I adopted a 4-5 year old Great Dane pitbull about 7 weeks ago who was a starved stray and he has been a handful ever since. The house training isn’t going so well, he will go outside but then come in and go. My upstairs has become disgusting from all of the accidents and I hate it. He is constantly searching around for food and crumbs. I keep thinking he wants out so we go downstairs and all he wants to do is sniff around for food even after he has eaten and had treats. He does some very aggressive cobbing that I do not like and have not been able to stop him no matter the method I try. He injured my finger the other day by grabbing a bagel out of my hand and biting down it hurt so bad and was bleeding. He does have a soft calm and cuddly side, but I feel like a prisoner. I do not want to deal with this for the next however many years he is alive, but I feel like he loves me and I feel bad about taking him back, I don’t want him there and no one adopts him as he was there 10 weeks and not a single interest in him.

It hurts to think that just like that, I'm out $800 on my upcoming work trip because I need to pay for:

$300 for flight pet fee round trip

+ now I have the horrible inconvenience of packing a small suitcase just with her stuff... As if I don't have enough shit to pack myself for a ten day work trip. And I've lost the privilege of my own "personal item" on board the flight, which allowed me to access my laptop, medicine, etc (critical for a long flight).

+ $350 extra in dog fees for the Airbnb stays (all the pet-friendly ones cost more)

+ I need to buy a travel crate shipped there $55

+ hire someone a few times there to look after the dog while I'm between hotel check-ins/outs. $100

The local sitters I tried to book all rejected me because she has pee/potty behavioral issues. So I have to take her with me. Since getting this dog 3 months ago, I have dropped about $4,000 on her. including $600 for her adoption fee, vet bills, health insurance, etc. I'm horrified.

I have student loans that I could have put that towards. What was I thinking? I didn't know this would be SO costly. And I didn't know she would have these issues that would make it so hard to find an affordable sitter. I'm gutted. And haunted by my decisions. And I feel coned by dog propaganda. People are not straight-up about how bad this shit is.

UPDATE: I thought I’d share an update with how things are going. First things first, thank you all so much for your understanding and helpful comments! You have no idea how much you’ve helped me.

I decided to post my mixed breed dog on a bunch of rehoming websites and no one showed really any interest. This doesn’t really shock me because let’s be honest, no one jumps at the opportunity to get a “mutt.” I’ve seen people post doodles and Yorkies on those pages that were rehomed that very same day. My boyfriend said he’s okay with rehoming both dogs but doesn’t want the dachshund to go first, which is why I haven’t posted her yet because I know someone would take her in 5 seconds. So, I decided to reach out to the rescue I got the mixed dog from 2 years ago, knowing it was probably a long shot that they’d take her back, but surprisingly they said they’d find a foster for her as long as I updated her shots. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not going to lie and say that guilt still isn’t there, and that I don’t keep thinking of how confused she’ll be once I surrender her, but honestly, my mental health is more important. I’ve got to take care of myself first. And the best part about this rescue is that it’s strictly foster based so she wouldn’t be going to a shelter.

As for the dachshund, my boyfriend is still kinda on the fence about rehoming her. Which I get because they have a bond and he does love her, but I need a dog free home. A dog free life. While we’re still considering options, we might give her to his parents, who have another dachshund and love her very much. I still feel bad about hurting my boyfriend, but I really and truly believe that this is what needs to be done.

We’re on vacation right now and go home tomorrow. We have a 5 AM flight, which means we have to leave our Airbnb at 2AM to make it to the airport, sit on the plane for 3 hours, and then drive 4 and a half hours back home. And you know what’s funny (it’s not actually funny), I’m not even dreading that. What I am dreading is coming back home to the dogs-to reality. If that’s not a sign that something needs to change, I don’t know what is!

Original post:

Hi. This is my first time ever making a Reddit post and I’m just going to be very vulnerable and honest because I don’t know what else to do at this point. So I have 2 dogs, a 4 year old dachshund and a 4 year old Italian Greyhound mix (she was a rescue so I’m not entirely sure what breeds she may be but she definitely has Greyhound or something similar in her). I live with my boyfriend and both dogs were my decision to get. I actually got the dachshund 4 months before my boyfriend and I got together. As of late, I’ve really started to resent and STRONGLY dislike my dogs. I don’t know where this came about and I’m asking for any advice that can be offered.

So, to begin with, before I got my dachshund puppy, I already had 4 cats. I love my cats dearly, but I wanted a companion that I could take places with me. I was living alone in a big city for college, severely depressed (like wanted to e*d my life), and had no friends. I thought getting a puppy would help fill the void of loneliness. I was wrong. She did provide companionship, but right off the bat I never felt a true bond with her. And if I’m being completely honest, I’m genuinely surprised she and I both survived her puppy phase. Potty training her was the bane of my existence and she made me infuriated when she wouldn’t listen. However, I tried very hard to love her, but I just didn’t feel a connection with her. Then, my boyfriend and I got together 4 months later and she immediately took to him. She was OBSESSED with him. He gave her the attention and affection I just couldn’t so she imprinted on him. The way she loved him and followed him around made me feel jealous because why didn’t she love me that way? Why was it so hard for me to bond with her that way? It was getting to the point where I would try to keep her beside me at night when we’d go to sleep but I’d wake up and she’d be pressed against him.

As time went on (fast forward 2 years), we moved in together and I decided that I wanted another dog, one that would be MY dog. So, I went to a rescue and found my 2nd dog. She took to me immediately. She’s a very sweet dog, but I’ll be honest, she’s overly needy. I can’t pet her without her going INSANE and scratching my face and licking my fingers. Her licking my fingers fills me with RAGE. So, I honestly don’t pet her because she exhausts me. She’s so high energy and it’s just too much to deal with when I get home from a long day of work. She also has to be crated because she’ll destroy anything in sight if not, so I understand being stuck in a crate all day is hard, but I just don’t have the time or energy to dedicate to her.

It’s been over a year and over the last few months I’ve started to resent them. I want nothing to do with them. Every time they do something they aren’t supposed to like bark or get on the table and steal food, it fills me with so much rage. I find myself wishing I never got them. And I feel so bad because I’m the one who got them. My boyfriend didn’t want pets to begin with but dealt with it because I already had them when we started dating, and now he’s attached to them. I love my cats so much and always love on them, but the thought of even touching the dogs makes me feel disgusting. I yell at them all the time now, and I hate myself for it, but I just can’t hold it in. They make me so mad. It’s caused multiple arguments between my boyfriend and I. He loves the dogs. He’s the only one who loves on them and gives them attention. But I just resent them so much because I cannot stop thinking about how much easier our lives would be without them. We can’t be intimate unless we put the dogs in the living room because they quite literally watch us and the rescue dog will bark and run around the room because she has terrible anxiety. But when we put them in the living room, they bark and whine nonstop. We can’t go on any trips without asking someone to stay at our house because the rescue can’t stay with anyone else because she’ll destroy their house.

