Redditor Decides To Stop Spending Christmas With The In-Laws After Her Dog Bit Her MIL And They Didn't Want It Around

"Let sleeping dogs lie" is more than just one of those idioms that have been so thoroughly misinterpreted that its true meaning has been lost. Actually, it's a literal caution.

It's most likely true that a dog will exhibit aggressive behavior when startled while sleeping. This response, known as the "sleep-startle reflex" in dogs, can be rather frightful, especially if there are young children, senior citizens, or those with disabilities present.

Many dogs will quickly get back to sleep when abruptly awakened. But when startled awake unexpectedly, some dogs may growl, snap, lunge, and bite.

In today's story, we see a Redditor and her partner, who has an Australian Shepherd. They take this dog along to see both their parents during the summer.

The last night they were at her in-laws, their dog bit her MIL when she startled him while he was sleeping. The OP thinks that a lot of factors could have contributed to the dog's reaction, and she did list them.

From the OP's perspective, it is completely understandable that the dog bit her, but her in-laws think he’s aggressive and don’t want to see him. The OP disagrees that he’s aggressive, but she absolutely respects and understands her MIL being nervous around him.

She doesn't want to push the matter, but she definitely doesn't want to spend Christmas without her dog too. Read the full story as you keep scrolling down.