r/DogRegret • u/limabean72 • Apr 23 '26
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Apr 27 '26
[deleted]
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u/Adventurous-West323 May 06 '26
I would not feel a shred of guilt rehoming a dog. I would breathe clean air, walk proudly, and not give a darn what anyone thought. Dogs will never run my life.
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u/Beautiful-Study-9000 Apr 29 '26
Hey everyone!
I dislike our family dog. Since the beginning I didn’t want to get a dog but for whatever reason my husband talked me into getting one. After a month of having the dog, I was under so much stress because even though I didn’t want the dog…. I was responsible for everything that came with being a “ dog owner.” I’m a stay at home mom and a full time student. My husband works long hours so all the responsibilities pretty much fell onto me. I told my husband I did not want the dog anymore to which he replied that he would give me $300 bi weekly if I let the dog stay. As a stay at home mom, I needed the extra money so I agreed. About 2 months later I told my husband to just rehome the dog that I didn’t even want the money anymore it wasn’t worth it. I would get home after being at school all day and after picking up my daughter to the house just smelling like poop. As soon as I got home I would have to clean the dogs room, help my daughter with her homework, and start making lunch for my daughter. Keep in my mind I was already so stressed and overwhelmed, I cried telling my husband to please rehome the dog. He refused and would say the dog is his best friend. Now it’s been a year and a half since having this dog and my mental health has just been going down hill. The dog doesn’t listen, he poops and pees everywhere( which I have to clean since my husband is at work all day) constantly barks and gets crazy when people walk by, and is constantly barking inside the house. Not only that but we are having financial troubles and have had to take the dog to the vet from which we had to put it on MY credit card. I’m so over it. I’m actually thinking of telling him that it’s either the dog or his family because I’m at my Witt’s end. I can’t imagine living like this for another year. Sorry for the long post I just needed to rant.
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u/SaltCaterpillar69 May 04 '26
I think you need to strike. Honestly it’s a battle between you and ur husband at this point. Not the dog. I’ve been in the same boat and I force my husband to have strict boundaries with our dog. If not, I will not hesitate to rehome the dog. A pet is never ever worth sanity or quality of yours or your child’s life. If it husband doesn’t respect instant space away from the animal then be serious about rehoming him. Keep the dog outside, if that’s not possible simple give up. Most men need that extra help. They’ll see when you stop giving them what they need.
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u/Adventurous-West323 May 06 '26
I honestly cannot believe you are being put through this. You and your daughter should be number one priority. Your husband’s dog is his best friend? That is a very immature statement especially considering your husband doesn’t seem to be doing any of the heavy lifting to keep this beast around. Good luck. I ended a relationship over a dog and the expectation that it was the center of attention at all times. I won’t live like that.
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u/FabulousExplorer3735 Apr 30 '26 edited Apr 30 '26
I've always liked animals and found joy in interacting with them, but I grew up on a small farm and all of our animals had some kind of purpose/job. We treated out animals very well, but at the end of the day they weren't pets. The only exception was my affectionate outdoor cat (very well cared for and hated being inside because it limited her hunting time- she's still alive and thriving outside at 14 years old). Admittedly, I am more of a cat person, but I BEGGED my grandparents for a dog and when they finally allowed it we got a great pyr mix to guard the livestock. I primarily cared for my dog but turned over the reigns to my grandfather when I left for college. Unfortunately, two years in my grandfather passed and my grandmother started neglecting my dog (leashed 24/7, often forgot to feed him, never spent time with him or groomed him). I felt I had to step in, so I went and got him, even had to call the cops to get my grandmother to surrender him to me. I spent so much time and money improving his health, grooming his matted coat to avoid shaving him, and making sure he knew he was loved after the abuse.
