Dog and Christmas

maisie1234

I think you need to train him extensively and also the people who are coming into contact with him (most important).

We have a large guarding breed (she is an old girl now) but when she was a puppy she would rush to the front door and jump up at people. Fully grown she would have been scary. So, we lock her away for a few mins and I really firmly tell everyone that they MUST ignore her. Be really really firm. Dont allow lots of fussing over her otherwise dogs will see it as signal to play and run around.

Perhaps a couple of sessions with a private trainer?

Mojisola

maisie1234 wrote: »

I think you need to train him extensively and also the people who are coming into contact with him (most important).

We have a large guarding breed (she is an old girl now) but when she was a puppy she would rush to the front door and jump up at people. Fully grown she would have been scary. So, we lock her away for a few mins and I really firmly tell everyone that they MUST ignore her. Be really really firm. Dont allow lots of fussing over her otherwise dogs will see it as signal to play and run around.

Perhaps a couple of sessions with a private trainer?

It is worth trying to change the behaviour (dog and human) so that, in future years, the family will be happy to have you and the dog visit them.

Soleil_lune

As an aside; what is with people and 'having' to go away/go to someone else's house at Christmas? Can people just not stay in their own homes? There's all YEAR to visit people, and yet people seem to 'have' to go somewhere else at Christmas. I don't actually think I have ever encountered ONE single person who is happy with the situation for one reason or another. Why do people not stay in their own home?

JMO of course.

pinkshoes

aileth wrote: »

In laws have two dogs which ours gets on with well, and if we ever asked him not to bring them etc he'd be very very unhappy, so why does it only work one way?

Everyone seems to be over-looking the simple solution:

Invite the inlaws to your house instead! (You could always be really cheeky and say they can't bring their dog...)

The other option is to take your dog for a REALLY long walk before hand, then leave doggy at home sleeping whilst you visit the inlaws.

I have a 2 year old AND a bouncy 5 month old puppy. The puppy goes with us to the inlaws, as they are not at all house proud and love dogs. My parents, however, are only used to gun dogs that live outside, so would not appreciate a bouncy puppy ruining their immaculate house!! The puppy therefore stays at the inlaws house for a couple of DAYS if we were to see my parents at Christmas!

rachiibell

I think its pretty unfair if other people have their dogs there but yours isn't allowed. If it was no dogs at all i could understand but to just exclude one seems harsh. Christmas is family time and that includes dogs!

balletshoes

Soleil_lune wrote: »

As an aside; what is with people and 'having' to go away/go to someone else's house at Christmas? Can people just not stay in their own homes? There's all YEAR to visit people, and yet people seem to 'have' to go somewhere else at Christmas. I don't actually think I have ever encountered ONE single person who is happy with the situation for one reason or another. Why do people not stay in their own home?

JMO of course.

everyone is different - I'm 46 and I've not had one Christmas where I've stayed in my own house for the whole day on Christmas Day, as traditionally we visit extended family for Christmas Dinner. When I was a child we all congregated at my grandparents home for dinner and pressie-opening, when I was an adult and living on my own we all congregated at my Mum's to do the same. Now I have a child and live nearly 400 miles from my mum and extended family - and every Christmas we make that 400 mile journey to have Christmas Day with them there. I'm usually away from home for around 4 days over Christmas these days - and I wouldn't have it any other way .

Soleil_lune

balletshoes wrote: »

everyone is different - I'm 46 and I've not had one Christmas where I've stayed in my own house for the whole day on Christmas Day, as traditionally we visit extended family for Christmas Dinner. When I was a child we all congregated at my grandparents home for dinner and pressie-opening, when I was an adult and living on my own we all congregated at my Mum's to do the same. Now I have a child and live nearly 400 miles from my mum and extended family - and every Christmas we make that 400 mile journey to have Christmas Day with them there. I'm usually away from home for around 4 days over Christmas these days - and I wouldn't have it any other way .

