A concerned dad took to Reddit for opinions after he made his cousin’s girlfriend feel unwelcome at his house. But he won’t apologize for putting his daughter first. Here is the whole story.
Autistic Daughter’s Support Dog
OP has a young daughter who is autistic. The girl has a support dog, but he was initially intended to be a livestock dog.
OP’s dad bought the big pooch to help out on the farm, but the dog wasn’t very good at his job.
When OP took his daughter to his dad’s to meet the dog, it was love at first sight. Girl and Beast hit it off, and OP took the dog home.
Now, the dog supports OP’s daughter throughout her day and helps her feel safe and calmer.
A Big Teddy Bear
OP admits that the dog is massive and can seem intimidating, but he doesn’t look or act mean. He’s basically an oversized teddy bear.
OP also has a relatively large and close family, and they occasionally like to have dinners together. OP often hosts because his house is big enough to accommodate them all.
That was all well and good until the first time OP cooked dinner for the group after his daughter had her support dog.
OP’s cousin brought his girlfriend to the house as usual, but she freaked out when she saw the little girl’s companion.
She Was Petrified
Turns out, the GF is terrified of dogs. It was so bad that the cousin’s girlfriend refused to even go inside OP’s house, and they had to leave.
After some follow-up discussions, OP and his cousin tried to reach a compromise.
First, OP put his daughter’s dog in his crate for a while so the cousin and his girlfriend could drop by.
That worked out fine for the girlfriend since the dog was caged. But OP’s daughter was a mess.
Can’t Lock Away Her Best Friend
The little girl gets very nervous around new people, especially without her dog nearby.
OP knew right away from his daughter’s reaction that he couldn’t put the dog away when they had company.
So OP told his cousin that the girlfriend would either have to suck up her fears or just stay away. He was not going to risk causing his daughter a lot of stress for no reason.
The cousin didn’t like that idea, but he suggested maybe OP could leave the dog at home, and they could all eat somewhere else.
Me or the Dog?
OP was all for that, but the cousin wasn’t willing to host the family, and neither was anyone else.
It all got put on the back burner for a while, but during a recent holiday season, OP’s dad came to stay with him. That meant everyone would be coming to OP’s house to see the older man.
So OP’s cousin once again asked him to crate the dog. But OP repeated that he wasn’t willing to risk his daughter’s well-being.
That made the cousin angry, and he asked OP why he hated his girlfriend so much.
She’s His Number One Priority
OP assured his cousin he had no ill will toward his girlfriend. It was just that his daughter was and always would be more important.
The two men got pretty heated, and OP’s dad eventually had to step in to cool things. He also told OP he was wrong and that his daughter should get over her fears.
But OP won’t back down, and he intends to protect his daughter no matter what.
He’s a Good Dad
Redditors overwhelmingly support OP and the stance he’s taking for his daughter. They think his dad and cousin are being selfish.
Most of them also think it’s pretty silly that an adult woman is trying to get her way at the expense of a timid child.
The post Good Dad Won’t Cage Autistic Daughter’s Best Friend Despite Fears of Visiting Family: Her Comfort Is His Priority first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Ground Picture
Source: Reddit