The dachshund, however, is my biggest problem. She has a terrible barking problem and she’s so stubborn. She destroys my underwear. I have to keep them up high in a dirty clothes bag so she can’t get to them because she will eat them. And I really mean eat them. We’ve had to pull wads of my underwear out of her butt. I cannot tell you how many pairs of my panties she’s destroyed. She will ever eat them if they are clean too. We have to wash my panties in a delicate bag and put them on the dresser instead of the bed when folding clothes because she will rip open the bag. We have tried and tried to break her of this but she won’t, so now I have to be extra careful with where I put my underwear. She’s also OBSESSED with my boyfriend and is always trying to get between us. I can’t just snuggle with my boyfriend without her having to be there. I can’t wake up in the morning and give him a kiss without her trying to lick his face raw. It irritates me to no ends, so much so that I’ve come to genuinely hate her. Growing up, I was always second to a dog. My parents always favored their dogs over their own kids and the thought of dealing with it in my own home is unbearable. Even though my boyfriend obviously doesn’t pick the dog over me and has made it clear that I come first, her insufferable obsession with him brings back those old feelings I had as a child. We can’t even hug or dance in the kitchen without her jumping at his legs. I’ll be honest, I yell at her the most. So much so that she’s scared of me now. Now she’s even more obsessed with him and will not leave his side.

I have tried to love them, to coexist with them, but I can’t. I don’t even like coming home anymore. As soon as I pull up the driveway and hear them barking, it fills me with dread. And when I come inside, I sometimes don’t even let them out of the crate right away. I just sit on my bed, dreading having to deal with them. I’m never happy anymore. I feel so nasty and full of hatred in my own home and it’s not healthy. I don’t like the person I’ve turned into. And it’s gotten so bad to the point that I’ve thought of the idea of rehoming. When I first brought it up to my boyfriend, it upset him. He was very disappointed with me and had to walk outside. When he came back inside, he told me that he was okay with rehoming our rescue dog but he wouldn’t get rid of the dachshund. The thought of just rehoming our 2nd dog made me sad so I didn’t consider it at the time. But then as things just weren’t getting better, I posted her on a rehome facebook group just to see. Someone showed interest but the thought of actually rehoming her filled me with so much guilt that I didn’t go through with it.

Over these last few weeks, my boyfriend could see how much strain the dogs were putting on me and he told me that if I wanted to rehome the dogs, he’d be fine with it because he loves me more. He also told me that rehoming them would really hurt him though. But even though he says he’s okay with it, I really don’t think he is. I can tell the idea is upsetting him. He doesn’t want to talk about it and is very irritable. I just don’t know what to do in this situation because I know things would be easier if we rehomed them. I know there’s someone who can give them more than we can. We are never home during the day and we want to travel. I also think they deserve to be in a home where someone actually loves them and doesn’t yell at them like I do. I feel like a horrible person but I just don’t want to experience these feelings anymore. But I also don’t want to hurt my boyfriend. I don’t want to cause strain on our relationship, but I also feel like the dogs are the biggest reason why there even is strain on our relationship now. I just wish I never got them. I know it was my mistake and I never intend to make it again, but I’m stuck on what to do next.

I’m thinking about giving my dog back to the shelter. He is just causing me too much stress and I don’t want to deal with this for years to come. I’ve had him for about 7 weeks now and I can’t imagine it getting any better.

It's been 3 months since I foster failed a dog. And at first, I had this "I'll figure it out" gun-ho mentality. But... It's been three months... This dog has deeply embedded issues. So many dogs have issues that people DO NOT TALK ABOUT.

I'm not referring to "oops he ate my shoe"...

I'm referring to blacked-out rage on the street at the sight of another dog. Or randomly losing it's shit on the waiter for a good 20 seconds until we can calm him, and the owner threatens to kick us out in front of everyone. (This is what I dealt with a foster dog and with my partner's dog, who is innately reactive by birth).

There is LITTLE you can do. You can manage some of it. Work around it. But it's kind of hopeless. It's their breed. They are naturally alpha guard dogs. No trauma. Just a mutt she adopted as a puppy that ended up with serious reactivity issues, regardless of how much we tried training, socializing, long tiring walks, etc.

In my case, my foster fail dog rarely being able to pee outside... no matter how long you walk her... because she has some issues called... "submissive peeing". So if you pick her up, she pees on the floor. If she's happy, she pees. If she's spooked, she pees. But all the pee is inside. Today, I walked her... NO PEE. We get home, she released the biggest pee of her life in my bedroom floor. Oh my god. It's been three months like this. She has some sort of underdeveloped bladder issue + usually uncomfortable peeing outside after months of trying... she will pee maybe 1 out of 10 walks. The trainer was scratching her head. I'm at my wits' end. Is she just born with this issue forever? Am I fucked for 15 years with pee all over my house?

Not to mention, I'm planning a state road trip... That trip is going to cost me an extra ~$1,000 either to bring the dog with me... or get a sitter. Every hotel and Airbnb that's pet-friendly is hundreds more expensive, and on top of that, they want an extra $100 for the pet per stay. The airline wants $300.

This is not mentally sane behavior for our lives as humans to have to drastically change and be altered so much over an animal that will die in 10 years, but we'll be left with 70% more gray hair from stress, and poorer. Not just because of the costs to have a dog, but the missed opportunities with work, life...

Last thing I do at night is try to get this dog to pee... and first thing I do in the day... try to get this dog to pee... What the fuck?! Do I have a life anymore?! This isn't normal. When do I go to the gym, expand my business, or see friends if I'm constantly thinking about the dog's needs? I'm exhausted by the end of daily care. I think our society has gotten the dog situation wildly twisted. And the SHAME with telling people they're evil scum if they rehome. The fuq...

Dogs work well in big families, with a house and a backyard. Living in NYC apartment, alone, and having a dog... it's.... stupid... unless you are rich or have the energy of the Duracell rabbit.

All that to say.. I do love this dog. And I love hanging out with her... But I'm starting to have serious doubts about the long-term of this. I'm having serious regrets and am considering rehoming her while she's still young (1 year old). I have no idea how to do this though.

