AITAH for not really wanting to hang around my good friends because of their dog?

My husband (29M) and I (26F) have close friends, J (27M) and M (28F), who recently got an 8-month-old mixed-breed dog (a poodle variant) from a backyard breeder. I feel like I am overreacting to the puppy’s behaviors, and while they make visiting a hassle, I wonder if I am just being sour.

My husband is allergic to dogs, not life-threateningly allergic, but enough that if he’s licked or the dog gets too close, he becomes a sneezy, snotty mess and gets rashes.

J and M live a few hours away, so we visit them at their house when we can. Over time, their dog’s behavior has gotten worse: jumping, body-slamming, chewing on hair, biting hands, no sense of personal space. We try not to engage with him at all, but it doesn’t help because everything sets him off. They’ve openly admitted they “don’t have time” to train him, even though they don’t have kids and work normal jobs.

We’ve explained repeatedly that, despite being “hypoallergenic,” the dog triggers my husband’s allergies, so he needs to be kept off him. It is frustrating because they know this, and make fun of my husband for his allergies all the time.  It doesnt frustrate my husband as much as it does me, but the mantra for the day we were there last was "oh, you just need to get over it".  J specifically kept making comments about how gross it is that my husband is using so many tissues because he is a snot fountain at the moment, but then getting snippy with us when we comment about how nasty it is to let their dog lick their hands, faces, and mouths.  This has continued to rub me wrong the last several times we have hung out, especially since M has a bad food allergy so I would think she would understand how tough it can be to be allergic to something.

It also puts us in an obnoxious and weird spot, because the alternative to pushing the dog off is constantly asking J and M to get their dog (he has no recall, so it's an ordeal for them to try to wrestle him away from my husband and me)

It breaks my heart because the dog is truly intelligent.  He is just so devoid of any training and stimulation that he acts out.  He is a very hyper dog, but the most walking and enrichment he gets is a 2-minute potty walk around their front yard. This results in him coming inside from pottying, and then going completely berserk. My husband understands my concern, but feels like it's not a huge issue since they won't come to our place (for valid, non-related reasons).  We are totally understanding and more than happy to come to them to hangout, but I almost dont want to go anymore.  It is clear that this is causing J and M strain as well, as they have begun fighting more and more each time we are there, usually over the dog's actions.  This makes everything super awkward and brings down the mood significantly.

My husband brushes it off because he loves them, but I’m honestly dreading going over there now. Am I overreacting about this puppy and his terrible behavior, or is this a valid concern? I love them both, but I’m getting fed up.

Posted Dec 8, 2025, 3:24 AM UTC

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