'You're ruining our anniversary': Entitled Dog Pawrents Demand Their Married Son Take Care of Their Hyperactive Doggos While on Vacation, He Refuses, Causing Family Dog Drama

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Dec 14, 2024 10:00 AM EST

Happy weekend, animal fam! What do we love more on the weekends than scrolling through the best animal memes of 2024? Only one thing, and one thing only - a juicy story that involves doggos, family drama, and lots of internet people voicing their opinions. It's like going to the movies without having to buy a ticket. The drama of it all just makes us want to make some popcorn and soak up all the pawsitively trashy comments like an episode of Too Hot to Handle. It's just candy for our brain.

This particular pupper story involves two empty-nest dog pawrents who expect their married son to move into their house for a week to take care of their two hyperactive puppers while they go away for their anniversary on vacation. He doesn't want to leave his wife and is clearly annoyed by his parents' pets, so he refuses and it causes a howlarious uproar over the holidays. A family dog dilemma, if you will. A dramatic doggo dispute! We could go on for furrever, but we'll let you get to the juice already. Have a great weekend!

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  • 01
    Ab for refusing to be responsible for my parents dogs while they are on vacation?
    via u/xFlyingGoldfishX
  • 02
    'They told me that I am making this a bigger deal than it needs to be but I find it ridiculous to ask me to leave my wife for a week to stay at their house for the dogs.'
    via johannes.k
  • 03
    I (26M) am the oldest of three along with siblings (22M, 18F) to my parents (50sM and F). I got married this year and moved out to live with my now wife in May, but live only 15 minutes away from my parents. My 22M brother is away in college about 2 hours drive away. My 18F sister also just went away to college herself several states away and so my parents are now "empty nesters".
    via u/xFlyingGoldfishX
  • 04
    My parents also have two dogs who are very high maintenance. They are extremely active dogs that require 2 walks/runs at the park per day to get their energy out and they also go crazy when my mom is not home. When I have watched the dogs in the past I hardly get any sleep because the dogs are restless due to a change in their routine.
    via u/xFlyingGoldfishX

    We get it - our doggo also really doesn't like change. She gets upset when we or our partner leaves even for a few hours…anything that interrupts her idea of her routine. But, it usually passes in a little while, and it's something that's completely understandable.

  • 05
    In the past when we have lived at home, it has not been much of a problem for one of us kids that lives at home to pick up the slack with the dogs if my parents are out of town. But my parents are going on a vacation for their anniversary in January for a week and have asked my brother and I to cover the responsibility of the dogs while they are gone. This would involve one of us walking the dogs twice daily and staying overnight so they don't get lonely or destroy anything.
    via u/xFlyingGoldfishX

    Sure, you're allowed to say no, but don't expect them to say yes when you ask for help babysitting your kids one day! We're a firm believer in that everything you do comes back to you in some form or another. Doing this good deed and helping them out could bring you something good in the future! That's just us, though.