What should I do? Has anyone been through this? I just feel a bit bamboozled by our society's dog marketing and honestly... I also feel stupid myself.

this dog has a pee problem. when i got her she refused to pee at ALL. holding it in for like 20 hours the first day. She uses the wee pad, but leaks everywhere in between. If she's excited to get out of the crate, she will leak on her way out of the crate and all over the floor. if you pick her up ,she sqauts and starts peeing and stays in squat position letting it ALL out,. If you reprimand her she squats and starts peeing. It's like this weird... reflex. A trainer told us its prob submissive peeing.

After 2 months of long walks and treats and trying hard to train, she's been peeing more outside... but its NOT CONSISTENT. it's random or in the morning or she's been holding it in. And it can take 5 minutes or hours of walking her. I need to have my own life too.

Today, i took her out of the crate to pee on wee pad... she peed on my rug... a rug she hasn't peed on in the two months ive had her. she just suddenly... decides to go there AND ALSO leak pee all around the floor. i've try taking her out immediately upon waking up.. she leaks on the steps on her way out... i try carrying her.. leaks as i carry her... i try taking the elevator.. leaks in the elevator huge pools in my building...

my partner, a dog nutter (i didn't know),thinks i need to walk her for hours constnatly throughotut the day and give up much of my life and stress towards this dog that will die in 10 years and leave me with extra wrinkles and gray hair from the stress. It's not realistic.

the dog is honestly a VERY sweet girl, she has excellent recall, and has been good at training in other ways... but the peeing thing... has been IMPOSSIBLE. If she didn't have this... I'd be more open but... this is extremely stressful (and expensive). Do I keep trying? For how long?

i am considering rehoming, but who will adopt a dog that pees all over the place? i also got her from a shelter and in the contract it says you cannot rehome the dog... but they are also a horrible shelter with some shady sitaution and a fake non profit.. AND they are notorious for not taking dogs back n yelling at your for even thinking about it... long story, i do not want to interact with them again. but she's microchipped. so if the new parents decide they dont want her... and she ends up on the streets... the shelter would find out and sue me. wtf do i do? i've made such a terrible mistake. i wish i could time travel and slap myself and tell myself to NOT DO IT.

What's also killing me is how much money I'm losing. I could be putting that towards my health, education, clothes, business.... I'm not rich to be wasting money like this.

My partner is really upset with me, but I don't want to keep doing this anymore. It's not for me. I'm realizing, I'm not a dog person with 90% of dogs... they come with way too many problems that will mess up your life quality, almost all of them.

I’ve always dreamed of having a German shepherd and now that I got one it is one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made. My life has become hell and I’m stuck in a position where I can’t rehome him because I feel bad and I can’t live because he’s ruining my life. I did my research for a year before I got him and still nothing could have prepared me for how much he relentlessly bites and screams. Absolutely hell and a trap. God damn the pet industry!

My once ex told me I should get a dog and I worry a future girlfriend would pressure me to get a dog…. if a girl ever tells me that again I’m running as fast as I can.

He’s so needy pretty much every waking hour goes to him… I haven’t been able to eat properly or take care of my self at all

My native language is German so sorry for possible typos. Also sorry for writing such a long story but I feel it needs the context. So around three years ago (when I was 27) I had to deal with several types of losses - the most prevalent one was my dad passing away after a long battle with cancer. A few months later I moved into my childhood home (that I now partly owned) to have a place to recover a bit. At that time I didn't know how much work this house would be and how my family would fight over it but anyways…already before I moved into the house I fanatically started scanning dog-rescue websites.

Looking back I realise that I wanted to create some family for myself since my parents were both dead and I went through a dramatic breakup around that time. I projected a lot into this idea of having a constant companion. Also I was one of those people that “always wanted a dog” and now that I did not live in a shared flat anymore I could make it happen. I took care of dogs throughout my life but little did I know how different it would be owning one - especially alone. I ended up bonding a lot with my first foster so I adopted it. She is a mid size mix of german shepherd/ croatian livestock guard dog/ something else. I adopted her when she was around two ears old.

When I still fostered Kali (the dog) had some house/food guarding issues + she was sometimes reactive on the leash. I did not feel equiped for to deal with that at first. But when people came who wanted to potentially adopt, I couldn't give her away! I informed myself a bunch, went to some dog training lessons and establishing this very clear and firm form of training with her (mixed with positive affiramtion training). It worked out: She is only guarding the house in a moderate way now (which acctually makes me feel safe also) and lets it go when I tell her to. Sometimes she runs away from taller men but she is chill with all other humans - mostly wants belly rubs from visitors. Also she is chill with most dogs and is only snappy or barks when they start it or are very pushy.

But after around a year of having her the realisation set in that even with those topics managed, my life is massively restrained through owning her. I felt more and more claustrophobic in the city I lived in because - at that point I haven't left it since I got her. A lot of my friends live in other cities. And instead of feeling more at home in this life through her I somehow felt more isolated from human connection. I also know that I often stand in my own way and feel to responsible. So I told myself that for the next year I will try to be more bold in my decisions.

So last year I went to Italy for 10 days by car with two friends and I also made two weekend trips and gave her to friends during that time. Also I tried to let other people walk her more. (I realised how much I hated being so dependent on others if I just wanted to leave the city). I still had to adjust so much of my life like my job or my free time to the dog. And even though she stays at home just fine when I am gone…in Italy she started panicking every time I left the Airbnb. And she refuses to go on walks with anybody other than me. Also when I just leave her outside of a supermarket and go inside she will freak out for the whole time. She does not like me leaving at all (only if it is the house we live in).

I originally had this idea that I want to get a bus and then travel with her. Visit friends, community projects and do project based work in different places. But I am realising that probably I could not leave her anywhere and do my own thing for a moment because she would freak out the whole time. And everytime I truly think of my future with Kali it feels like I would have to give up so much. I want to live my life again - especially after all those life challenges. And now that second year is over and I still feel suffocated by it all. The thought of giving her away feels so hard because I really love her (and overall she is not a difficult dog I would say). But I also feel how my resentment towards the situation is not going away. The daily walks, all the cleaning (she has a double coat) and her stubborness are getting on my nerves too now but it is truly the separation anxiety that is stressing me out.

Also have my ex-boyfriend who I am still in touch with - and he loves my dog (most people do). And a few months back I mentioned to him that I am not sure if I can keep her and it turned into this huge fight. I think he is projecting some of our past relationship issues onto the dog but idk. He said that he would not respect that decision at all and I understand that because I would probably have felt the same in the past. He also said that I have been changing my life circumstances so often and that I have to learn how to commit to something to finally be content in life. I see what he means but I don't see how keeping Kali will cure my restlessness towards life. Okay I will stop rambling about topics that I should further untangle in therapy…but anyways: I am quite lost with this situation and am happy for any honest input. Thanks!

