hi everybody, i'm here for the first time asking dog lovers for your advice and your experiences on a matter thats been getting me down lately. i've always had a dog, since i was born. last year my lovely dog died at the grand age of 15, and i now feel ready for another dog.

but my partner doesn't agree. in short " he just doesn't like dogs." and was always wary of my last dog at my moms. i always knew he was never a fan of them, but i hoped that he'd come round when he saw what a joy they were. he admitted that he'd asked for a pet as a child and been told no. he likes other animals and has taken to my cat and cares for it very well, so i know he can do it. i think the problem is his parents dislike dogs too, and constantly remind me that dogs are "dirty, smelly, disgusting, messy, and a tie". how would they know- they've never had one? i loathe this type of attitude in people, and now it seems this is the attitude being voiced by my partner.

i have been going on and on and on at him about getting a dog and hed recently said "one day maybe, when we move out of the apartment." i agree and thought i was making a breakthrough, but after a recent visit to a dogs home, he told me "he doesn't want one". i think he's scared of dogs, he says 100% that he isnt, but i can tell he is. even if a small puppy comes running up to him, he doesn't stroke it. at the home i saw other men hugging and stroking the dogs. my partner just stood there going "its very sad theyre in the cage, but we're not having one."

When i see him acting like this, my loving, wonderful s/o looks like some kind of stranger to me. i have always loved dogs and my father was a big dog lover, always running up to dogs in the street to fuss them. like him, i just can't resist a dog, and my life seems a bit empty without my dog and i miss my pal a lot.

my partner told me that i could "get used to not having one then." i told him he'd better get used to having not one, but two, as no way are my kids going to grow up being suspicious of animals and wary of dogs. i have talked to friends about this and they think i'm joking, saying "oh he works hard, doesnt cheat, loves you, hes a great guy but oh no, he says no to a dog!!" but to me, this is as bad as if he told me he didn't want children. dogs have always been a part of my life and i won't be denied of that right, but sometimes when we row, i think to myself " is this all we are arguing over, a dog?" but it means a lot to me. sometimes i feel just like getting one and saying "tough, we've got a dog now." Have you guys ever been in the same position, and can you turn a non-dog lover?

x

My OH never really showed any interest in a dog - however when my son wanted a dog and spent a few years convincing us he finally agreed.

But I had a child on my side so I think that made it easier

However are you in a position to foster for a local rescue, that may bring him around if he lives with a dog for a short while without a permanet commitment he might realise the benefits of living with a dog.

__________________

Zipper and Lilly - my 2 little hienz 57's xx Sophie

My husband wanted a dog, but I didn't. I was a dog lover though, just didn't want the commitment. I eventually agreed to one to make him happy, now we have three and I breed, have started showing and am training to be a behaviourist. Basically, I am the 'crazy dog lady'

I can honestly say, feeling the way I do about dogs, I could not be with someone who did not like them or want one.

I certainly have, my husband is exactly the same, he doesn't dislike them but cant see why I NEED to have them. We have been married for 44 years and we have ALWAYS had a dog. In fact we are getting a new puppy next week.
Over the years he has learnt to accept them, would rather be without them true, but I too have a life to live as well as him and my life involves having a dog. Over the years he has come to accept that fact.
Our very first dog was a cross breed, I got him without telling my OH, I sat the puppy in an arm chair when I heard Dave coming in from work, then rushed upstairs. I could hear him talking to the pup so I came down. He asked who's it was and I just said 'ours' and he was fine about it.
I don't know what to advise really just wanted to tell you what i did, and it worked. I must add that every dog we have had has been my responsability, I very rarely ask Dave to look after them in any way, that way he doesn't have a lot to moan about.
Good luck
Mary
x

I have always been brought up with dogs and when we bought the house with a garden i suggested we get a dog he wasnt happy but agreed, then i said we need another for company and then came number 2 under pressure he agreed on number 3 and said no more then after lots of persuading and driving for 8 hours in total to get her then came number 4. Thats it now he said but well see.

__________________
Heres my website, take a look.www.freewebs.com/shellies-shihtzu

Both me and my OH have been bought up with dogs, but for some reason when we moved in together I just couldn't convince him to get a dog. He had every excuse under the sun for not having one. I used to bore him rigid by always having a puppy or Dalmatian book on the go and was forever spouting off facts to him. One day I came across a litter I was interested in and asked him if we could go have a look, he said no so I said I'd get my sister to go with me, he said "do what you want". When I got back he said "well, is it a boy or a girl we're having?". He knew me too well, I had indeed put down a deposit on a dog that I was to collect in a few weeks time. I dragged him round pet shops etc and even though he tried his hardest to sound annoyed and disinterested I could still see that spark of excitement pop up every now and again when he had let his guard slip. The first he saw of our pup was when we picked Logan up at 8 weeks old, you could physically see him fall instantly in love. Logan is now 18 months old, and we now have our 5 month old girl who took no pursuading at all, and I know I am firmly in 3rd place in the pecking order now and he wouldn't have it any other way.

The short version for me is my OH knows I'll ignore him and do what I want to do, and after being with me for 13 years he knows I'll never change

That sounds exactly like my husband LOL He was SO not interested anything to do with this puppy we are having next week,(so say) reluctantly took me to see the litter, then spent all the time we were there 'cooing 'over them, I hardly got a look in. Found him outside yesterday telling a couple that live down our road all about HIS new puppy,rolleyes:
Why do they behave like this? is it a 'macho' thing do you think?confused:
Mary
x

My oh loves dogs but not in the same way i do, when i lost my last dog who he was very wary of a gsd i had, just married him and i went three years with out one , but he liked cats so we rescued two, we went to see some friends who had just had a litter of gsds, and he kept saying well are you taking one home i kept saying no no no , by then he was the one saying go on have one , ( i had always intended to ) but i took some persuading and we came home with two with his full agreement one he picked, so i think i turned a not over keen on dogs to a dog lover, he dotes on both of them, he was not brought up with any animals where our house was always full of them, he is now over soft with them and i find im training on my own as we dont always agree on how they should be trained which can cause a bit of an argument sometimes hes way to soft with them , but i can cope with that,

It must be a macho thing, because I would overhear my OH on the phone telling his friends and family all about "her new pup", and he always said in front of anyone that would listen that they would be my dogs and all responsibility would be mine. Oh how different it is now He does everything for them, and usually beats me to mist things

We are exactly the same in our house. He says I'm too strict (I'm the one that goes to obedience classes with them, so I call myself consistant ) and he lets them both walk all over him, which back fires on him time and time again because they don't always do as he tells them because they know they can get away with it, and it really winds him up that they do everything for me on first command......... they are just intelligent and know whos boss

You could be referring to our house there hun
Steves exactly the same with Toffee , then wonders why Toffee will do everything I ask him to , but not for him

__________________


http://toffee-days.blogspot.com/