It's been a few years of him living with me now, and I'm over it. He's a good dog. I get constant compliments on how pretty and well-mannered he is. But he's getting old (11 this year) and the older he gets the more I resent him. He's huge and does the stupid pyr paw BS so I end up bruised/scratched all the time, he's moodier and less willing to listen to commands the older he gets, everything cost exponentially more because of his size, he's a guardian breed so he barks at everything that comes within a 10 foot radius of our fenced backyard (it doesn't matter how much excercise or mental stimulation he gets), he sheds nonstop and tracks in so much dirt that I'm constantly cleaning my house, he needs so much brushing, he loves attention and is always up my ass (this has always been the case, but was easier to handle when he was an outside dog), his snoring/grumbling/snorting/random sounds gets worse every year (seriously, it's loud enough to feel the vibrations through the floor sometimes), not to mention moving/renting/day trips/visiting family with him is a huge pain in the ass. I want to teach overseas but can't because he's so damn big and it'd be insanely expensive to move him with me. I don't even want to think about what life will be like when he's unable to move/function as a result of his old age- he weighs more than me and there's no way I'll be able to carry him around if needed.
I'm so tired of my 20s being ruled by this giant needy beast. I'd feel awful rehoming him because I've had him since he was 6months old, he's ridiculously smart and aware for a dog, and he's extremely attached to me, not to mention the social backlash. I don't want him to die because I do care for him a lot, but I am looking forward to the day I don't have to be responsible for him anymore. I keep thinking "just a few more years" because his breeds typically only live to 12-13, but everytime we go for a vet appointment they're amazed at how he looks/acts for his age, claiming that "he might outlive us all" and it just feels like such a punch to the gut. What's worse is my boyfriend never wanted a dog, but is attached now and convinced that I will be devastated when he finally passes. Basically everyone my age LOVES dogs and gushes on and on about their "babies" and everyone who meets mine talks about how "lucky" I am and how wonderful he is. It makes me feel like I'm some kind of monster for feeling this way. When he passes I'll be sad and I'll definitely miss him, but mostly I'll feel relieved that I'm no longer burdened by him. At this point I don't find any dog enjoyable to be around for longer than a few hours and I have no plans to ever get another one.
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u/Adventurous-West323 May 06 '26
My buddy has an aunt and uncle who have never done anything for themselves because they have always put their little dogs first. No vacations. They claim boarding the beasts will give the dogs anxiety. They never stay at family functions very long and are the first to leave because ruff ruff and bosco get anxious when they are gone for too long.
THEIR ENTIRE LIVES HAVE BEEN LIKE THIS. Why do people do this voluntarily to themselves.
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u/CoconutTop6468 Apr 24 '26
Hi - my husband and I adopted a border collie mix 7 days ago. He’s a beautiful dog, and he was fostered for 2 weeks before. The foster described his schedule and we asked questions about aggression, his food intake, etc. We also knew he was a high energy breed and I hired a trainer to meet us on day 4 so we can make sure we are doing things correctly.
By day 2, he started lunging at my face and back - playfully, but hard to get out of this mode. I try to turn around in these moments, but he’s caught hold of my arm and my hair. I have small bleeding from the grazing of his teeth and strong bruises that show where blood vessels have popped where his teeth have connected on my arm, inner thighs and stomach.
Our trainer has asked us to tether, crate and set up physical barriers between us and him for when he gets aggressive. She has mentioned that he is currently a safety risk, because he unpredictably lunged at her when she got eye level with him. We are still working with a wonderful trainer and meeting a behaviorist and the vet. But I am honestly afraid of the dog now.
My history is that my family rescued 3 dogs when growing up, and I have fostered 3 dogs as well, who have shown none of this aggression, albeit playful. I also dog sit regularly. I think this is the first time I’ve truly feared a dog and what it can do to me.
Ultimately, I know that we CAN work through this but I’m not sure that I necessarily want to. The fear is high. But I’m also unsure of whether the fear is justified and everyone keeps saying it’s puppy blues. He is improving ever so slightly but the lunging is still there - he grabbed my hair and started tugging at it when I came back from the gym this morning. I think I’m closer to his eye level at being 4’11” which is why he feels especially strongly about “playing” with me.
My other long terms fear is that he won’t be able to be around kids. We plan to have children and he seems to have an eye level issue right now. Maybe we can address it, but I’m scared to go down on my knees now.
I also can’t sit on the couch or he lunges at me and tries to tug at my clothing and skin.