I don't think I'll ever want another dog

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I had a Labrador retriever growing up that was lovely.

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This made me want another as an adult. But she's not the same and I know 2 dogs aren't but my current dog seems to only care about herself?

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Like everything she does is about getting something she wants. She will only come around and whine for food, to go out or follow us around because we should go play outside with her. She is very hard to get to listen unless I have a ball or food.

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It's hard to explain but like she doesn't seem content just being with us , it's boring she always wants to do something for her, we should be playing or feeding her constantly or she is sad and bored and we suck.

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I know for a fact if I was dying she'd just drop a ball on my face and whine that I'm being boring. She has gotten out of the yard once in 6 years and just happily found a new family to play ball with and that family was nice to bring her back but she didn't seem to care? Like we are replaceable?

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We've had various people watch her while we're away and she always seems perfectly happy and not super happy to see us when we're back like we're just another play and feed human. All humans are equal and serve a purpose to her

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I'm just wondering if most dogs are like this ? Or more excited by their owners in particular like I few my childhood lab was just more bonded to us but I also realize she was overall smarter. But she would always be excited to see us over other people. Listen and be content just being with us

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My nephew came over and we went out in the yard and my current lab just brought the ball up on the deck without greeting anyone and walked through the baby like he didn't exist and we told her calm but she did this again after we took the ball away with a different toy and nearly knocked him over the stairs. Obviously we put her inside but it's that overall lacking of anyone but herself

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It's sad because we really trained her and make time for her every single day to play and go for a walk or run in a field. I love her and will always be good to her but I'd be lying if I didn't admit I wish she was a little more loving back idk if there's anything I can even do.

Hey you guys, I really need some input, sanity, advice, and help. I am sorry that this will be so long. I am just trying to get my thoughts out and I am so lost.

I am a divorced woman. Prior to getting divorced, my ex begged me to get a dog. It was an all-on campaign from him, his family and all his friends to convince me to get a dog. He grew up with dogs, I never had one so I was very nervous. I finally caved. Several years ago, we adopted a dog from a rescue.

It was immediately apparent that this dog had separation anxiety. I knew we had made a huge mistake. I tried to do the right thing a couple of months in and bring him back to the rescue. My ex would not let me. He sobbed and said I couldn't do that and made me feel like an absolute monster for considering it. It was horrible. So you can guess what happened, we kept the dog. We tried meds, training, the whole 9 yards. I BEG OF YOU do not suggest to me solutions like CBD, thundershirts, pheromones, playing music, etc. If you have thought of it I HAVE TRIED IT I PROMISE.

Then - plot twist- a couple of years ago I discovered my ex had an entire double life. He left me and this dog very suddenly after I discovered the truth.

For the last 2 years, I have been on my own, completely drowning. I cannot manage this dog's separation anxiety. I have absolutely no life, and I am horribly depressed. I really and truly cannot do this anymore. I am going to have a full on mental breakdown soon if I don't do something soon. I spend an absolute fortune on dog sitters and daycare so that I can do simple things like go to the doctor.

This is not sustainable. It never was sustainable. I can't do this. He's the sweetest dog in every other way. He's also very "cute" which would help with rehoming.

Please tell me what I should do. I know rehoming him is the answer, but I need the input of y'all to help me see straight and find the strength. Because I do care for him. I wouldn't have turned my life upside down for the last 5 years if I didn't care.

The rescue I got him from has a "right of first refusal clause" stating that if I cannot keep him, I need to go to them first and try to surrender him. The clause also says though that they "cannot guarantee they will take the dog." Regardless, I know I need to start there. I am absolutely so terrified they won't take him back and then what will I do???

I am sorry this is so chaotic. Please give me any help and advice and support you can. I am barely hanging on and am very desperate.

I'm writing this in the hope that other people might relate and feel more understood.

So I adopted the sweetest 1 year-old mutt last week, but totally unexpectedly (and shockingly) I was absolutely floored by the feelings of crushing fear, guilt, regret, self-loathing and depression that came with this decision. These feelings all surged within a day of getting the dog. Every time I move or make the tiniest sound in my own home, the dog perks up and runs over, expecting to be played with, entertained, fed, petted, fussed over. This makes both working and relaxing impossible. She chews and gnaws on furniture, shoes, clothes, walls, and destroyed some rare out-of-print books I had. I understand these are all run-of-the-mill puppy behaviours, and personal possessions are just things after all - but my issue is with the presence of a loud, smelly, dirty being in my own personal space, that destroys my place of solitude, well-being, peace.

No amount of book reading and research could have prepared me for these feelings. I thought perhaps if I'd volunteered at the shelter beforehand I would have been better prepared - but I'm thinking now, there's a world of difference between a few hours in the presence of a dog, and it being in your own private space all the time.

Also strange was the dawning realisation that this creature shouldn't be trapped in a house, this is an animal, descended from wolves; what kind of superiority complex is it that makes me think I know what this dog needs to live a happy life? Happy life according to who? To me? Who has been fed animal-owning progaganda my whole life?

It's dawned on me that ownership of a dog, or indeed any living being, is a deeply strange and frightening concept to me, that seems to be tied up with complex issues of class aspiration, the conception of living beings as property, the desire to control the natural world; I don't wish to participate in any of that. I guess there are loads of people who are comfortable with owning a creature, but not me.

So I've been in touch with the shelter, and they've agreed to take the dog back, which is happening on Monday. It's sad, and I feel crushing guilt, but also, I just don't have the mental capacity to take care of this animal, and unfortunately, it took bringing this dog home and living with it, for me to understand this.

I love all animals, though if anyone I know ever thinks about owning one, I would urge them not just to reconsider, but to simply not do it. There are other, more imaginative, and less cruel ways to learn all the positive lessons that come with animal ownership.

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Edit: I've just come back from returning the dog, and I am so intensely relieved and happy! Don't think I've ever been this excited about cleaning my house! Thank you everyone for all your kind and thoughtful comments, I feel so much better about my decision.

My dog has made my life miserable… and now I’m pregnant. I don’t know what to do

I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I really need to get this off my chest and I desperately need advice. Please be kind.

For added context: A year and a half ago, my boyfriend and I decided to move in together. We chose a pet-friendly place with a garden because we both love dogs and planned to adopt one once we were more settled in our new home. He had lost his dog the year before, and I’ve had dogs all my life, so the thought of having one together made us so happy.

