Many people admit to having tricky and difficult relationships with their in-laws.
But, while it's normal to have the odd disagreement, one man has been forced to kick his mother-in-law out of his home, after she tied up his dog.
Venting to Reddit, the 48-year-old user began his story by explaining that he and his girlfriend, Mariah, 40, had been seeing each other for two years.
He owns a three-year-old dog named Boots, who is "well behaved and loved by friends", and welcomed freely in the home and the fenced garden.
Mariah didn't grow up with a pet dog, and instead viewed them as outside animals that worked on the farm.
"It was an adjustment [for her] to get used to him, but she loves him now," the boyfriend wrote.
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Mariah's family came to visit the couple and had to stay with the Reddit user in his home.
Mariah warned him in advance that her mother doesn't allow dogs in the kitchen and would never get used to an indoor dog.
"They came, and things mostly went well, but as expected, Mariah's mom kept making comments about Boots being allowed indoors, and how that wasn't right," he said.
He told them "gently" that Boots wouldn't bother them, but as it was his home, Boots would stay indoors.
Then one morning, he came downstairs late for breakfast and noticed Boots wasn't around.
When he asked where his dog was, Mariah's mother replied: "Dogs don't belong in the kitchen, so we put him outside."
He was annoyed by the comment but didn't think much of the dog being outside - then he went searching.
"I looked out the window thinking I would see him on my back deck (his usual spot) but he wasn't there. I stepped outside to find him, and still couldn't see him," he wrote.
"I went around the corner of the house and found Boots tied up to the fence using rope from kindling bundles I have for my fire pit.
"After untying Boots, I went back inside and asked Mariah's mom why they tied up my dog.
"She said that dogs shouldn't be allowed to run around, and she was just treating him like a dog should be treated."
Mariah claimed she didn't know about Boots' whereabouts, and he believed she wasn't involved.
Filled with anger, the Reddit user told Mariah's family to pack their belongings and leave his home - despite them having nowhere else to go.
"I said that was their problem, if they couldn't respect me and my dog, they had to get out," he wrote.
The man turned to Reddit to ask whether he was in the wrong, or if his girlfriend's mother was out of order.
One user said: "What a horrible thing to do as a guest in someone else's home. Your house, your rules. You may want to revaluate your relationship with Mariah going forward."
Another added: "Boots is the resident, Mariah's mom is the guest. Guests don't make the rules. Blows my mind that he 'had' to be tied up when you have a fenced backyard for him, sounds extra torturous to me."
A third wrote: "I'm baffled by this as well. He wasn't affecting anyone once he was outside. And since when are dogs not supposed to run around? What kind of farm do these people live on?"
Do you have a dog story to share? Contact nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