The reason I say it, is that so many people seem to get stressed out by 'having' to go to relatives and in-laws houses at Christmas. I know sooooo many people (neighbours/ colleagues/ friends) who DREAD Christmas, because they HATE their partner's family, and yet they seem to go along with spending Christmas eve, Christmas day, and boxing day with them, and then they HAVE to go to their 'own' parents for New year's eve and New year's day... (Or they HAVE to go to peoples houses who don't want them to bring their dog!)

I mean, if it's so stressful, then just bloomin' well stay in your own home. Why not just visit them a few days before, or a week before, or 2 weeks before, and stay in your own home if it's such a bother.

It's time that people realised that it IS OK to spend Christmas at home, and put away extended family visits for another time of year. I can think of few things that are worse than being dragged away from my own home at Christmas, to spend it with people I can't abide!

Toto

rachiibell wrote: »

I think its pretty unfair if other people have their dogs there but yours isn't allowed. If it was no dogs at all i could understand but to just exclude one seems harsh. Christmas is family time and that includes dogs!

No, I really don't think it is unfair. It's their house their rules.

I'm not a dog person, I like them but I hate it when they jump all over me and try to lick my face. I find it difficult because I am allergic to them, their saliva brings me up in a horrible rash and their dander gives me raging asthma. I have to visit lots of homes with work and this is honestly the bit I find most difficult. Some people put their excitable dog in another room while I'm there but other people seem to think that everyone loves dogs and wants them jumping all over them. I usually try to encourage the dog to get off me and will stand up, but it makes life very difficult, especially when I need to examine a newborn safely. I have to work around it though, it's not so bad with the little ones but some of them are hulking great things which weigh more than I do

Soleil_lune

Toto wrote: »

No, I really don't think it is unfair. It's their house their rules.

I'm not a dog person, I like them but I hate it when they jump all over me and try to lick my face. I find it difficult because I am allergic to them, their saliva brings me up in a horrible rash and their dander gives me raging asthma. I have to visit lots of homes with work and this is honestly the bit I find most difficult. Some people put their excitable dog in another room while I'm there but other people seem to think that everyone loves dogs and wants them jumping all over them. I usually try to encourage the dog to get off me and will stand up, but it makes life very difficult, especially when I need to examine a newborn safely. I have to work around it though, it's not so bad with the little ones but some of them are hulking great things which weigh more than I do

I totally agree. Like I said, I HATE it when I go to a friend or relative's house and their bloomin' dog is jumping up me and rawling me and licking and sniffing and drooling, and even worse: grizzling or growling. Some dog owners (not all, but some,) seem oblivious to their dog's behaviour and how it's making their house guests feel.

One of my OH's relatives used to have this cocker spaniel that LITERALLY used to dive-bomb at us and claw us and rip stockings and clothes etc, and he didn't settle at all, and continued barking loudly and yapping at us when we were speaking. He was a nightmare! His relative got proper offended when we asked politely if the dog could be put away when we visit, like we were personally attacking his family. Apparently, he classed this appalling behaviour from his dog as 'acceptable.'

If you can't keep your dog under control, then people should not have to tolerate it. And I certainly would not stand for someone bringing a dog like this to my home.

lostinrates

Soleil_lune wrote: »

I totally agree. Like I said, I HATE it when I go to a friend or relative's house and their bloomin' dog is jumping up me and rawling me and licking and sniffing and drooling, and even worse: grizzling or growling. Some dog owners (not all, but some,) seem oblivious to their dog's behaviour and how it's making their house guests feel.

One of my OH's relatives used to have this cocker spaniel that LITERALLY used to dive-bomb at us and claw us and rip stockings and clothes etc, and he didn't settle at all, and continued barking loudly and yapping at us when we were speaking. He was a nightmare! His relative got proper offended when we asked politely if the dog could be put away when we visit, like we were personally attacking his family. Apparently, he classed this appalling behaviour from his dog as 'acceptable.'

If you can't keep your dog under control, then people should not have to tolerate it. And I certainly would not stand for someone bringing a dog like this to my home.

You might want to edit the header at the top of this post, which is not in my quote.