  • 06
    Because my brother lives over 2 hours away at school, he cannot realistically go to class and come and go home during the weekdays. Given that, the weekdays would be completely on me. I have a job that has an unpredictable schedule during the week, I might start early or end late on any given day so it would be extremely hard for me to commit to the routine of walking the dogs twice a day. My wife and I also just got married
    via u/xFlyingGoldfishX
  • 07
    and she works night shift as well as every other weekend. I do not want to leave my wife at home when she is home and go sleep at my parents house just because of the dogs. I would basically not see her for almost a week because her night shift schedule and need to sleep in the day wouldn't allow her to come with me. And if she happens to be off over that weekend, then I do not want to be responsible for the dogs on the rare weekend that we are both available to do something
    via u/xFlyingGoldfishX
  • 08
    both available to do something together. Also, staying overnight at my parents house would wreck my sleep schedule because the dogs would stay up all night due to the change in routine.
    via u/xFlyingGoldfishX
  • 09
    I told my parents this reasoning and they told me I was an AH because they felt that I was looking for reasons to get out of this instead of trying to make it work for their anniversary. They told me that I am making this a bigger deal than it needs to be but I find it ridiculous to ask me to leave my wife for a week to stay at their house for the dogs.
    via u/xFlyingGoldfishX
  • 10
    Yupkook 16d ago Part ipant [4] NTA. Your parents chose to have high maintenance dogs and they are responsible for their care when they go on vacation. It's not reasonable of them to expect you to disrupt your work, your family life and your sleep schedule just to accomodate them. Your an adult with your own life and responsibilities. They had plenty of time to plan this and should hire a dog sitter or use a boarding
    via u/Yupkook
  • 11
    a dog sitter or use a boarding servic, options they should. explore instead of guilt tripping you. It's not selfish to set boundaries especially if it disrupts your life. Just because you live nearby doesn't make you their default solution. If they can't see that they're being inconsiderate, not you.
    via u/Yupkook
  • 12
    KrofftSurvivor • 16d ago • Certified Pr... Top 1% Comme... NTA Tell them the dogs need to - be boarded during their vacation - it's ridiculous to expect you to give up your life for a week to babysit their dogs.
    via u/KrofftSurvivor
  • 13
    CandylandCanada · 16d ago • Craptain [177] NTA People with dogs need to factor in their care to the costs of vacations.
    via u/CandylandCanada
  • 14
    BeautifulMusee 16d ago . NTA. You're allowed to set boundaries, especially when their ask disrupts your life and marriage. They should hire a dog sitter—it's their responsibility, not yours.
    via u/BeautifulMusee
  • 15
    whynotbecause88 16d ago. They can hire a • petsitter/housesitter. It's ridiculous of them to expect you to do it-you have your own life and responsibilities. NTA
    via u/whynotbecause88
  • 16
    Planted2468 · 16d ago • They can ask and you can say no. But do keep in mind that if you are planning on having kids someday, you may want them to babysit and they might say no. It sounds like they are asking for 2 things someone to sleep at the - house and someone to walk and feed them. Could they hire someone else for one job and you do the other?
    via u/Planted2468
  • 17
    • glamgrl203 16d ago • A hole Aficionado [14] NTA to be fair you are kind of looking for reasons to not watch the dogs. But they are asking a lot with high energy dogs. There are plenty of places that would kennel the dogs for the week and offer walks and playtime. Or they could hire a pet sitter to come stay at their home while they are gone. Would it be nice if you or a sibling could do it, yeah obviously but part of pet ownership is having backups if you need someone to watch them.
    via u/glamgrl203
  • 18
    • No_Atmosphere_5411 16d ago • NTA. Why can't they take them to a kennel or a dog sitting place? Why wouldn't they plan for that in the first place? Are they short on money?
    via u/No_Atmosphere_5411
  • 19
    pixyfire 16d ago • I have three dogs. My children do not live at home because they're adults. I pay a house sitter. She and her boyfriend moving to my house and do their regular routine and sleep here and let the dogs in and out and feed them. It's worth it. One of my dog sitters is a vet tech in my veterinary office. That's a great place to start looking because they're highly competent and the dogs already know them.
    via u/pixyfire
  • 20
    Your parents might have a hard time adjusting to the fact that they're empty nesters, your life is really busy and it's highly disruptive and not a long-term solution for you to continue to dog sit all the time. See if you can help them find a dog sitter.
    via u/pixyfire
  • 21
    • Apart-Dragonfly8540 16d ago • This is why people board their dogs. They can hire a house sitter. They can call you what ever names they want. You have the right to say no.
    via u/Apart-Dragonfly8540
  • 22
    3 Open-Taste-6852 • 16d ago • Ton of missing information. See if I were in your shoes, and my in- laws asked their son for help, he'd do it in a heartbeat and I'd be very understanding. My in-laws have gone above and beyond for us so I'd have no issues with my husband leaving me alone for a weekend so he can return the favor. Or i'd pack a bag and stay with him at his parents to help and show my support. We've watched their dog for a month once who ended up destroying our rug and his parents rep
    via u/Open-Taste-6852
  • 23
    My mother on the other hand cant be bothered with ever doing a thing yet expects her kids to fly to the moon and back for her. Depending on the dynamic you and your wife have with your parents would determine whether or not you are the AH.
    via u/Open-Taste-6852
  • 24
    But also keep in mind that if you di on this hill, when you need their help with anything and hope they agree as they are so close, dont be surprised when they dont want to be bothered with it either... you should especially keep that in mind when you have children and will need their help last minute. And trust me, the day will come when you definitely will!
    via u/Open-Taste-6852
  • 25
    Cheese Making Mom 16d ago . A hole Afi... NTA Top 1% Comme... There are pet boarding facilities and pet sitters that will be able to accommodate your parents' dogs needs, without requiring a 4-hour round trip or affecting sleep schedules. If you still lived at home, that would be different.
    via u/CheeseMakingMom
  • 26
    WholeAd2742 • 16d ago • Commander in Cheeks [291] ΝΤΑ You're an adult with your own responsibilities, and don't need to abandon your wife for their dog sitting. They need to make other arrangements or board them
    via u/WholeAd2742
  • 27
    Any-Split3724 .16d ago. NTA. You're a married man with your own life and priorities. Your parents are the AHs here. expecting you to turn your week upside-down to dogsit. They can get the dogs into a kennel that will give them all the attention they need. If they had half a brain they would have a local kennel that they could use for occasional doggy day care to get the dogs familiarized with the property and people.
    via u/Any-Split3724
  • 28
    FRH72 16d ago • Honestly it's an inconvenience for sure. But it's one week.
    via u/FRH72
  • 29
    ForTheLoveOfGiraffe · 16d ago • Part ipant [1] Of course you're NTA for saying no. But please don't expect your parents to help you with future pets / kids. It's tiring to see people on reddit refusing to help family and then expecting a village when they need it. But if you're fine to not have that, then cool, you're not an ah le.
    via u/ForTheLoveOfGiraffe
  • 30
    Personally I don't see the big deal about being away for a week. Or why can't your wife stay with you too, if it's only 15mins away? | agree that it does feel like an excuse. I love my husband but I'd help my parents for a week if needed. But similarly, they'd drop everything and come babysit for me whenever I need. Anyway, that's just me.
    via u/ForTheLoveOfGiraffe

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refuse family drama dogs anniversary demanding hyper entitled family dog owners married animals son parents vacation
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