| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/15/2008 8:35:16 PM | As I have been telling women for years, my dog will be with me LONG after you are gone.
Do HIM a favor and bail.
You are obviously that sad co dependent type and will suck the very life force out of him if being apart for 20 minutes while he is walking walking the dogs is a major problem for you....
Just a wild thought, maybe you could actually go WITH him when he walks the dogs? The fact that you don't have a photo posted makes me think that possibly you could use the exercise if you get my drift.
For me, nobody gets between me and my dog.
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/15/2008 8:38:02 PM |
I'm dating a few different people right now and can't keep dating them all. I like him best...
I'm not someone who can handle dating several men for more than a few weeks, and I'm at the 3 week mark now.
I'm sure that makes him feel real special,what will you complain about on the next guy...his mother?
It sounds like you have commitment problems. | |
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42 4 U
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Joined: 2/18/2008
Msg: 29 | |
| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/15/2008 9:25:02 PM | | I have had that problem too,the girl was so attached to her dog that if it didn't like someone,she wouldn't like them either.Thats absolutely ridiculous.Animals do have their place,but they are not replacements for people.You sound a lot like women I've known,always going for active,athletic and reasonably successful guys.While I don't agree with some of the harsh suggestions a few people made,I think we all must decide whats best for us.Personally,I don't dislike being around animals,I just don't want them in the house,or have to clean up after them.Also,I would be afraid the dog would bite someone and I'd get sued. | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/15/2008 9:35:03 PM | I can't understand why people ask strangers questions that should be asked of the person the question is about.
Isn't communication one of the major "wants" in a relationship?
Maybe if you ask him, he would have some suggestions.
Even if his suggestion is "no way," at least you would know what he thinks .
Isn't that more important than what strangers think?
But if you want my opinion, always be true to yourself.
That way you can never be false to another.
"Paraphrased from Shakespeare's Hamlet." | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/15/2008 9:37:06 PM |
I guess I know the answer really, now that I'm conversing with you all. Pets are more like kids. They are a deal breaker. Darn.
Well don't feel so bad, sometimes some of the silliest things seem to make or break things. However pets don't ask to be a temporary part of anyones life. If they aren't your bag, so be it. Kids aren't so be it. You know what you want and like in and around your house.
Here's a side note since some people have been rather opinionated. I dated someone who had adopted a dog from the human society. This poor critter did NOT like anyone around his owner, and would purposely sit between me and the guy.
I wasn't up for competing with the guys dog.
In general I love animals, and have a dog of my own. But sometimes even those of us who like pets, aren't up for the challenge of a very bad behaved animal.
Since you've had a lot of options, go for one that doesn't have a deal breaker down the road.
Good luck | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/15/2008 9:41:41 PM | Having read all these responses, may I add???
I dated a man with the most loveable, beautiful dog, since last October.
Relationships, either dealing with children or pets are all the same. I honestly fell in love with this man's dog as much as I did with him.
So now, I'm going through twice the heartache
~~weeone~~ | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/15/2008 9:57:03 PM |
Kids don't go away and neither do dogs...people who don't like them, do.
And that's exactly what you should do. I would not want my pet around you. I have cats, and a son in law that is allergic to cats, but he doesn't mind coming to my house, because he says he cannot tell that I have cats, I have 2. But dogs are a lot more social than cats are, but they can be trained to behave themselves, but if you do not like them in general, it is not fair to get involved with someone that has one. But really.... it would bother you if they had to take them for a walk. Lord!!!!!!!!!!!! | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/15/2008 10:36:31 PM | I agree. How needy is that to be upset that your man has to get up and leave you alone for a minute to take the dogs out?
Does he know your opinion on this? Knowing he has dogs and you don't like them, what would you hope for him to do if things were to get serious with you and him? Get rid of them? Yeah right. | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/15/2008 10:43:02 PM | I think you should break up with him now, find a guy that will live and die for you. A guy that will be there when ever you want, to do things that you want to do when you want to do them. A man with dogs will always take the dogs for walks morning noon and night, and will give attention to those dogs... Since it is your man, your house and your life, there is no need to have to put up with dog breath...
