You know how the holiday season is supposed to be all about decking the halls, singing carols, and stuffing your face with an embarrassing amount of cookies? Between decorating, cooking, and finding space for everyone’s presents, hosting Christmas dinner at your place is a real stress test. Add a couple of overexcited pups crashing the party, and suddenly the holiday cheer comes with a side of shedding fur and chewed-up ornaments.

For one netizen, this year’s Christmas is shaping up to be less “Silent Night” and more “Who Let the Dogs Out.” Turns out, the family is split over a hot-button issue: should the dogs come to Christmas dinner?

More info: Mumsnet

When you mix holiday cheer with overexcited pups, the Christmas spirit can either be the life of the party or a fur-covered nightmare

Image credits: Leonardo Merlo / Pexels (not the actual photo)

One woman was planning to host Christmas dinner at her house when 3 family members announced they would be bringing their dogs along

Image credits: Rob Bach / Pexels (not the actual photo)

The woman doesn’t have any pets and doesn’t want dogs in her house because of germs and lack of space, and she is worried about her small kids

Image credits: Kostya Levit Naddubov / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: caninechristmasconundrum

The woman tells her family she wants a dog-free Christmas and their furry friends are not invited to the festivities

Dogs are part of the family, of course, but not every home is built to handle their zoomies, slobber, or those mischievous bathroom breaks that somehow always happen in front of the tree.

And our OP (original poster), who admits she never owned a pet, found herself blindsided when 3 family members just assumed their furry friends were automatically invited to the Christmas Day festivities. Two excitable puppies and a rescue dog were apparently gearing up for their big holiday debut, without even an RSVP!

So, what does a gracious host do when suddenly faced with the prospect of a four-legged invasion? Well, our OP sent a polite message clarifying that this year’s gathering would be dog-free, citing personal preferences, limited space, and the presence of small kids.

Sounds reasonable, right? Well, not according to the dog owners, who fired back with messages questioning if this was all due to a “germ OCD” issue. To make things even more awkward, they dragged the OP’s husband into the fray, implying he should have a say since it’s “not just her house.” A serving of Christmas drama, anyone?

Here’s the million-dollar question: when did bringing dogs to everything become the norm? I get it, I’m a pet owner too, but that doesn’t mean I expect everyone to automatically like my furry friend. While pets are part of the family and it’s great to include them in celebrations, it’s also important to consider the comfort of everyone involved, including the pets themselves.

Because this is not just about space or personal preference—there are plenty of legitimate reasons to leave the pooches at home for a few hours. Dogs, especially puppies in their zoomie phase, can create chaos in an environment that isn’t dog-proofed. Add small children into the mix, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

Image credits: Nicole Michalou / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Professional dog trainers say that for some dogs, large gatherings with unfamiliar people, food, and noise can be overwhelming, especially for puppies. Crates, quiet spaces at home, or even a dog sitter, are often the safest and most comfortable options.

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Introducing your dogs to the family gradually and in small doses is the safest way to do it, and eventually, after some training, they’ll be able to attend larger family gatherings comfortably, but they do need to be comfortable with your family first. In other words, the dogs might not even want to be part of the chaos, so why force them?

For someone who isn’t a pet owner, like the OP, the idea of shedding, slobber, and accidental bathroom breaks near the Christmas tree isn’t exactly festive, now is it? Plus, she’s not really friendly with germs either. So, how to keep the peace without ruining the holiday cheer?

Well, her message was polite and clear, but it might’ve been helpful to set the “no dogs” rule earlier – like when the invites went out. The earlier you communicate boundaries, the less room there is for misunderstandings.

Boundaries might feel like party poopers, but they’re actually the ultimate holiday life-savers. If you’re hosting, it’s perfectly fine to set clear rules for your space. Maybe it’s a dog-free zone, a shoes-off house, or a “no double-dipping” policy – whatever works for you.

The key is to communicate these boundaries early and unapologetically. Most people will respect your preferences, and those who don’t? Well, they can argue with your couch about it, since you’ll be busy serving dessert.

So, is our poster being unreasonable? Should dogs get an automatic invite to holiday gatherings, or is it fair to ask them to sit this one out? Let us know in the comments!

Netizens sided with the woman, saying it’s her house, her rules, and her family shouldn’t have assumed they could bring their dogs without asking

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