They just don't get it..
 

I have posted about staying at the In-Laws with Pixie on here before..and i AM lucky that i am able to take her there with me when we stay. We stayed last weekend for a couple of days..Pixie's safety is a big issue for me when there, my MIL bounds around the house and is constantly tripping over the dogs..I have to scoop Pixie up all the time out of harms way.. She is also in the habit of chucking leftover food scraps in the garden which my dogs will eat if given half the chance..They also leave outside doors open ALOT! While we were there, the front doorbell rang..I said: "HOLD ON while I get hold of Pixie before you open the door!" MIL answers the door after i had got hold of her and THEN goes straight into the kitchen where she was cooking and OPENED THE BACK DOOR to let some cool air in as the kitchen was getting too hot!!:eek: Another time she went out to put some rubbish in the bin and left the door open..I see Pixie standing there in the doorway looking out..I screamed for my hubby to grab her!:eek: They just DO NOT understand..if i say anything about it they look at me like i'm being silly..it just doesn't seem to sink in..I think they also think i spoil Pixie too much and that i'm overprotective..I said to my hubby.."If anything ever happens to Pixie it will happen while we are STAYING HERE!!":rolleyes:
I don't want to have to pen her up everytime we stay there..I just wish they could understand a bit more..I'm starting to dread each visit now:(

I feel for you. :(
An ex-pen with plenty of her favorite toys may not be a bad idea though for the times you are busy and can't watch her every move. Or how about one of those slings for her, (they're like baby slings) you could just keep her on you when she's not napping.
I hope you can still enjoy your visit.

aaaww thanks! yeah..I think a pen of some sort is the way to go..she's only a little thing (3lbs) I do take her crate with us which i use when we have to go out somewhere and at night to sleep in..so she's totally used to that. They have a Collie that won't stray out of an open door and our Staffy is very good and wouldn't wander off either..so i think they are just not used to having a very small dog around that can nip past your heels and be gone before you know it!:eek:

That is scary! Anytime I'm anywhere with Lacy or if there are several people over at my house for some reason, I am constantly watching the door because people just don't think before they open the door...or will just stand there with it open. These little dogs can easily escape out of the house and get hurt.

Oh..and by the way..They have had 2 previous bitches (years ago now) that escaped while in season and got pregnant! :eek: One was a mongrel bitch that got caught by a much larger dog so they had to get her to a vet because 'the puppies would have been too large for her' (MIL words!) The second time was a poodle bitch they had, she escaped and got caught too...'luckily'.. (MIL words again!) by another poodle..so they let her have those puppies..which they sold..:rolleyes: :thumbdown

Oh i know what you mean..I know no peace while staying there..my nerves are in shreads!

Just thought of this...do you have a baby gate?? You could bring it and block off the room with that back door. Would the MIL go for that?

I thought about a baby gate also...or put her xpen across a doorway and let her stay in one area most of the time...with toys, treats, and you!! :p

Much better to use an x-pen then to have something happen to her

yeah..I think a pen is the way forward...not sure where to get something like that in the UK though? it would have to fold up quite small because of lack of room in the car..we already take her crate with us..but i suppose if we had a pen she could sleep in that at night instead... Just need to think this through more before our next visit...not sure she would be too happy with me putting up babygates though!:rolleyes: Thanks for your support on this guys!;)

That IS a good idea though..but the bars would have to be close together..shes very small!:p

If you use ebay, there are sellers in the UK that sells x-pen's.

Our backyard is enclosed with a tall privacy fence. When we have lots of people over, I still put Parker in his x-pen. He stands by it and whines to be put in it. I think it is because he gets nervous around a group of people. He has one inside and one outside.

yeah thanks i'll check ebay out!:)

i totally understand what you mean.

its like the other people in our lives....almost.....behave in a sabotaging manner....

I am really firm on rules with my dogs, and both my motherinlaw and my mother believe that they can feed them whatever they want whenever they want (just because they are our mothers grr). They do not realize the time and effort it takes to make them behave in a certain way, and then to have all that work destroyed in one day.

I do not approve of my dogs jumping up at me while I'm eating dinner expecting me to share the food off of my plate with them, or if i'm on the couch eating a snack. It is totally unacceptable behavior, and embarrasing when I have company over. Ok so I finally break them of that habit, they visit, and then feed them!! Even after I ask them not to and give them the reasoning behind it!

.................... I totally understand the dread thing... some people just dont have a clue...

If it were me, then I wouldn't stay, but that's just me. If people think I'm to over protective of my furbutts, oh well, so be it. I'd rather be labeled over protective then have one of my furbutts dead, missing or hurt. But, you're right, some people just don't get it, sadly, I don't think they've ever truly loved a furkid if they can't understand your worrying for your furbaby.

Oh boy, I know how you feel. Its so frustrating! It happened to me and I thought I would have a heart attack. :( I usually try to lock all the doors when I am at someone's house but I know sometimes its hard to watch every single one because people tend to come in and out from different doors all the time. So now if I feel my baby is not safe in the house and I dont trust people around, I use his gate.