Geeze....... get over yourself, | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/16/2008 2:21:52 AM | aww id kill to find a man who loves dogs!and rescues snails
a man with a soft heart for animals is the one for me! i see it in kids - kids who love animals have an empathy for life in general
we are the caretakers of this great world - who are we to get sour over a bit of dog hair? no need to fret- i know plenty of people who have animals and their houses are kept in pristine condition ( know lots of people who havent so much as a stone toad in their garden and are absolute sloths round the house - mind you theyre not bad people either!) | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/16/2008 5:16:33 AM |
a guy who seems really great for me in just about every way, but he has two dogs and I don't really like dogs. It's not only about you. It's about him too. Does he know you don't like dogs? If you tell him your dilema here might just be solved for you by him.
I also don't want my man having to go out every morning and evening to walk the dogs. Well that's your perogative so why do you even consider a dog owner?
Then there is the issue of the dogs wanting attention at times when I might want a more romantic evening at home Same as above.
I'm hoping I might be overlooking some chance of it working out okay. And what would that be? Him taking the dog to a dogsitter when you want your romantic evening? Him agreeing to not walk the dogs every second morning?
How do you figure out what annoying thing you decide to compromise and accept in order to be with someone who is basically very compatible with you? You figure it out by weighing the impact it will have on the relationship. If it was something like the guy not putting the cap on the toothpaste, you could compromise by simply accepting it and realize it won't have much impact on your relationship. But if a man has two dogs it is a big part of his life and you will never get along if you are simply accepting dogs and not sharing his love for them. You sound like you would not be able to be very kind to the dogs either and that will not work. What if one of them comes up to you, what are you going to do? A dog is a social animal and will be expecting everyone in the family to interact with it. You turning it away will affect both the dogs and the owner.
Is the dog issue one that can be compromised on? No it isn't. I really don't know what kind of compromising you think the guy could do?
If this guy is so perfect to you, I suggest you open yourself to the possibility that you might just like dogs and give it a try. You might just be converted. If not, you know what to do. | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/16/2008 5:36:05 AM | **** Of course it is not EXACTLY like having a child, but the bond is just as strong. **** That statement is even more ridiculous.....well..........unless of course you carried your dog around in your body for 9 months and then gave birth to it....  The bond does not even slightly compare....  | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/16/2008 6:00:01 AM |
People say you always have to put up with something
They also say the little things that bother you in the beginning will be magnified as time goes by. But what do "they" know.
I thought a girlfriend's smoking would be OK once, but it ended up killing us (our relationship).
From the sounds of your strong feelings about dogs, you will likely feel resentment toward them. I wouldn't proceed, but I am not you. | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/16/2008 9:19:32 AM | | you are trying to change his life to please yourself, so I think its you should go and not the dogs, after all you are the one who is seeing several other guys besides this one with dogs, I think you are just looking for an excuse to not see this guy, so you will pick the first thing that you don't like as a means to an end. | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/16/2008 9:51:38 AM | About 18 months ago, a woman from this very site wanted to meet up after a few email exchanges. There was some mutual attraction. The mood between us was light, fun, funny... One day I mentioned I was going to make my cranberry orange oatmeal cookies and she was welcome to come over for cookies and milk later that afternoon.
She came over. We had cookie and milk, and we were sitting on the couch chatting for close to an hour when my (now departed) dog came over and displayed the body language she used to tell me she had to go out. I told the young lady "I am going to open the door for her but you keep talking." (The door was less than 20 feet away in the next room.) I stood at the door, never stopped looking at her as she talked, while the dog did her business and then let the dog back in. Chatted for another 30 minutes or so, and she left.
2 days later I got an email saying that she would not take second place to a dog and she no longer considered me a possibility.
And if letting my dog out to pee, as I had trained her for the prior FIVE YEARS, was an obstacle, the woman was quite welcome to exit as quickly as she did. You don't train a dog to "Tell me when you have to go outside except when someone is visiting."
