Woman’s Parents Refuse to Visit Her Home Unless Their ‘Smelly’ Dog Can Come Too
One woman feels "deflated" after her parents refused to visit and celebrate the purchase of her first home unless their "very hairy" and "smelly" dog could come too.
The woman offered a compromise which would include bringing the dog. Still, her family told her that her suggestion wasn't reasonable.
The frustrated woman turned to online parenting forum Mumsnet to explain that she doesn't mind the dog; she just doesn't want her parents' pooch ruining her brand new carpets.
"I've just moved into my first home with my partner," the anonymous woman explained in her Mumsnet post, per Newsweek. "We live about 45 minutes away now from both sets of parents in the only affordable place left in our county."
"My parents came round to see the house when we first got it about three weeks ago, and I've invited them round to see the progress of it this weekend," she continued.
The woman's mom said they wanted to come, but she also told her daughter they'd like to bring their dog along, too.
The woman said they could bring their pet, but the dog wouldn't be allowed on the carpet.
"I have a brand new home, with cream carpet," she shared. "We have no pets or children, so it will stay clean."
The woman added she offered to allow her parents' Cocker Spaniel to stay in the kitchen during their visit.
She felt it was a reasonable solution to the dog issue but her mother disagreed.
"She's a very hairy, smelly dog. They don't want to leave the dog for hours on end, which is completely fair enough. However, they would be gone for four to five hours max. Plus, my 30-year-old brother lives at home!"
The woman "got frustrated" with her mom, sharing the "verbatim the text she sent," which read: "I don't want her to be alone. Minimum of 50 mins to you and back, so that leaves a couple of hours max at yours…simple, you come here."
"Just the way she worded the text, expecting me to drive 50 minutes away because of the dog, even though I have invited them to mine. I don't mind driving to them, but it's the principle," the woman vented, questioning if she will have to spend her "whole life only traveling to them because they have a dog."
Was the woman's suggestion of allowing her parents' Cocker Spaniel to stay in the kitchen during their visit not good enough?
Mumsnet readers were divided in the comments section.
"A dog is part of the family, your family. What if your brother had kids? Kids can be smelly and dribbly and messy too. Would you ban them from the living room?" a reader questioned.
One Mumsnet user suggested another approach: "Ask for the dog to be bathed prior to arrival, ensure the dog has not just run around in the mud and ask for them to bring his dog bed so that he can sit in the bed, not on your carpet."
A third reader pointed out that her suggestion might be too much, saying, "The carpet is going to get trodden on over time. It really won't stay looking like you think it will, no matter your intentions, believe me."
"It's ridiculous she won't just leave the dog, especially if your brother is home," one user chimed in, backing her decision.
"Just say you'll give it a miss and keep saying it. At some point, she'll realize her daughter is more important than a dog," another supportive user commented. "People get stupid with their dogs."
"That's some dog people for you," wrpte another baffled Mumsnet reader.