Dad Tells Kids They Can’t Bring Pit Bull to Thanksgiving Dinner 4 Hours Away Because New Girlfriend Is Bringing Her Dog

When the holidays arrive, many families look forward to familiar rituals: big meals, shared memories, and the steady comfort of being together.

But for some households, the season can also bring hard choices — especially when grief, new relationships, and long-standing family traditions meet head-on.

That’s the situation one Reddit user says they’re navigating this year. In a recent post, they described feeling caught between supporting their widowed father’s new relationship and preserving a holiday routine that has long included the family dogs.

“My dad has been dating someone for the last 6 months — my mom died 3 years ago pretty devastatingly,” the user wrote. They said they’ve tried to be encouraging as their father moves forward, but the girlfriend — whom they’ve only met once — is already being folded into major family plans.

Their father wants her to join the upcoming holiday gathering so she can “get to know us better.” The problem, the user explained, isn’t her presence. It’s a rule that comes with it.

Both the user and the girlfriend live out of town and each has a dog. The user has a 75-pound pit bull and typically brings the dog home for the holidays. The girlfriend, however, has a five-pound terrier that she describes as dog-aggressive.

“She can only stay the night with her dog at his house she says,” the poster wrote, adding that the girlfriend insists she can’t stay in town without bringing her terrier.

So the father asked the user not to bring their pit bull this year, because the girlfriend won’t attend if another dog is present. According to the poster, she has said she would need to leave early if the pit bull comes to the house.

That request hit a nerve, because bringing the dogs home has always been part of the family’s holiday routine.

“We’ve spent every holiday with our dog at the family home and feel a bit upset that we can’t spend the holiday with our dog since we will be staying there as well,” they wrote. The restriction also affects their siblings, who have a dog of their own and were told that their pet can’t come either. On top of that, the family was given only one week’s notice to arrange boarding.

In the poster’s view, the issue feels especially unfair because the pit bull is friendly, calm, and good around other dogs.

“Keep in mind, our dog loves other dogs and is an absolute angel & loves people,” they wrote.

The girlfriend, however, argues that keeping the dogs apart isn’t an option. She reportedly said her terrier is so aggressive that separation would make the small dog anxious and paranoid. Even confining the pit bull to a bedroom wasn’t acceptable to her.

Underneath the dog dispute, the user said there’s an old emotional pattern resurfacing. They wrote that their father has a history of prioritizing new partners in ways that leave the family feeling pushed aside, especially during the limited times they can all be together.

With the holiday approaching and options shrinking fast, the user wondered if they were being unreasonable for wanting the dogs included — and for feeling hurt that the family tradition is changing so suddenly.

Commenters were split.

Some said the girlfriend should be the one adjusting, since her dog is the aggressive one. Others felt the user should respect the father’s request because it’s his home and his holiday plan.

“Your dad’s home and he said not to bring your dog. Not your home, not your decision,” one person wrote. “Leave the dog at home or don’t go.”

Another commenter pointed out the practical side: finding a boarding spot at the last minute is tough, especially right before Thanksgiving. They suggested the user either skip the gathering or spend the holiday with siblings instead, since they’re facing the same dilemma.