How Fussy Is Your Oh Pertaining To Dogs Inside The House

[jacqui835]

Well just read through this entire thread and just wow but hopefully that part is all over now.

I have been animal mad since forever, but grew up in a family where dogs were outside only and we thought bad behaviour was almost entirely a personality trait. Needless to say, countless hours of research have shown me otherwise and I now have a doberman who I think is close to perfect (for me). Many people, particularly my own family describe him as spoiled, because I do like snuggling up to him in bed on occasion and I do feed him a varied fresh and dried diet. But like a few other posters have said, I do not think this makes a spoiled dog, he takes nothing without it being given to him and expects to have to do something to get it.

My partner, like just about everyone else, initially tried to talk me out of getting a doberman because he believed some of the common misconceptions, but now when we meet people who make silly comments about the dog, it's something we can laugh over together. He always liked dogs, but wasn't obsessed with them like I was, and tried to tell me dogs should be kept outdoors, because he thought they were dirty.

I actually think though that other factors come into it. The thing is, I am obsessed with dogs, but not all dogs, and in fact dislike most of the dogs that I meet. They don't listen, they're not trained or as trainable/intelligent as I would like personally and I don't like any small fluffy dogs. My partner is in awe of my dog now, because he has never met one that was so obedient or clever, who doesn't have a doggy smell, who guards us and our house and is so beautiful and loving to boot. I knew from my own family that not everyone loves dogs the way I do, and if the dog is dirty and poorly behaved, it's a lot more difficult for non-dog lovers to accept. This was important to me because I have quite an active social life, and I wanted a dog I could take with me everywhere, that everyone would accept and at the very least, not mind, but hopefully even like, and I have worked very hard to create that.

Now he fusses over the dog like it's his baby, always wants to play with him, loves taking him through his obedience routines and helping out with his care. We don't like going anywhere that we can't take the dog, and my partner now keeps asking me if we can't pretend the dog is a guide dog or something, so we really can take him everywhere.

The dog though is a doberman, and true to character, he is a bit of a one person dog. He loves my partner obviously, and listens to him (and that's something because he ignores strangers completely), but he is my dog. He follows me everywhere, and doesn't hesitate, and hangs off my every word, so now, OH has decided he wants his own doberman lol. Talk about a complete turn-around. But people never realise how much effort it takes to create a dog that can win people over like that. And there's only one dog. OH wants his own dog now, but doesn't really have time for it, because he's a lawyer, and often works over 12 hours a day. Having watched me, he realises that our dog is the product of training, love, exercise and discipline, and it's not something that will happen by itself, so that's on hold for now.

I would never be with someone who didn't love animals, but, I am a very clean person, and so I think that makes it easier for others to accept my dog, and accept that he is very much an indoor pooch. The only issues we have now are that well, dobermans are not a particularly small breed, and having him on the bed can be difficult because he likes to be literally on you, and if you laugh or say anything to him that suggests he could get away with it, he will go for the face and he has one massive tongue.

But you're very right, relationships involve more than one person, so there is going to have to be compromises. You just have to work out what you can't live with or without, and hopefully once that's done, there's someone left that you can be with.

[raz]

and wrecks a few dogs

He does indeed.

One of my breeders had a few husbands. One of them said - it's me or the dogs. She said to him the only thing she could think of

Bye Bye.

[Moselle]

The word 'allowed' the word 'OH' just don't go together LOL

My partner and I are on the same page with the dogs being int he house.

My thoughts exactly!! My first husband wasn't an animal lover-consequently he didn't last long . Husband number two( coming up to 24th wedding anniversary) is as the quoted poster said 'on the same page'. I don't get the whole 'not allowed' thing either.....being 'not allowed' to do something should stop when we reach adulthood! My OH recently buried my beloved old 15 year old dog with much tenderness & care.........good ones are worth waiting for!

No two people can be exactly alike Debyork; as so far as not getting the "not allowed" factor.....well, is that to say that one should consider oneself a "free agent" when in a relationship and go about doing what one wants irrespective of how the other feels? Showing a little consideration goes a long way, being selfish and expecting to have one's way in all facets of a relationship is definitely not the way to go....Yes, I do wish I was allowed to have more than 2-3 dogs in the house, ideally I would love to have 4 dogs at any one time.....not any more than that at one time though, my OH prefers I stick to the 2-3 dog margin, this does not mean that our marriage is dysfunctional, far from it. There is one thing or two about him that I wasn't too happy about and he was obliging so it isn't a one way street here at all. :D

[Moselle]

Well just read through this entire thread and just wow but hopefully that part is all over now.

