Woman insists on bringing her 70-pound dog on kayaking trip, calls friend 'controlling' for trying to shut it down: 'People need to learn to go places without their pets'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Oct 3, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

Some people insist on bringing their dogs absolutely everywhere, like how some people insist on bringing their babies everywhere. Both are unnecessary (okay, one a little more than the other) and both are annoying. Sometimes you want to do something that doesn't involve babies or dogs. And that's your right to do. But if you have a friend who insists on bringing their furry companion absolutely everywhere, then that can stand in the way of your plans. 

What's even worse than someone wanting to bring their dog everywhere is people who don't take "no" for an answer. They hear a rule and assume that it doesn't apply to them because they're just that entitled. They will challenge their friends and lose them in the process. Then, before you know it, you're not being invited to anything anymore. Then you might start to regret your behavior. But it might take a real push before that starts to happen. You need friends who are willing to call you out on your entitled attitude. That's what one friend tried to do, until she realized it was too late. 

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  • A woman paddles a canoe.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • When planning a kayaking trip, you're probably not accounting for a giant dog. Dogs and kayaks aren't natural companions. Dogs are unpredictable, and you might both end up in the water. That's what one woman failed to understand, and pushed her friends to see her point of view. Read on for the story. 

  • AITA for not letting my friend bring her dog on my kayak trip?

    (26F) planned a kayaking trip with two of my friends, I have my own. kayak and they were going to rent from the local shop. The night before, one friend asked if she could bring her big lab mix and I said no that the rentals don't allow pets and honestly it felt unsafe, If the dog jumped out or tipped over
    via u/nochange2111
  • the kayak it could ruin the whole trip and I even suggested we hang out after somewhere dog-friendly. She blew up and called me "controlling," and said if her dog wasn't welcome neither was she then she bailed and later told our mutuals that I "excluded" her. Now some people are acting like I was too strict.
    via u/nochange2111
  • All I wanted was a calm day on the lake, not babysitting a 70lb dog. AITA?
    via u/nochange2111

  • Commenters agreed that this was untenable behavior.

    strange-lady78 17h ago • NTA People need to learn to go places without their pets. I love my cats and dogs but I don't bring them on vacations with other people.
    via u/strange-lady78
  • Miss2912. 17h ago "The rental DOES NOT approves pets". The story should have ended here.
    via u/Miss2912
  • Ohaibaipolar • 17h ago NTA. People who take their dog literally everywhere (unless it's a service dog) are so cringe. I have allergies and they're infringing on my right to have a non stuffed nose.
    via u/Ohaibaipolar
  • Aesperacchius • 17h ago No is a complete sentence. The conversation should've stopped at 'the rental doesn't allow pets'. Your friend's the AH for pushing after that. NTA
    via u/Aesperacchius
  • Two friends paddle a canoe together.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Hairpants_Scowler 16h ago NTA. I once arrived to a river kayak trip to find that a friend had brought his parents' Jack Russel with him, intending to take her along on the trip.
    via u/Hairpants_Scowler
  • He forgot to bring a leash, so he tied an elastic paddle tether to her collar. It didn't work, she was all over the place, wouldn't stay in the kayak, kept running off into the woods.
    via u/Hairpants_Scowler
  • At the same time I discovered that the kayak I was borrowing had a leak in it. We were still close to he put in point so I said I'd just go back and wait by the car for them to be done and come back in a few hours. No big deal, it was a nice summer day. Friend asked me to take the dog with and I grudgingly agreed to do so.
    via u/Hairpants_Scowler
  • As soon as the group was out of sight the dog slipped her collar and took off into the woods. Wouldn't listen to me, didn't come back. We were deep in the wilderness. So I waited by the car until they came back. I told them what happened. Dog friend lost his me until our other friends told him that it was his fault for bringing the dog in the first place, also for not having a leash.
    via u/Hairpants_Scowler
  • We spent the night at the parking area yelling for the dog, walking up and down the road yelling for her, she didn't show up. I had to go back to work the next day so I did that. I checked in every few days to ask about the dog, but they didn't find her.
    via u/Hairpants_Scowler
  • 2 months later he finds a found dog flyer at the a grocery store about 25 miles away, it's his dog. They get reunited, dog is fat as h I now. So yeah, don't take dogs kayaking. It s ks.
    via u/Hairpants_Scowler
  • LMShep 17h ago NTA But if the rentals don't allow dogs, the whole convo could/should have stopped right there.
    via u/LMShep
  • Jerseygirl2468 • 17h ago . Who are "some people"? The rentals don't allow pets. This has nothing to do with you being controlling, she needs to rent a kayak and the rental says no pets.
    via u/Jerseygirl2468
  • SaturniinaeActias 17h ago No - I am officially a crazy dog lady. But my dogs are capable of staying at home while I do activities that aren't dog friendly. There is a difference between mutual adoration and unhealthy codependence. NTA
    via u/SaturniinaeActias
  • Your_Daddy_1972 17h ago . NTA How were YOU too strict. If the rental place doesn't allow dogs then that's in no way your fault.
    via u/Your_Daddy_1972
  • draconiclyyours 17h ago NTA Crazy dog dad here, and I have the good sense to know when it's appropriate or not to bring my dogs. If she wants to kayak with her dog, she can plan the trip.
    via u/draconiclyyours
  • marugirl 17h ago NTA and how the h is it your fault if the rental place says no?
    via u/marugirl
  • Elegant_Anywhere... 17h ago NTA. A dog isn't an appropriate travel companion for a kayak trip.
    via u/Elegant_Anywhere_150
  • Careless-Nature-8... • 17h ago NTA: I am a person who likes to have her dog with her everywhere I can. If someone doesn't want the dog, I might not go. It doesn't mean I'm not welcome, it means they have the right to not have my dog there and I have the right to decide to not go and it's all ok. He's my dog, not someone else's.
    via u/Careless-Nature-8347
  • MasterTrevise · 16h ago No. I don't understand why people feel the need to IMPOSE their dogs or pets to another person. I really miss that time when dogs were dogs, not babies
    via u/MasterTrevise
  • LawyerDad1981 • 17h ago . Who are these "some people" that always seem to exist chime in on arguments that no one in theor right mind would ever even talk about? I guess if they're in the same. crowd of "others say." If you're not careful, people will start "blowing up your phone," and reminding you that "family helps family" even though they're not family).
    via u/LawyerDad1981
  • BoyMamaBear1995 · 17h ago NTA, I have a different take. Betting she knew that the rental place wouldn't approve and that you wouldn't want the dog with you. She's decided she didn't really want to go, so by asking, she makes you look bad instead of her fessing up.
    via u/BoyMamaBear1995
  • Eyjin 17h ago NTA. The trip plan made was dog unsafe and against the rules. She chose to escalate it and spin it to others. The only thing you might be guilty of is not sugar-coating the "no," but that doesn't make you TA - just direct
    via u/Eyjin

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