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Have a 85lb Doberman living in my house. Is he human? Nope. But it is a life that I accepted to take responsibility for before you came into my life. The girl I'm with will have to accept my dog early in the relationship because if not, bye. Sorry, don't attempt no ultimatum bs here.
I have always been a dog person. I never cared for big dogs though. I prefer small dogs. My husband though had 2 cats. It wasn't his though, it's his deceased mom's. I really was not into cats since my clients almost always has cats and their house always smell of cat litter. And I don't like the cat. hairs everywhere.
First few weeks when I moved in his house, I don't even care for the cats and even wait for my husband to come home so he can clean the puke. but now. I even clean their puke. One of our cat tend to puke from time to time like today. I play with them and I even comb their hairs. It did help with no more cat hairs on the sofa plus I vacuum sofas once a week so not much cat hairs everywhere anymore unlike my first few months in the house.
Actually love our cats now they're sooo cute. I even like when they meow for my attention on the closed bedroom door. At least that's one i got my husband to do. Not allow the cats on the bed coz he said they let them sleep in the bed with him . I also like that my husband's house don't smell. Maybe coz he had those fancy automatic cat litter so that helps too that I don't need to clean their cat litter coz they are automatically scooped. Actually told him that's first time I saw that since all my clients have those common non automatic cat litters.
However, I am dogsitting this week for two shepards. Boy, different story ... they keep smearing their wet, slobbery toys up my legs and pants. The couch is full of spots from where they put the toys on ...
I disinfect myself every time I leave because I noticed that everything on me smells like them.
I am not sure if I would want to date a guy with big, slobbery dogs that overpower the whole house.
Anyone who would give up a pet for a bf/gf shouldn't have a pet at all. When you adopt a dog or cat, you are making a commitment. You don't give up a pet simply because it becomes inconvenient all of the sudden. There's this thing called loyalty - humans could learn a lot about it from a dog.
Don't put yourself, or a partner, in that position, and there's no problem.
I am not a dog person. Never have been. I think they smell and eat their own poo. No way do I want one in my house.
I recently went to a party at a friend's house and started talking with someone who mentioned their dog. Not only is it in their small NYC apartment, but its a large (75 pound) dog with lots of hair. I shudder to think about this.
A friend started complaining that she thought the dog guy was cute, but when he asked for her number later, she wouldn't give it, saying she "didn't want to lead him on- he's a dog person." She, like myself, is clearly not. I got this, completely, but another friend said "Are you kidding? Just go out with him. You can worry about the dog later."
I realized that throughout my dating life, I, too, have avoided the self-professed "dog people" because I know I never ever want a dog. If the person has a large breed, I REALLY crossed them off the list. I wonder if I should have just "worried about the dog later."
Any thoughts?
Were I, "Eh, not really into dogs," and I liked the guy well enough, I'd probably overlook it.
If I were petrified of dogs, if I had a severe hair/dander allergy or other health concern, or if I were like you, where I absolutely couldn't tolerate the idea of being in an apartment with a dog without shuddering, probably not.
IMO, if you know going in that a dog is not a point you can be flexible on, I don't see any point in "worrying about it later," because ultimately, it's going to be a dealbreaker. Know your dealbreakers, and if a dog is one, it's pointless to start something you know will ultimately go nowhere, just like with anything else. That or get flexible on the dog issue.
Luckily for me I've always lived solo, so I've never had an issue with the dog and men I date. Never asked a man to take care of it or walk it for me, I have a sitter who watches him when I travel for work or otherwise. Interestingly enough, the breeds I have are super low energy and fairly low maintenance as far as exercise go.
The dog I have now, I have to drag outside and when he is, he does his business, busts a u-turn and heads back home.
I could understand why some people who aren't familiar with some larger breed characteristics, would mistake them for smelly, annoying, high-energy, high-maintenance, burdens.
I love how people with dogs always think that THEIR dog doesn't share the same problems as other dogs.