That dog is gone, another is in place, and I am still single, and if all I can find is women like this OP, I will happily remain that way. When I took this dog from the shelter 1 year and 9 days ago, that deed carried the promise that I would provide for her. I promised to feed her, make sure she has water, goes to the park for exercise, has a comfortable and safe place to live. This dog can do nothing without me. She can't feed herself, get her own water, unlock and open to door to go to the bathroom..... I have to do all that, and that's what having pets entails and in exchange for the happiness and companionship I get back from her, I have no problems doing my part. Non-pet people just don't get that, and fortunately they stay non-pet owners rather than take in pets and abuse them.
Hopefully she dos this man's DOGS a favor and stays clear. And I say it that way in fear that HE would change for her and the dogs start being neglected.
PS. Almost EVERY negative dog situation that has been mentioned here is the result of poor training. Dogs that bite strangers out of a heredity territorial streak CAN be trained to not do so. It takes somebody that knows what they are doing, but it can be done. A dog's job is to ALERT when danger is present, not provoke or attack. How many dog owners do you know who think it's funny to tell the dog to "sic 'em"? And then when the dog does what his master ordered they get sued and blame the dog?
Dogs obey their master. That's how dogs are bred. The leader of the pack must be established immediately and everything will be fine. My current dog was a WILD young terrier when I got her. It took some doing, some raising of the voice, MUCH time invested, but now she goes out into my yard and will not leave it, comes when called, etc. She learned to respond to words and a few phrases like "stay by me", "inside", "in your yard", "potty place (which is the woods behind the house)", and she is now a well behaved, well trained pet. It's actually funny when I call out "inside" to watch her run at top speed, clear the three steps in one jump and run into the house to get her treat. | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/16/2008 9:55:52 AM |
**** Of course it is not EXACTLY like having a child, but the bond is just as strong. ****
That statement is even more ridiculous.....well..........unless of course you carried your dog around in your body for 9 months and then gave birth to it....
The bond does not even slightly compare....
So, you can only have a deep bond with someone that you carried in your body for 9 months? Adopted children could never be loved as much as biological children and the bond never as deep?
I feel sorry for you that you can only love and develop close and loving bonds with someone you've given birth to. You obviously have deeper issues than not liking dogs. | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/16/2008 10:12:22 AM | I don't enjoy going to someone's house where dogs are running around. It's probably not the dog, it's when they jump up on me and scratch my legs, bark like crazy, shed hair everywhere and drool on the floor and generally smell the place up. Then there's the stinky dodo outside in the yard, gee, no thanks, I'll pass. I love to travel and value my freedom.
A lot of pet owners think: Love me, love my dog. It doesn't always work out that way.
So my advice is to forget about it, because the dogs are not going to go away and will be a chronic source of irritation. 
Pink | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/16/2008 10:22:32 AM | | No u should not, but u should of asked up front if he had dogs. I love my dog and she thinks she is a princess not a dog! Shh don't tell her. If a guy isn't a dog lover and is gonna treat her like a dog then he is not for me. My dog is my world. They have to really love her and treat her how I treat her. I have quit seeing guys for this reason. Pets are something u except or not. Move on! | |
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| Should I date a guy with a dog even though I don't like dogs?
Posted: 3/16/2008 10:29:25 AM | Remember, this is a 15 or so year committment should you stay long term with this guy where his dogs are concerned. After these dogs I am sure he will have other pets so you likely are dealing with a lifetime of house animals which is not something you seem comfortable with.
You say he gets up to walk the dogs, well that is a sign of a good owner. If he neglected them that would show you he may not be responsible as a parent some day. At least he seems responsible with these pets. It is now a matter of how you can adjust. To most pet owners, their fur kids are non-negotiable, the significant other either adapts or doesn't bc pets are part of the family. In some cases, non-pet people have learned to get attached over time, but in other cases it may not be something you can deal with so you have to see what your non-negotiables are, if living with four legged creatures is a no-can-do then I would suggest looking elsewhere but this man loves his pets and they are here to stay as I am sure he is looking for someone that would eventually co-parent these pets and love them too.
DG | |
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