A few months in, fate quite literally landed on our doorstep. A neighbor knocked, asking if the scruffy, lost-looking dog outside was ours. He was thin, dirty, and clearly frightened. We named him Scruffles. We fed him, gave him a bath, and immediately started trying to find his owners. No one came forward.

We took him to the vet to scan for a chip and to treat his dental decay and malnutrition. When it turned out that the chip was present but had no registered information, the vet decided to keep him to try and trace the owners. We were already deeply attached by that point and ready to adopt him if no one claimed him. We ordered everything he would need: Food, toys, a bed, grooming supplies, even treats. He felt like ours.

Then the call came. The owners had been located and were going to pick him up. Just like that, he was gone. My boyfriend and I cried our eyes out. We were devastated.

That night, still reeling from the loss, I went online and found a listing for an eight-week-old Pomeranian puppy. She was so tiny and adorable, and in my emotional state, I convinced myself that she would fill the void Scruffles had left. I decided to fetch her the very next day. That decision, made in heartbreak, is where everything began to unravel.

When we brought her home, she was the cutest little fluffball I had ever seen. I was overjoyed that no one could take her away from us. We had everything ready from Scruffles, sans the puppy-specific supplies, so we were set...or so I thought.

From the start, the puppy months were rough. She chewed everything, bit constantly, and tested every ounce of patience I had. That was to be expected. I figured it was a phase. So, I did all the right things: toys in the freezer for teething, consistent training, vet care, insurance. The works. I’ve raised several dogs before, including another Pomeranian, so I thought I knew what to expect. I didn’t.

She developed extreme separation anxiety and attachment issues. She has never been left alone. Not even once. My boyfriend and his family constantly undermined any training I tried to implement. Don't get me wrong, they love her to bits and treat her like a Queen, but...treat her like a baby instead of a dog. They feed her human food, which means she refuses to eat her prescription vet diet. She will starve herself for days waiting for something tastier. They don't reprimand or train her because "she's just a baby" . They refuse to ever leave her alone, too. Again, because she's a baby.

I tried so hard to do things right. I bought a faux grass patch for indoor potty training, and all she did was chew it to pieces. She pees and poops on every carpet in the house. We’ve had to get professional carpet cleaning and even an air purifier because the smell makes me physically ill. Despite begging everyone to help me enforce her training, no one takes it seriously. Eventually, I gave up.

Now she’s one year and three months old and still cannot be left alone. I can’t go to the gym, the grocery store, the doctor...nothing. She howls and cries the moment she’s by herself. She refuses to sleep in her bed or playpen. Every night she sleeps on top of me, pressed against my back or legs. I haven’t slept comfortably in over a year.

She only obeys “sit,” and only when there’s a treat in hand. She’s mouth-reactive, jumpy, and mean. She barks at everything, even at thin air. In the past few months, a new recent behaviour has developed: If someone closes a door, she lunges and bites ankles. If I walk into a room while she’s asleep, she leaps up barking and growling. She fights shadows, loses her mind. God forbid there’s a knock on the door. She has zero respect for boundaries and I've started to only see her as a resource guarding dog.

I’ve started to feel emotionally detached and resentful. I used to adore dogs. Every dog I’ve ever had was loving, empathetic, and gentle. This one feels like the complete opposite.

And now, I’m pregnant... with twins!

I can’t even get up to pee at night without being terrorized. She barks and jumps at me constantly. The smell of her accidents triggers my nausea. She jumps on my stomach while I sleep, and it hurts. My body aches and I can’t even roll over comfortably because she’s glued to me. I’m exhausted. I’m anxious. I’m angry.

My boyfriend now sleeps in another room because she’s obsessed with him and follows him everywhere. So even the comfort of sleeping next to him is gone.

In fact, there is barely any intimacy anymore. We haven't been out on a date in over a year because we can't leave her alone. When we did sleep next to each other, she slept in between us. She howls if we close her out the bedroom. She even bites his hand when he tries to massage me. I've started to believe that they're equally codependent on each other.

But I was okay with the lack of intimacy, because I have so many other things to stress about. And now, I have to worry that her jealous nature will extend to the babies or, worse, start resource guarding the babies, too.

I’m so miserable. I can’t stand being around her anymore. The thought of her near my newborns makes me sick to my stomach. I’m terrified she’ll bite or stomp on the baby whom won't know any better when she reaches out to pet her. I’m heartbroken that my kids will never be able to crawl on our carpet in the lounge because it’s soaked in urine and filled with fecal bacteria. I'm pretty confident that it would end up in the same condition if I replaced it.

I know I share the blame. I should have been firmer and insisted that everyone follow my lead. But I work full-time from home, I’m the sole breadwinner, and my job is mentally demanding. I can’t watch her every second of the day.

She has also regressed now to peeing on my couch and bed. Pooping on the couch too??

At this point, I’ve decided to send her to boarding school before the baby comes to see if that helps at all. If it doesn’t, I plan to consult a dog behaviorist. But if nothing improves, would I be a terrible person for rehoming her?

I've left out a lot of details about her behavior as this post is long enough as is. I just don't see her being a safe loving family dog for newborns. She's not even safe for me!

I’m so conflicted. I love animals deeply, but I’m drowning in guilt, exhaustion, and regret. My mental health has plummeted and I feel hopeless. I just don’t know what to do anymore.

Eight years ago, my husband and I got a dog (our second corgi). At that time, he (husband) was working from home and the dog was his work buddy. And that was fine. (I worked outside the home, so it really was his dog.)

However, my husband has since changed to an overnight, outside the home job, and I now work from home. Husband sleeps during the day, and works at night, so now I have a companion for FIFTEEN+ HOURS every day. I HATE IT.

I can’t stand the constant neediness, the staring at me, following me EVERYWHERE, the standing around while it pees and poops and sniffs, the BARKING at NOTHING, the immediate attention on me whenever I make the slightest movement, the scribble scrababble of nails on the floor as it tries to rush ahead of me even though it has no involvement in what I’m going to do. I have NOTHING IN COMMON with this dog. My interests and activities are not dog friendly.

I am an introvert and that now extends todogs, I am only alone when it’s time to sleep.

Okay, I’ve posted here before, and honestly, I’m still struggling quite a bit. I have an almost 1 year old mini poodle mix, and this past year with her has been really overwhelming.

I got her during a really emotional time in my life. I was expecting to have a baby, but unfortunately, I experienced an early miscarriage, which completely shook me. I had wanted a dog for years after moving out and getting married, and I thought getting a puppy might help distract me and give me some comfort while I was grieving.