I have been animal mad since forever, but grew up in a family where dogs were outside only and we thought bad behaviour was almost entirely a personality trait. Needless to say, countless hours of research have shown me otherwise and I now have a doberman who I think is close to perfect (for me). Many people, particularly my own family describe him as spoiled, because I do like snuggling up to him in bed on occasion and I do feed him a varied fresh and dried diet. But like a few other posters have said, I do not think this makes a spoiled dog, he takes nothing without it being given to him and expects to have to do something to get it.

My partner, like just about everyone else, initially tried to talk me out of getting a doberman because he believed some of the common misconceptions, but now when we meet people who make silly comments about the dog, it's something we can laugh over together. He always liked dogs, but wasn't obsessed with them like I was, and tried to tell me dogs should be kept outdoors, because he thought they were dirty.

I actually think though that other factors come into it. The thing is, I am obsessed with dogs, but not all dogs, and in fact dislike most of the dogs that I meet. They don't listen, they're not trained or as trainable/intelligent as I would like personally and I don't like any small fluffy dogs. My partner is in awe of my dog now, because he has never met one that was so obedient or clever, who doesn't have a doggy smell, who guards us and our house and is so beautiful and loving to boot. I knew from my own family that not everyone loves dogs the way I do, and if the dog is dirty and poorly behaved, it's a lot more difficult for non-dog lovers to accept. This was important to me because I have quite an active social life, and I wanted a dog I could take with me everywhere, that everyone would accept and at the very least, not mind, but hopefully even like, and I have worked very hard to create that.

Now he fusses over the dog like it's his baby, always wants to play with him, loves taking him through his obedience routines and helping out with his care. We don't like going anywhere that we can't take the dog, and my partner now keeps asking me if we can't pretend the dog is a guide dog or something, so we really can take him everywhere.

The dog though is a doberman, and true to character, he is a bit of a one person dog. He loves my partner obviously, and listens to him (and that's something because he ignores strangers completely), but he is my dog. He follows me everywhere, and doesn't hesitate, and hangs off my every word, so now, OH has decided he wants his own doberman lol. Talk about a complete turn-around. But people never realise how much effort it takes to create a dog that can win people over like that. And there's only one dog. OH wants his own dog now, but doesn't really have time for it, because he's a lawyer, and often works over 12 hours a day. Having watched me, he realises that our dog is the product of training, love, exercise and discipline, and it's not something that will happen by itself, so that's on hold for now.

I would never be with someone who didn't love animals, but, I am a very clean person, and so I think that makes it easier for others to accept my dog, and accept that he is very much an indoor pooch. The only issues we have now are that well, dobermans are not a particularly small breed, and having him on the bed can be difficult because he likes to be literally on you, and if you laugh or say anything to him that suggests he could get away with it, he will go for the face and he has one massive tongue.

But you're very right, relationships involve more than one person, so there is going to have to be compromises. You just have to work out what you can't live with or without, and hopefully once that's done, there's someone left that you can be with.

What an enlightening and intelligent post, quite a breath of fresh air, it is definitely a case of having to work out compromises. There have been a couple of moments when I would have liked to have more dogs in the house but at the end of the day I realise that he has a point in not wanting all the dogs in the house and it's not only because he is a clean freak but because he knows that I am one also and doesn't want me to slave after the dogs 24/7 which I would be doing, now let's get the vacuum cleaner out, perhaps a mop soaked with deodoriser wouldn't go astray, mmm the walls are looking a tad yucky....etc etc.

Edited December 3, 2010 by Moselle

[Starkehre]

Sorry, after all that... I just realised that I didn't actually even comment on the specific OT question which was pertaining to the dogs being inside the house.

They are inside and out. OH and I are happiest when they are inside with us. Unless it is too warm at night, they sleep in the bedroom with us. Once it hots up they go into the dog room which is cooler.

They have their own futon couch in the living room and mats on the floors.

[Debyork2]

The word 'allowed' the word 'OH' just don't go together LOL

My partner and I are on the same page with the dogs being int he house.

