogs.

Job done, they won't come.

[Rob 131 Sport]

My sister has half a dozen dogs and at family barbecue’s I always have to remind her that I’m allergic to dogs. Otherwise she’d have absolutely no qualms about bringing a few of the pack with her saying ‘oh aren’t they lovely and there doing no harm’. I’ve seen her do this elsewhere.

Even if I wasn’t allergic, I would and others (such as my parents) have politely told her not to bring her dogs to their house.

I would never let a dog in my house or even my garden (leaving the remnants of dog faeces).

[Dog Biscuit]

I think OP that you should have your own idea how to speak to your sister over the matter really.

It's a pretty simple one - 'We'd love to see you but im afraid we'd prefer you didn't bring the dogs this time'

I mean, what else can you say? Seems very straightforward to me

[NDA]

I would claim the allergy thing - we can't have the dogs anywhere near the house as Mrs BC developed this strange allergy after Covid.

[The Mad Monk]

Just to hammer this home.

How about:-

"Hello Sister

Yes you are very welcome, but your dogs aren't".

I think that is fairly subtle.

[Rob 131 Sport]

Dog Biscuit said:

I think OP that you should have your own idea how to speak to your sister over the matter really.

It's a pretty simple one - 'We'd love to see you but im afraid we'd prefer you didn't bring the dogs this time'

I mean, what else can you say? Seems very straightforward to me

Many people don’t view their dogs as dogs and treat them like humans. Therefore they get very offended when they are not included within social gatherings.

I noticed on a recent weekend away to North West Wales (Abersoch and surrounding areas where we go quite often) an increasing number of shops with no dogs except guide dogs signs.

[A500leroy]

Oh damn, they've changed the flight we won't be back in time after all

( Then book a country hotel somewhere)

[Spare tyre]

Say you identify as a fury now

[Wacky Racer]

You can come, but keep your fking dogs in your motorhome 24/7.

[Smollet]

Alex Z said:

We d love to see you, but don t bring your dogs as they aren t trained and wreck stuff. Thanks

The simple answers are often the best.

[Steve H]

Rob 131 Sport said:

Many people don t view their dogs as dogs and treat them like humans. Therefore they get very offended when they are not included within social gatherings.

I noticed on a recent weekend away to North West Wales (Abersoch and surrounding areas where we go quite often) an increasing number of shops with no dogs except guide dogs signs.

We have just come back from Anglesey, virtually every pub/eatery welcomes dogs in and on a couple of lunchtimes anyone who was without a dog was significantly outnumbered!

I can’t speak so much for shops as I don’t tend to visit as many of those .


But I think the advice already given to the OP is about right, your sister has already invited herself, she doesn’t get to invite the pooches as well.

Just don’t be too surprised if she considers themselves to be an all/nothing package, Mrs H wouldn’t go anywhere for Christmas where the hound isn’t allowed.

[Spare tyre]

Do you have a utility room / garage etc that you can separate off, we used a stair gate to section off muddy dogs

The flip side is this could be a double bluff and she doesn’t want to come