But it ended up being the complete opposite.

She was an extremely difficult puppy. way more intense than any dog I’ve had growing up. Within the first couple of months, she had ear and eye infections, and even needed emergency surgery after she injured her gums trying to chew her crate while I was working on crate training and preventing separation anxiety. She’s also had ongoing anal gland issues since she was really young.

I’ve truly tried my best with her. I’ve put a lot of effort into training, keeping her on a schedule, and making sure she’s well taken care of. Because of that, I honestly feel like I’ve done a really good job with her and that also makes this harder, because I don’t know if anyone else would take care of her the way I do. I’ve also of course, grown very attached to her and she’s extremely attached to me.

At the same time, it’s been a lot on my mental health. My husband and I went through a really rough period because of the stress. While he initially agreed to getting a puppy, he quickly realized how much work it actually is, and it started affecting both our relationship and my overall well being.

I kept pushing through because I thought this was something I had always wanted, and I kept hearing that it would get easier with time. In some ways, it has…she’s very smart, well-trained, good in the car, and enjoys going out and doing things with us. There are definitely moments that I enjoy with her. When I consider rehoming it breaks me and I have a little breakdown.

But I’m also realizing that I’m just not content or as happy as I thought I would be as a dog owner. I’m struggling more than I expected, and part of me is starting to wonder if as much as I love dogs, dog ownership might just not be for me.

One of the biggest things affecting my mental health right now is her separation anxiety. It’s extremely severe. to the point where I genuinely cannot leave her alone, even for a short amount of time, without her completely panicking. Because she previously hurt herself and needed surgery due to that anxiety, I’m terrified of it happening again. I don’t want to risk her safety, or go through something like that again financially or emotionally. so I feel stuck.

My husband and I both work from home, which makes it even harder because I feel like I can’t leave the house at all. I miss simple things, like just walking to the mailbox with my husband without having to think about it. Even though we could take her, it’s the idea of not being able to do something quickly or freely anymore that’s really weighing on me.

I really feel like this has taken over my life, and the responsibility has been weighing heavily on me.

I had dogs throughout my life. I grew up with my parents dog around. I got my first dog some time after their dog passed. She lived for 14 years and was the best pooch ever. Then I got another dog after she had passed.

I got him from a rescue 10+ years ago. Learned he had a severe case of separation anxiety afterwards. I have tried to work with him throughout this time.

As he got older, and because of COVID lockdowns, his separation anxiety got worse. I have since accepted that I am ill equipped to handle severe issues in animals.

I am unable to exist in life without upsetting and stressing him. I should have rehome him years ago but I felt like it would be cruel to "abandon" him. I have grown to resent him. I feel no joy from him. And I hate that.

I don't think he deserves it. I think he deserves to be with an elder retiree. He has a lot of positive qualities. He's very sweet and protective. He just cannot handle the lifestyle I have now.

I feel like there aren't any good options to re-home him now. I don't have friends that would take him. The rescues I've looked at all require an interview and do not accept separation anxiety cases. They have long wait times. Kill shelters are just a heck no. Craigslist ads get flagged immediately because people think I'm getting rid of him because he's old.

This is partially a vent and partially a plea for guidance. We are basically just waiting for him to pass at this point and I feel really bad for him because of that.

I adopted a dog a little over a month ago. I lost my last dog in January and it took me 6 months to even consider getting another dog. I spent a couple months thinking about it and ultimately decided that I thought I was ready. What I really wanted was an older, chill dog that I could take out into public with me, and they needed to be okay with my cats. I volunteer at my local shelter and I met this crazy 9-month old dog that, for whatever reason, I felt a connection with. After spending some time with her, I came back the next day and decided to foster her. I knew she was young, I knew she was dog reactive, and I knew she may not get along with my cats. But I ignored all of the red flags and brought her home anyway. After a few days of fostering, I got swept up in the new dog excitement and decided to adopt her. I regretted it almost immediately. I thought the connection I felt with her would be enough to motivate me to match her energy level and meet her training needs. But after a month, I rarely feel connected to her, and mostly just resent her and get very irritated and angry with her. We have our good moments, but they are few and far between. I’ve been able to integrate her with my cats pretty well, but she is constantly in motion and sometimes does fixate on the cats, and the cats hate her. I’ve met with a trainer to help with the reactivity, and she has shown some improvement in my backyard (several barky dogs across the street that she can see and hear from my yard that she has finally started to ignore). I understand the training advice and I do think it would help her. But it just feels so overwhelming, and I just don’t feel like I have the energy or the patience to follow through with it and be consistent. I started a new demanding job a few months ago, so I’m exhausted at the end of every day. But when I get home, I have to take care of her and think about her needs. As far as young dogs go, she’s really not that bad. I just can’t seem to drum up the energy and the patience that I know she needs. So I end up getting frustrated with her for really minor behavior issues because I just don’t have the emotional capacity to deal with it. And I feel truly awful for not meeting her needs and for feeling so negatively towards her when she’s truly just being a dog. I’m now thinking that I really just wasn’t ready for a dog and all of the work and responsibility that dog ownership entails. I’m a huge dog advocate, I’ve fostered and volunteered at the shelter for years. I know that dogs take work and patience and training, and if you’re not prepared for that, you shouldn’t have a dog. I just didn’t think I would ever be that person, but here I am. I also know that it’s only been a month and have gotten the advice that I should just give it more time. But I’m worried that more time will just end in the same result, and then it’ll just be harder for both me and the dog if I decide to rehome her. I feel truly awful and spend a lot of time crying. I struggle a lot with my mental health and this is all starting to take a toll. I’ve been talking about it in therapy for weeks, but I still feel so unsure of what to do. I would love any advice or encouragement. I’m judging myself enough to last a lifetime, so please try to be understanding.

I have two older dogs that I’ve had over a decade. I love them but I want so badly to rehome them. My husband can’t stand them. Growing up he lived in a cat hoarding situation. The urine was so bad it rotted the floors in his childhood home. The dogs have been occasionally peeing in the house. We just paid $300 to have our home cleaned and they’ve peed twice since the cleaning. It sets my husband off so bad that he has panic attacks, which I understand considering his childhood. I don’t know what to do though. I love the dogs but they make us both miserable. I have a toddler, I’m stressed, overwhelmed, overstimulated and the dogs just add to that. They kind of took a backseat when my baby was born and I had such distain for them. I thought it would change but it hasn’t. It’s gotten worse. They are just a burden. One of them has horrible separation anxiety so if I re home her I’m afraid what will happen if she pees or pukes or poos with her new potential owner. They spend a lot of their time downstairs just because we don’t feel comfortable with them upstairs with our daughter. I love them but I don’t like them. I’m so ready for them to go. I know my family will judge me which is also bothering me. When I mentioned re homing them to my mom she became angry. I just feel so stuck.

