Don't blame the dogs if your 4 year old is a pansy!

When I've seen both dogs act just fine around other small children, it's hard to not get mad at a kid that runs up to them and strikes them. That is the kid's/parent's fault for not knowing how to be nice to a dog. I've never seen anyone else, child or adult, yell at or slap either of the dogs out of the blue. When someone can't respect two dogs that like to mind their own business, that's their problem, not the dogs'.

We have a kennel that the dogs run around in, but when it's 95 degrees outside, we keep them indoors so they don't get overheated. It's essentially animal abuse to leave the dogs out in the kennel in the direct sunlight when it's so hot like that, even if they do have water. I'm not going to subject a dog to too-high temperatures just to please someone who hasn't even housetrained her own kids.

Not to mention that there's a surgeon renting the apartment that my fiance's mom built into the basement, and as soon as he got home, the 4-year-old started stomping and jumping on the floor. We told his mom to make him stop because the doctor works 10 hour days, and her response was, "Oh, he'll be just fine." Uh, no? He puts in long days at the hospital and comes home tired. The man can't enjoy a nap with a little kid bouncing around nonstop.

So it's not even solely a matter of disrespect for dogs and dog owners, but it's a matter of disrespect for the tenant in the basement. Usually we keep the dogs preoccupied when the doc gets home so he can take a nap without hearing dogs bark. It was really hard to keep anyone quiet with a kid slapping dogs and my fiance's sister yelling at everyone.

I'll take the dogs out if the weather's not going to freeze them or give them a heat stroke, I have no problem with walking them or keeping them occupied when other guests are over... but I'm not going to risk harming my dogs outside just so some harpy's demands can be satisfied.

I have never felt so much loathing towards someone and her kids before.

Well, they sound horrible. So why didn't you just ask them to stay somewhere else?
If I were in your situation I would have said something like "If you and your family can't respect me and my animals in MY house, maybe it's best if you leave"

They were staying the nights at a hotel, but spent pretty much the entire day at the house.

I'm just glad she and her kids left early... she even had to buy new flight tickets out of town.

Monkia I so thought about you the other day when I was at Tae Kwon Do.... due to my schedule I can only go to family classes which have all ages, there's a boy in there who is five and cries about literally everything {including whenever he thinks he messed up} and everybody just coddles him instead of telling him to grow up {yes he is five but he already graduated from the young children's class}

Monika, I know what u mean. I am a dog lover and my four year old loves it when dogs playfully knock him over. and Kitty I also get your pint of the story too. I always put my son before animals. But.... shouldnt Monika be able to gripe about her fiances sister without being made to feel badly about it? I mean isnt that what this board is for?

Ya absolutly, I admit I kinda went off on one with the first post (was having a bad day that day)and I appoligized for that.
I was not intending to start drama, I guess just venting myself

I do get annoyed a little with dog owners tho..some of them are a breed all of their own LOL

oh well in that case I guess u should get to vent too, huh?

Monika, I am gearing up to get ready for this scenario in July. I decided that this year if our friends come to visit, I am taking my dog to the kennel to stay for the weekend. She is safer there than in the same house with our friends child! This kid must be 12 years old by now and can do no wrong. His mom told me that he is great with animals. I only saw him pull her tail, feed her candy and almost let her out of the house "to play outside." We have coyotes here...so that is not a great idea, to let a dog go outside alone.

Reading your post made me cringe. I can tell myself it is only one day...but that could be the one day my dog disappears.

You have the corgi, Is that correct? I love those little guys. When I was in Wales I kept looking for them LOL. I have a beagle mix. Glad your home is sane again.

Yeah, I have a corgi. She's an absolute sweetheart, but she tends to get excited easily with people because pretty much everyone comes up to her and pets her or scratches her behind the ears. I love her a ton, she's a character.

And I hear ya. My dog only ever ran away once, and it was only to sniff around the farm. She came back the next day covered in burrs from thistles and other things, haha. I guess I'm lucky there.

The Shiba Inu though has run off in the past, and the 4-year-old and the 12-year-old and their mom kept leaving doors open with the Shiba in the house. They got corrected no less than 8 times in two hours by my fiance and his nephew to keep the doors closed.

I'm glad the house is sane again, too. Now all I have to deal with is my fiance's other nephews, but luckily the worst thing they do is eat my food and drink my pop. lol

I can totally commiserate. I hate when parents don't teach anything about strength, confidence, independence, or responsibility. When I was 5 years old I was folding clothes, doing the dishes, helping cook, and if I got scared or hurt, I was educated enough enough to deal with it.

*sigh* This reminds me of an episode of Doc Martin where this couple move to Portwenn and they raise their child with the "dont want to, dont have to" mentality. It's nauseating...