My thoughts exactly!! My first husband wasn't an animal lover-consequently he didn't last long . Husband number two( coming up to 24th wedding anniversary) is as the quoted poster said 'on the same page'. I don't get the whole 'not allowed' thing either.....being 'not allowed' to do something should stop when we reach adulthood! My OH recently buried my beloved old 15 year old dog with much tenderness & care.........good ones are worth waiting for!

No two people can be exactly alike Debyork; as so far as not getting the "not allowed" factor.....well, is that to say that one should consider oneself a "free agent" when in a relationship and go about doing what one wants irrespective of how the other feels? Showing a little consideration goes a long way, being selfish and expecting to have one's way in all facets of a relationship is definitely not the way to go....Yes, I do wish I was allowed to have more than 2-3 dogs in the house, ideally I would love to have 4 dogs at any one time.....not any more than that at one time though, my OH prefers I stick to the 2-3 dog margin, this does not mean that our marriage is dysfunctional, far from it. There is one thing or two about him that I wasn't too happy about and he was obliging so it isn't a one way street here at all. :D

I didn't mean to imply that if you are in a relationship that your partners feelings should be totally disregarded-I just don't think that men (or women, for that matter) should have the right to tell their partner that they are not 'allowed' to do something-especially something as harmless as letting a dog inside, fine to discuss something & come to a mutual compromise-but not just a summary 'you can't do that', it's all a bit Victorian isn't it?

[WreckitWhippet]

and wrecks a few dogs

:D :D ;) He does indeed.

One of my breeders had a few husbands. One of them said - it's me or the dogs. She said to him the only thing she could think of

Bye Bye.

he's certainly mastered the skills

[raz]

he's certainly mastered the skills

I know. The only reason I didnt send the iPug back for Warley bootcamp was because I was scared of what Mr ReadySetGo would do to her :D :D ;) He'd turn her into a Tasmanian Devil!

[jacqui835]

My gosh lol I am sitting on the couch now next to my partner having a late breakfast after we finally succeeded in getting the dog to take his comfortis tablet (no mean feat - a bonding experience all round) and it occurred to me, my partner takes greater offence to how much time I spend on this site than to my relationship with my pooch.

[Dju]

As soon as my dad moved in with his new wife, he kicked both her dogs out of the house and is slowly getting rid of the cats, one by one.. Oh, and turned her from being vegetarian into a meat-lover like himself :D I think it's because women are easily manipulated by men *hides from feminists*

[Moselle]

As soon as my dad moved in with his new wife, he kicked both her dogs out of the house and is slowly getting rid of the cats, one by one.. Oh, and turned her from being vegetarian into a meat-lover like himself :D I think it's because women are easily manipulated by men *hides from feminists*

;) How did he manage to slowly get rid of the cats? Now this is a guy that is definitely a control freak or she is simply a subservient type, heck I would not put up with that for one second. Some women are easily manipulated by men.....not all women though :D

[Dju]

As soon as my dad moved in with his new wife, he kicked both her dogs out of the house and is slowly getting rid of the cats, one by one.. Oh, and turned her from being vegetarian into a meat-lover like himself :D I think it's because women are easily manipulated by men *hides from feminists*

;) How did he manage to slowly get rid of the cats? Now this is a guy that is definitely a control freak or she is simply a subservient type, heck I would not put up with that for one second. Some women are easily manipulated by men.....not all women though :D

Well he said there was too many so he gave one to his mother.. then gave one to her mother.. and their numbers are depleting in the house, she had five or something, now only two. It's a mixture of his control-freak nature and her submissive nature, I think. But yeah, the poor dogs have to stay outside now ;) And they both have arthritis too!

[Dju]

gremlins

Edited December 4, 2010 by Dju

[FionaC]

hmmm let me see .... puchase kitten 11yrs ago - bring kitten home and kitten sleeps in own area in amazing crate with toys and bedding etc for the first 2 nights - I got to work a night shift and come home to find kitten in bed with OH all night and has continued every night since then ... jump forward 9yrs to Morty and 10mths ago with Archie - both boys sleep in their crates/beds in our bedroom ... in the early morning Morty usually gets up onto the bed for a sneaky snuggle and after breakfast Archie joins in with whomever is still left in the bed .....

Yeah it means we wash our sheets every couple of days rather than weekly, yeah it means that I vaccum more often than if they were outside but the benefits outway the problems a gazillion times over