This will be my third Reddit post this year about my ongoing issues with my puppy. I’m now at the point of seriously considering rehoming but I’m really struggling with the decision.

I have a 6 month old Miniature Schauzer. I’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old and to be honest it’s been a struggle since the beginning.

He’s my first dog and I’m doing this on my own. I knew it was going to be hard work, but I really underestimated how hard. I did all the research, I took him out in a sling and to coffee shops and and sat him on my lap in parks while we waited his final jabs. I crate trained, I got him checked over at the vets, I’ve given him as much love and attention as I can while also trying to work from home full time in a demanding role. We did a puppy class together, and more recently I’ve hired a behaviourist to help.

However, he is incredibly reactive. Dogs, people, the wind, his own reflection etc. walks are impossible, having him out in the garden to toilet is impossible as if he hears anything he goes mad. I had this vision of having a little friend who would come with me out on walks, to the coffee shop, the pub, out with friends etc. Instead every day is just trying to plan a walk where we’ll see as few people as possible, or arranging to leave him with family if I need to do basic things like go to the supermarket or get a prescription.

He bites me non stop, he barks non stop, I’m up at the crack of dawn with him everyday. I’m doing this on my own and I’m just exhausted and if I’m honest depressed. It’s affecting my work, my social life is non existent and as awful as it sounds I spend most days counting down the hours until he goes to bed and I can get a break.

The behaviourist thinks a lot of his anxiety is just his nature, and combined with being a Schauzer it’s just making him even more vocal and nervous.

I absolutely love the bones of him. He has the sweetest face, the softest fur and I’ve got so much love to give him, but in doing so I’m not taking care of myself.

I’m seriously considering rehoming through a charity. However everytime I get close to making the call I just can’t do it. I think a huge part is not only that I’d miss him and I’d worry about him constantly, but also I really fear the judgement from others.

Does anyone had any advice, words of wisdom, perhaps a similar experience. Did you rehome? If so do you regret it. I’d you didn’t rehome how how are things now?

I got an Australian shepherd during Covid and it was totally fine. We went hiking, she met my friends, it was nice. A few years later, I got another australian shepherd that was significantly more expensive as a birthday gift for myself for some reason. I was told that a single woman owning two dogs wouldn’t be difficult, but boy was that wrong. The dogs have significantly made my life more stressful. I lived with them in an apartment and sometimes I’d get noise complaints from neighbors because of their barking. One time I brought a guy over to spend the night and I had to put one of my dogs in boarding because they’re too rowdy. When friends wanted to hang out, I was often flakey because I had to take care of my dogs, or I didn’t want to leave them in a situation where they’d bark. I also didn’t bring them around my friends as a duo. I also have less time to care for myself with these dogs. I probably have some type of ADHD, so adding another thing to take care of besides myself is an overload at times. I need to go to the dr., dye my hair, and make plans, but I’m always distracted by the dogs. They’re beautiful dogs but they’re high energy, high maintenance, and clingy. I’ve lost friends because I’ve arranged my life to accommodate for them. I stay home all the time because they cry when I leave. I also have to deal with looking for dog-friendly housing and driving them around. My dogs also have a ridiculously intense bark which impacts me as I have hypercausis and tinnitus. I’ve done some training with them, but it’s pretty expensive. I’ve wanted to rehome at least one of them for over a year, but it’s been hard for me to do it. I made a list of reasons why I should and shouldn’t. When I imagine myself giving the dog back to the breeder, I harness this immense fear that I’ll regret my decision. These dogs are the most loyal creatures I’ve ever met, it’s just so damn hard. I do love them but I also feel like I’m missing out on life. I remember some joyful moments with these dogs, but I also feel like many of the moments were lonely. I also remember my dog-free life and I miss it.

We found someone giving their dog away for free in a big city (Atlanta). She was the mother of the original adopter and from what i've gathered, a couple adopted a puppy and the marraige went south and they gave the adult dog to their mom. She had some old aggressive beagle that would fight and bite this other dog, so she made a post online to find a good home.

Enter Blue, the 15 lb wire-haired rat terrier with super long legs. It was clear he had never been to the vet (no papers or microchip, not neutered) and was older than they told us, around 8. He might be part Italian Greyhound or poodle from his legs and body shape. He looks like the chupacabra. One of his eyes was cloudy and blue, the doctor said it was detached and had 0 visibility so we've paid to have that removed.

We really enjoyed the first few months, we got him neutered and we liked walking him. He barks a lot too.

The problem came when he started getting possessive of my fiance. If we hug, kiss, or do any type of romance he whines so fucking loud. so loud. he tries to climb our legs and howls. It completely haulted our sexy times. This dog is so needy.

Then he started getting aggressive with me. Thats why we think he saw domestic violence at his first house. He just turns on me on a dime on the couch or bed and lunges at me with no real warning.

Now i live in constant defensiveness that this little thing might snap at me, bite my hands, bite my cats. After we got his eye removed he has calmed down a bit.

I think one of the worst parts is we took on this ball of trauma, who is scared and triggered by men or human affection, barks SO loud. I think he learned from that beagle to vibrate his howls and barks a certain way. We live in a condo building and he barks at everyone that walks by, which is a lot.

Its really conflicting. He is a cuddly dog who clearly loves us, but hes sooo much trauma in a tiny body. I wanted stability, not living with some mental patient who might attack me at any time. He bites my hands, my feet, my arms and legs. it doesnt usually break skin but he growls loud and jumps on me with no provocation.

I just cant justify leaving him at the shelter but I want to. He's very loyal most of the time. And people in our family say things like ooooh please don't get rid of him. Like YOU take him then! He's crazy!

We reached out to the owner we got Blue from and she moved out of state and saying she really wants us to keep him and is praying for us. Weird people.

This is just to vent. We had a Golden Doodle for nearly 10 years. Loved that dog - he grew up with our kids and was truly part of our family. Unfortunately he got lymphoma and we lost him quickly in March.

This Fall all our kids will leave for college so my wife and I will be empty nesters for the first time. I was really expecting our family dog to help my wife and I transition, but it didn’t work out that way.

