I was not sure where to put this, so I put it in dogs, rather than families.

OK, the problem is my cousins. I have 4 close cousins. One of them has always been scared of dogs, she is very over-the-top and always moans at everything, it is physically impossible to keep her content, so when she comes around to the house, and sees Abbie, she walks in hunched over with her hands over her ears and cowers in the back of the room. She makes these weird moaning noises too, it is 100% for attention because when her parents and my mum are not around, she is fine with Abbie. However, making such an ordeal, gets Abbie’s ‘emotions’ flying. She barks at her because of the noises because it is like a dog in pain or something, so my cousin ends up making things worse. Her sister apparently loves dogs, but that is BS because when I was younger, I used to say I’m getting a dog when I am older and she’d say haha good luck it’s going to bite you. She always copies off me. I have odd interests, one being dinosaurs, and she copied off that, I was serious about it, but she just thought it was something silly, so about 2 year later, once I have made a folder and all sorts on it, she comes out with oh that dino thing was stupid, can’t believe I copied that but I know everything, when she can’t even spell Tyrannosaurs Rex without spell checker. [When you like something, you know spellings].

She comes over to the house and tries to boss me around, and stands in weird positions around Abbie. She will hover round her face and make her sit on the sofa [we allow it, but first Abbie must be invited up] and gets her to pounce round her head, which we totally discourage, so I say Abbie down and she will say No No Abbie stay here and grabs her. I cannot explain any rules to her, she ignores them! During play, we talk dog. I will tell her things of interest or answer her questions because I’m polite. But when Abbie drops the toy, that is it, she walks off and ignores me again, and tells me oh Abbie was waiting. We teach Abbie that sometimes, she must wait for the Alpha’s to finish what they’re doing. We are also teaching heel with Abbie as she isn’t 100% at it, so my cousin offers but I say well we’re training. She takes out the dog and then teases Abbie by the road with it!

There was one time before all this hassle when I allowed her to handle Abbie, but once we hit the crossing, Abbie pulls because she knows where it leads to, and my cousin ended up having Abbie on the road because she cannot hold her back as she’s not strong enough to control her. I said OK enough, and grabbed the lead, and she sulked, which Abbie picked up on. We have loads of dogs round here and I talk to many of the dog owners. I am well known, and for my age, respected as I can really handle Abbie and she has excellent recall with me because *I* train her. My cousin says uurgg look at her dogs when I see ‘friends’. She once told me ‘Huskies are nasty, nasty dogs.’

When she comes round, our entire routine changes, so she ends up messing it up. She texts her mum without telling us, saying can she stay longer, but we don’t know she is texting [only know now as her mum told mine]. When she does get picked up, my uncle and other cousin come around and my uncle really stares at Abbie. Her hackles come right up and she gets really aggravated running about and then jumping behind me, but my uncle will walk right up to her, then when she barks he says she needs to be seriously seen to before she bites someone!

I simply cannot win with them, but we are close as a family, and I have always been polite, but they say I boast because I know lots about dogs and I think I am it because of Abbie.

What do I do, or say?
I meant to type toy [the road and heeling part] not dog.
Kellsey – don’t bother answering next time.
No K that is why I said when they come around. They are cousins, not siblings.
Thanks Unicandy, I have asked one if she’d like to help when we train in the field and she sits down and says naaa you just do it then I play, so I say well after training, we’re going, it is unfair on me and Abbie.

Not being nasty, but they’re both *very* overweight, playing outdoors is something they BOTH hate! I think because Abbie is active, they just want to mess around so they don’t have to do so much, but they still just come round!
Do you think it would be nasty or too far if I said for them not to come around at all, for birthdays and chirstmas and easter, we could just take their presents [yes, they still get Easter Eggs, up to 20 each.... yes 20 lol!!] ? Rather than have this hassle?
Wishnuwelltoo; would you believe, Abbie is not allowed in THEIR house!!? They will just arrive, me & my mum will talk it over, I have a feeling Saturday will bring a phone call my way.