It is very frustrating when people just don't get it. Not to steal the thread from you but try living with 6 retired racing greyhounds. They go from 0 to 45 in THREE STRIDES. I had some people here cleaning the carpet and they were inside and they went out---they were told about the dogs...well they left the door wide open and the next thing I knew I had two out trying to go with them in the van...thank God..they went to go bye bye..

I have taken to putting an x-pen to block the door way if I have anyone new come over..it is an art to get in with them all wanting attention. I also have chained and padlocked all 7 gates.

As much as you would hate to use the x-pen: how would you like to look for the precious baby. I understand that with the type of dogs I have...I probably would never see mine again if they got out..Max due to size and the Greys because of the open country...and the speed that they run..

So just take the extra steps to protect...it is so worth it. Do it with a smile and tell them that your neurotic!!;)

I understand your concerns, I agree with the other posts, an X-pen seems to be your best option. Try not to get too upset with the in-laws, they're used to living their lives a certain way and don't have all the worries that come with having a small dog and it sounds like they don't have the same concerns with their existing dogs so it's not surprising that they forget "the rules" when you come over. I think it's wonderful that they allow you to bring her, you're very lucky:D I think bringing an x-pen will make for a much more relaxing visit in the future;) .

aawww thanks guys! I knew YOU would understand!:)
We were talking about holidays when we were with them..MIL said to us; "we will have the dogs for you if you go away somewhere"! :eek: So lovely of her to offer but..OMG! I just couldn't leave Pixie with them..she would either get injured, lost forever or eat something harmful..they wouldn't have a clue how to groom her either..she would be in such a state by the time i got back! lol...where i go..SHE goes too! They just don't understand what it takes to care for such a precious little girl..she tiny and very vulnerable...not too mention incredibly demanding!:p

yes..they are very good at letting us bring our dogs..they have always had dogs of their own anyway so it doesn't bother them at all if we have our two in tow..I just think they expect Pixie to act like the two larger, older dogs in the family..she's not like a typical dog,..she is a tiny 3lb yorkie and still a baby at 10 months old..it really is like caring for a human baby in my eyes.

How about a barbed-wire X-pen? And put MIL in it!

How big is the garden? Could that be X-penned off? If I read correctly, the scraps are the biggest problem in the backyard.

How about this? Folds flat. I'm thinking of getting one:
http://www.petstreetmall.com/Soft-Pu...pen/5056/1897/
I now have a real baby playpen, but it's wider and hard to move from room to room. I want one that easily fits through doorways without having to collapse, etc. Good Luck!

LOL....Don't tempt me..:p

They have a very large garden..if there are scraps outside i pick them up and bin them!:p

yes..they are good idea..I have been on ebay tonight looking at pens..I did see a canvass type fold away portable pen..which wouldn't take up too much room in the car..She would only be in it when i can't supervise her 100% or when dangers are lurking!:rolleyes:

My grandpa is really slow going out the door and closing it (not because of old age) even tho he knew Callie would walk right out it so I had to teach her to stay and after a lot of work she finaly stays back from the door most of the time but there is still times she tries to make a break for it but not a lot, maybe you could try and teach her to stay back for those times you cant get to her fast enough to pick her up right away it might give you a minute to get to her. I donno just an idea.

I say be patient, people who don't have dogs/like dogs just don't understand how protective you get with them. It's like having a child. If you had a baby in the house you have to show extra procaution, same with a baby. A yorkie is like a child, and you wouldn't leave the door wide open if you have a two year old kid that could walk out. It's the same way with dogs, but some people don't see it that way!

If I were in your shoes... I would keep her with me on a leash walking around the house or in a safe xpen. They are not going to change and you will just have to be two steps ahead to keep your baby safe. It is nice that they let you bring her. Most people do not get it or think about our furbabies like we do and will never understand. Good Luck to you!

I'm going to take all the precautions i can, I can't and won't let them risk Pixie's safety..if she ever got out and got lost or hit by a car, it will be while we are staying there..they have a busy road outside their house! if we make a fuss over her safety while there they look at us as if to say 'what'?:confused::mad: They are totally oblivious..which is scary..when i'm there i practically carry her everywhere with me..to the toilet..if i'm going for a bath/shower..i take her little bed with me and she will curl up and sleep until i'm done.she's so good.
I think i'm going to purchase the fold away canvass playpen..just to use while we are there..would be easy to pack away in the car on trips..it's not overly big..but..it would do for only when we are away from home.

Yes definitely get the fold away canvass playpen. You know the saying you better be safe then sorry. ;) I have heard so many horror stories that I freak out at little things now. I have heard from a friend that her in-laws lost their two dogs because they were opening the doors not realizing that they can run out. Then their son brought his dog on one of the holidays and again they opened the door and the dog got hit by a car and died:( When I heard that I was crying. Some people learn the idea of closing doors and some dont, so its not worth of taking a chance.

I found this...
 

What do you think? would be okay for trips away and easy to pack in the car.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Portable-Fabri...742.m153.l1262