In laws new dog
How do I put up a boundary with my inlaws about the new dog they decided over night to get and how I don’t feel comfortable with my kids being around it without me there, especially when they couldn’t handle the pure bred lab they bought when my husband was in high school. When they got their Labrador 11 years ago, they eventually decided she was “too hyper” and didn’t want to deal with her anymore, so my husband and I ended up taking her in. We took on the responsibility because we didn’t want her neglected or bounced around, but it always stuck with me that they weren’t willing to put in the actual work that comes with owning and training a dog. Dogs don’t become calm, obedient, and manageable on their own — it takes consistency, patience, time, and effort.
That’s why this situation frustrates me so much. Instead of recognizing that maybe they aren’t the right people to own a high-energy, strong breed, they went out and got a Rottweiler puppy — a dog that requires even more structure, training, and responsible handling. It feels like they’re repeating the exact same cycle all over again.
What makes me especially uncomfortable is that I have 3 small children. I already have enough to worry about as a parent, and I honestly don’t feel safe or comfortable having my kids around a large, powerful dog when I don’t trust that the owners are going to properly train or manage it. If they had a history of being responsible, committed dog owners, I’d probably feel differently. But based on the past, I have a hard time believing they’ll follow through with the amount of work this kind of dog needs, and that makes me really uneasy.