What does your family think of your dogs?

[Gypsydals]

In general most of the family is ambivalent about my dog. She is welcomed down at my parents house. Not sure if she would be welcomed at my in-laws. But it won't be a problem because we don't take her up that way(Pheobe and my SIL's cattle dog do not like each other). I will say most of the family like Phoebe more than they did Ivan. Of course Phoebe gets to interact with them, where as Ivan did not.

 

[pinkspore]

My family is all cat people. My parents like dogs ok and love their grand dogs, but they don't really understand behavior or anything. They've learned that inviting the dogs when they ask me to come over usually works better than just asking me to visit (I live an hour and a bunch of heavy traffic away from them and they never come here, just complain that I don't go there enough).

When I still lived with them and my elderly cocker with Cushings started breaking the laws of physics to access cat food they insisted I should just train her to not eat cat food out of a bowl on the floor. They also claimed I trained her to follow only me and only obey my commands and ignore everyone else, when I was thirteen. Now I just manage the dogs really well when we visit, and if I end up staying with them for a couple of months the dogs will just stay in a bedroom.

My brother hates dogs. My sister is afraid of them, her husband has a scar on his face from a dog bite and straddles the line between reasonably cautious and overly cautious. Their children are simultaneously terrified of dogs and obsessed with dogs and this basically makes them incapable of thinking or learning in the presence of dogs. Their family never visits me and when I visit them I leave the dogs at home.

My cousin's family up in Idaho are mostly dog lovers, but absorb training and behavior knowledge like sponges and actively apply everything they learn. My cousin's husband is seriously into APBTs and can geek out about dogs with me until the eventual heat death of the universe. They invited me and the dogs to stay with them for a couple of weeks and were absolutely amazing and wonderful the entire time.

 

[StillandSilent]

Of the children (who are currently living with my parents-long story) the youngest loves my dogs and cats, but does not have good boundaries, so sheis not allowed to play with Gimmick. One of the cats scratched her badly a few months ago, so she has learned some reasonable boundaries with them.

My oldest nephew, oddly, loves Gimmick. I'm not sure why, since Gimmick will give a singly nasty bark the first time he sees the kids every time, and he doesn't really like the kids. But the kid makes a point of giving Gimmick treats and pets whenever he's around and Gimmick does tolerate him above the others.

They are under no circumstances allowed to interact with Gambit. They all fear him, which isn't the worst thing that could happen. He stays in a back bedroom when we visit. The door is always open, but he never comes out. The kids still haven't given up hope that he'll like them one day, though. Maybe a nice frost day in Hades

 

[Grab]

We live across the country from family. But, when they visit, everyone seems to like all of the dogs. My FIL even took a photo with Brooks last time he visited, like Brooks was another grandchild, lol. It was quite adorable.
oh, and everyone wants to steal Nog

 

[Southpaw]

Today I brought Juno to my parents house with me. I left Sawyer at home. My mom immediately greeted me with "where's Sawyer?" and then went on about how sad it was that he got stuck at home because she bought marrow bones for all the dogs.

After being there for 3 hours she kept pestering me about him and I finally asked, would you like me to go home and get him? Sje said yes, I think you should.

So apparently the dogs arw very welcome there.

 

[ThatCrazyGroomer]

MY family loves my dogs. My husband's family, though... Ugh. Let's just say I'm glad they're not in the picture any more. They (especially FIL) always had something negative to say about the dogs, no matter how well behaved they were. :/

 

[SpringerLover]

My mom expects the dogs to come with when we visit.

My extended family would never allow it.

My boyfriends family is dog friendly but a lot of the other dogs in the family are rude, so I generally choose not to bring the dogs with.