Dogs STINK, their breath stinks even if you brush their teeth, get them wet and they smell like...a dog! Their poo stinks and don't even get my started about the eating of poo. How people can ignore that for "kisses" is beyond comprehension. Homes of those who have dogs INVARIABLY have evidence of the fact that a dog lives there-- scratches on hardwood floors, chew toys, hair, smell, noise, chewing-- any of these is enough to make me run for the hills. Owners who live with this every day do not notice-- they are used to this-- this is NORMAL for them.
I just bought a place and toured several properties. It was amazing to me how easy it was to tell if there was a dog in the house, a smoker, or cats with an owner who didn't clean the litter box enough. It hits you right as you walk in if you aren't used to it. But people with these traits never seem to notice. SO living with someone who thinks this is okay would just not be for me.
That is EXACTLY what I am saying. It has little to do with how much or how little I love dogs, but that I have enough sense not to put a stinking dog--or cat, ferret, or pet pig--above a HUMAN BEING in importance. I'm sorry, but to me this whole thing of acting like a dog is as important to someone as a human being is, I think it's just sick frankly.
I think it really depends on the human. Some random guy I'm casually dating is not likely to be as important to me as a dog I've had for years, no. Not sick, just reality. Not all human beings are particularly important to me, to the point where I'd place them over a beloved pet. I mean, dang, I lost both my SO of five years and my dog of three years in the same gross, painful breakup, and guess which one I was leaps and bounds more broken up over? Hint=the one who was loyal.
Last edited by TabulaRasa; 01-17-2014 at 09:55 AM..
I love how people with dogs always think that THEIR dog doesn't share the same problems as other dogs.
Nah. My dogs have gross breath. They're dogs, they eat dog food, it's not particularly fragrant - this is not surprising. No biggie. I don't have to kiss them or anything. I don't care at all about having to vacuum hair off the carpet or furniture...I have to my own hair, skin cells, dust, and grunge I track in, as well as that of everyone else's who comes in, just the same. I bought a nice Dyson, easy-peasy, not a problem. I don't have dogs who chew the furniture right now, but I have in the past - I trained him out of it and crated him when I was gone after I saw that that was an issue. I also didn't buy expensive furniture. It was really no big deal to me. Poop, eh, whatever. We plan on having kids, poop doesn't scare me. At least my dogs poop outside and I don't have to wipe them. Pets can be inconvenient, but so can many other things in life that are worth having, to me. To each his or her own. Dog ownership would be a burden to some. So would having kids, having a spouse, having a boyfriend or girlfriend, having a job with long hours, or any number of other things. To others, it's not a burden...it's a worthwhile thing.
Don't assume that people with pets "don't notice" that dog breath isn't fragrant, that dogs poop, that dogs shed, or that dogs scratch and chew. Or that they "don't notice" that they spend time walking their dogs, grooming their dogs, vacuuming hair, dogproofing their house, getting home in time to feed their dogs, let their dogs, out, take their dogs to dog parks, train their dogs, etc. We notice (duh). We just don't see these things as dreadful hardships. We see them as part of owning pets we love, and worthwhile. If you don't, that's cool. Nobody's telling you you should.
I think it really depends on the human. Some random guy I'm casually dating is not likely to be as important to me as a dog I've had for years, no. Not sick, just reality. Not all human beings are particularly important to me, to the point where I'd place them over a beloved pet. I mean, dang, I lost both my SO of five years and my dog of three years in the same gross, painful breakup, and guess which one I was leaps and bounds more broken up over? Hint=the one who was loyal.
I agree completely.
I am committed to caring for my dogs for the rest of their natural lives. I wouldn't have taken them into my house if I wasn't. Within the first few weeks of a relationship (time for me to find out her feelings towards dogs) there is no commitment. I would not blink an eye if I was forced to end a potential relationship after several weeks due to a pet incompatibility.
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