How do I get my in-laws to put away their dog when we visit?

Tell them you won't visit unless they do, they need to understand you are worried about your child.

Well, you have gotten alot of advice here and the prevailing similarity is that you should refuse to go over unless the dog is put away. Here are my thoughts.....it is thier house and their dog....and they can do what they want too. However, do they realize that it only takes one incident and they could lose their dog, and possibly alot of money paying for medical bills, not to mention the guilt of the whole situation IF something were to go wrong. If a dog bites on the face, its automatic death row for the pup, reguardless of how serious it is or if the dog was provoked. Children are alot closer to the ground than a person and faces are generally eye level for most dogs....making it easily accessable to bite. It is a scary thought for both your child and the dog. The consequences for both are permanant and serious. I personally would have you and your husband sit down and talk with them, tell them that you know "sparky" is a good dog and that he has never hurt the baby in the past, and it is likely he never will, BUT that you and your hubby do not feel comfortable haveing them share a space. Explain to them that it is not only for the safety of your child but also for "sparky's" best interest. Tell them that you respect that it is their house and that they can do what they choose there and that you will respect whatever they decide. However, ask that they do the same, to you. If they do not wish to have the dog put up when you visit then you can not have the grandchild over to visit either. Assure them that it is nothing personal against them. I know that this is a tough situation, but you are responsible for the well being of your child.....you have to do what you feel is in the best interest of your child. Good luck to you.

It's simple...have your husband tell them flat out if they don't put the dog away and KEEP the dog put away for the length of your visit...you're not going to visit. PERIOD. My in-laws have a dog that bites too, and he goes in his cage upstairs in a bedroom with the door shut. I agree with you 100% and think you and your husband need to be firm and follow through with your promise of not visiting if the dog is out. And if they let the dog out after you get there and are settled in for the visit...pack up and leave. I would say something like "Since you can't respect our wishes and protect our baby we're leaving." They really should care more about the baby than a dog. Good luck!!

You need to know that your fears are very valid and very real. I babysat for a family that had 8 kids (yes 8) and they had a dog for years. It was VERY friendly and tolerant. It was never a problem with any of the other kids, then one day, it just attacked the baby. It launched onto the baby's face! Aaron (the baby boy) has had to have corrective surgery several times, but he lived through it. We don't really know why he attacked. Maybe the baby pulled his hair or tail...we don't know, but he had never showed any aggressive signs to the other kids when they bothered him.

Also, a girl I graduated with was babysitting her cousin and they decided to go outside, where the family dog was. The dog didn't recognize her for some reason and attacked her and launched himself onto HER face! She was so beautiful she could have been a model (well a short model). But she has massive scarring on her face, neck and she broke her arm trying to defend herself against the dog and protect the child.

Dogs can turn any second, even on people they live with. Please make a big deal about this. You know they want to see their grandchildren, so they will get over putting the dog up. I DID NOT make up these stories. If the dog has an aggressive streak/ overly playful, you especially have to insist that the dogs are put up.

Your in laws might be pissed off at first or call you a worry wart, but that's better than them apologizing for the rest of their lives for not listening when they should have and having to deal with their dog hurting your babies.

If he bites badly then I would consider contacting some sort of animal advice service and asking them. I don't know where you live, but in England if an animal bites or seriously harms someone it has to be put to sleep. In the mean time, stress to them that if anything happens to you or your children then you will sue them and their dog will be taken away. Surely they care that much about their grandchildren and daughter-in-law?

Well anyway, good luck and I hope you get the problem sorted out soon!

You have every right in the world to protect YOUR children as they did theirs growing up. I hate people that put animals before humans. If their that stupid to have such a thing happen to their grandchildren then they don't deserve a nice way of putting it to them. Just come out and both of you tell them. Tell them that it has happened ( like they don't know it ) before and you don't want it to happen again.

Just think of how sorry you'd feel if at the least one of your children winds up with a permament scar on their face from those beasts.

I went over a apesons house a couple years back and keep in mind I'm in my 50's. Well, their BIG dog kept jumping on me to the point that I had to turn my back completely on him the entire time if I was standing. Then I had to turn around to walk and the dog jumped on me, knocked me over onto their coffee table onto the floor I went. They just looked at me like I did something wrong. I was SHOCKED ! They never once yelled at the dog or put the dog away. Can you believe that one ? How in hell can people be so stupid !

you are very right that they do need to put the dog away when you come to visit especially since the dog bit your mother in law before you think she would realize that the dog could possibly bit you, your husband of your child I would refuse to go over there anymore unless she can put the dog away after all is a dog more important then her family?

You can't make them do anything because it's their house and their dog, but you can refuse to visit in future if they don't keep the dogs away from you and your family.

The dog clearly needs some agressiveness training. Perhaps it would be a good idea to suggest this to your MIL. I refuse to put my dogs away when someone comes to visit, unless its a case where someone is afraid of them, or someone is picking on the dogs. My dogs are well-behaved and very well-trained; therefore they do not jump, bark, or do anything else we don't want them doing.

For the record, if someone picks on my dogs, they're not welcome in my home, either.

Make it clear to them that you wont visit any more unless the dog is put up or they get the dog better training and you know the dog is better. I am surprised they have kept the dog after hearing those stories. But over all make it clear you are worried for you child.

Flat out tell them if the dog is not put away then the visits will no longer even be an option. You have to think about the wellbeing of your child and if they don't respect that then TOUGH. Sounds to me like they care more about their dog than their grandchild.

To keep the peace for the future, I would not suggest threatening them. Simply tell them you are uncomfortable with the dog being around your child and it would be much better if they would put it away when you visit. Then if that doesn't work, get your hubby to step up and make the threats!