AITA for telling my friend they can’t bring their dog to my house anymore?

A 24-year-old woman has a friend, Jess, whose overly energetic dog has caused chaos during visits. After an incident at a recent gathering, she asked Jess not to bring her dog over anymore, leading to accusations of being a bad friend. Is she in the wrong for setting this boundary? Read the full story below.

‘ AITA for telling my friend they can’t bring their dog to my house anymore?’

I (24F) have a friend, “Jess” (25F), who has a really energetic dog. I love dogs, but Jess’s pup is a bit too much for me. Whenever Jess comes over, her dog jumps all over my furniture, knocks things over, and just generally causes chaos.

I’ve tried to be patient, but it’s gotten to the point where I’m worried something will break or get ruined. Last week, I had a small gathering at my place, and Jess brought her dog without asking. The dog ended up spilling drinks and knocking over some decorations.

I was stressed out and asked Jess to take the dog outside for a bit. She got upset and said I was being unreasonable. After that, I told her I’d prefer if she didn’t bring her dog over anymore. She got really mad and said I was being a bad friend.

Now I’m feeling guilty, but I just want to enjoy my space without worrying about the dog destroying everything. So, AITA for telling my friend she can’t bring her dog to my house anymore?

Take a look at the comments from fellow users:

IamIrene −  Jess brought her dog without asking. She did this because you have already given her permission. You need to fully rescind your permission and use her lack of control over her dog as the primary reason. If the dog was well-behaved I’m sure you’d welcome it but it isn’t, and that’s your friend’s fault.

After that, I told her I’d prefer if she didn’t bring her dog over anymore. She got really mad and said I was being a bad friend. So according to her, being a good friend is you letting *her dog* destroy *your* home??? She’s the one being a bad friend, she’s the one not honoring your boundaries or respecting your home.. Your house, your rules.. NTA.

RoyallyOakie −  NTA…She’s being a bad friend by bringing her untrained dog without asking first.

Suitable_Purchase851 −  NTA. It’s your house, your rules. You’re allowed to set boundaries, since her dog is causing chaos and stress in your space. If Jess can’t understand that, that’s on her and not on you.

Legitimate-Ad231 −  NTA. It is YOUR house. She clearly does not respect you or your home. You shouldn’t have to tell her to not let her dog f**k up your home. If she can’t keep him in check then she should leave him at home like normal pet owners do.

opinionated-grouch −  NTA. Your friend lacks boundaries. If your friend can’t respect your space then perhaps she should host you. Or meet you in a public place. But I am alarmed that she would somehow think she’s entitled to bring her animal to your home. This would be enough to make me reconsider a friendship.

bereadyinFive −  NTA…….. I don’t think you’re the a**hole for setting boundaries in your own home. It’s completely reasonable to want to protect your space and belongings, especially if Jess’s dog has been causing significant disruptions and damage.

You’ve been patient and tried to accommodate the dog, but it’s understandable that you’ve reached a point where it’s too much. It’s important to feel comfortable and relaxed in your own home, and it sounds like the dog’s behavior is making that difficult.

It might help to have a calm and honest conversation with Jess about why you made this decision. Explain that it’s not about disliking her dog, but about the stress and potential damage it causes. It’s also important for Jess to take some accountability for her dog’s behavior.

As a pet owner, she should be mindful of how her dog’s actions affect others and take steps to manage and control the dog in different environments. Not g**lighting you into believing you’re the problem.

Maybe you can suggest meeting up at a dog-friendly park or another location where the dog can be more freely energetic without causing issues. Or suggestion taking the dog to get some training.

Setting boundaries doesn’t make you a bad friend; it just means you’re taking care of your own needs. Hopefully, Jess will understand and respect your decision in time.

Dlraetz1 −  NTA I feel infinitely qualified to answer this question. I have a loveable half trained lab. I would never take her ANYWHERE without express permission and a large fenced yard. Your friend on the other hand is a bad pet owner

Proper_Rush_9367 −  Tell her and her dog to f**k off. She’s entitled as f**k. Pretty sure she’d have no issue telling you off, if the tables were turned. Why are you even friends with her?

CartographerHot2285 −  NTA. I had a very energetic dog myself, not badly trained, but clumsy, gigantic, and full of energy. I didn’t even let her near guests in my own house without their explicit permission. That kind of energy isn’t for everyone, and you shouldn’t impose that on people.

max-in-the-house −  Nope NTA when I had dogs I didn’t just show up with dogs, I’d ask if it was ok. If not, dogs stayed home. Easy peasy.

Do you think it’s fair for the homeowner to set boundaries about pets in their space, or should they accommodate Jess’s dog to maintain the friendship? How would you balance personal comfort with being a good host? Share your thoughts in the comments!