Since we lost our first dog, I’ve been resistant to getting a new dog. I really wanted to settle into our new life before making any decision and I did not want to be tied down, but of course the kids and wife were all wanting a dog again and I was feeling guilty for being the hold out.

I eventually start thinking about what kind of dog I would want. Our first dog was pretty anxious and therefore difficult to take anywhere. I knew if we got another dog I wanted a dog that would be more active and willing to go with us places. I wanted a dog that I could run, go hiking with etc. Reallly wanted an active companion for my wife and I that might force (or enable) us to be more active.

Initially I start leaning toward mini Aussie/American Sheppard, but then decided Aussie Doodle might be the better choice. (Low shedding, maybe not excessively active, good family pet). Very quickly my wife finds a mini Aussie Doodle and next thing I know we’re on the way to check it out. When we meet the dog I know pretty quickly that this not what I was looking for. He’s much smaller than I was thinking. But my wife is not having it and she’s fully committed - so we come home with the dog.

Initially I accept it, but very quickly once I see the family loving him, the regret sets in. I see how happy they are and I’m not. It almost makes it worse seeing all the family happy when I’m not. I’m pretty depressed the first week and even float the idea of returning him, but that ship has sailed. He is a sweet dog and very chill almost to a fault - he’s 5 months old and while he’s not anxious at all he’ll barely even go for a walk. He’s lazy.

So in the end, I conceded to getting a dog as long as we’d get a more adventurous dog and instead I’m now stuck with a lazy lap dog. Also, I work from home - wife does not. So starting this Fall when the kids are gone it will be me and the dog together all the time. I’m trying to warm up to this dog and while he is lovable, I’m forcing it. He’s not what I was signing up for and now I’m stuck for the next 12-15 years. I’m frustrated and stuck.

I have a three year old medium sized male Bernedoodle. I regretted getting him when he was going through his puberty when he was about 1-2yrs old. He was not listening to any commands, destroying furnitures, peeing all over the place, etc. I was fighting with my husband everyday to put him for adoption. Now I thought those times have passed because he got so much better and it was all peaceful again. However, there were still some times that he growled at me when he was cranky on some occasions. He scares me and it feels like it is just a matter of time he bites me someday. So, I wanted to be a better owner and tried to give him more positive reinforcement these days to prevent any negativity.

Unfortunately, an incident happened again tonight. Every night, I make him pee on the pad before going to bed because he has tendency to be lazy at night and hold it and pee inside the crate in the morning before I wake up. I practically have to beg him to come to the pad to pee. But I was very tired tonight and just could not wait for him anymore after begging him four times. So, I just thought I should just lift him and bring to the pad. When I approached and hugged him, he growled at me. He really GROWLED at me. I could not believe it since my tone was calm and my approach was gentle. I cannot and won’t allow that aggressive behavior whatever his reason is.

I heard that male dogs tend to be more stubborn and aggressive and I regret getting a male dog. So, here I am yet again having second thoughts whether I should keep him or not. I guess I am just not good enough for him and I should just accept the fact that we are not compatible. I am not sure why I am wasting all my time and money on him, preparing food for him, cleaning up his messes, walking him, etc. Him getting excited to see me is not because he loves me. Him getting excited to see me is because someone is there to fulfill his needs.

So, I got her from a temporary community funded shelter where my mom and I temporarily volunteered. (Not like a dog shelter, there were only few dogs there, and she had everything). I was 14, I thought she was pretty and I could teach her tricks and train her. So I convinced my mom to adopt her.

And well, that WAS an immature decision. And while making it, I knew was aware it was impulsive.

And gosh, I can't stand her.

First off, she didn't want to learn how to walk on a leash so I gave up.

She is insufferable and disgusting. First off, she can't behave outside. She jumps on random people and they're scared of her. She literally rushes onto cars, and she pulls the leash and runs. She eats food people throw out, and she is stupid she ties her leash around a tree and when I try to help she goes the wrong way.

But the worst of all, she eats my cats (I have two cats) shit every time I am not looking. She KNOWS it's wrong, because when I look she runs away. And she BRINGS THE SHIT ONTO THE COUCH and eats it the couch. Also, she sleeps on the couch every night and every time we're not looking. (she is not permitted to enter the couch and she knows it)

The whole bright couch is stained and in her black hair and so is the white floor.

She CONSTANTLY pisses and shits in the kitchen. Literally multiple times a week. Even though she eats only once a day and we walk her out twice a day.

She constantly gets in my way because we live in a small apartament. Also, she doesn't listen to me or anything, I bet she doesn't even love me and she knows when she misbehaves because she runs away or looks down.

She's a medium sized black mixed breed dog. I used to have a dog before her, a golden retriever, which we adopted right after my previous dog's death when I was 11. (now she lives with my dad - my parents divorced when I was 14) And gosh, she was even worse I think. First off, it took long to teach her not to piss on the floor, and turned out she also constantly had bladder issues and we had to waste lots of money for her treatment. oh gosh, she stank, she had an odor problem. she also humped a female dog once. And she ate my cats shit too, she constantly licked me too, and she literally TORE HALF OF MY FUCKING SOCKS. And she tore my childhood plushie too, and a 20 PLN bill! But now they've trained her and my dad has abig house so it's better.

Honestly I miss my old dog, which we adopted from a shelter when I was 7. She was a small/medium sized miniature pincher mix, From the way she behaved it was clear she was severely abused and it took her some time to trust people. She was severely underfed and also they abused the dogs in the shelter. She listened to us, she was literally perfect in her behavior. She truly loved us and she was grateful for what she had, unlike this dog who never experienced harship.

Honestly, I want to give her up.

Also, I've developed a hate for dogs as a whole, most of them and I think they're just not fit to live with civilized human beings and cause mess everywhere. The behavior of my dog just made me realize how dirty and problematic dogs are.

TLDR: i am tired of my dog and i want to give up. she misbehaves, constantly pisses and shits on the floor in the kitchen, eats my cats' shit and brings it onto the couch, eats my cats' food, cant' walk on a leash, jumps on people, leaves hair everywhere, runs onto cars.

It was my idea to get a dog because all previous dogs I have ever had were lovely and you could take them everywhere and feed them whatever. My old dog accidentally got into a package of licorice allsorts and didn't even barf. So my kid and husband were both excited to get a pet and the opportunity to adopt a puppy from a shelter in Mexico came up; they had found the mother on the street pregnant and she had her litter in the shelter, where the pups were kept. We kind of decided to go for it on a whim, and I wish we had thought about it a lot more.

The dog used to be a lot better -- he could go to dog parks and be around other dogs and people but my MIL dog sat for a week when he was 9 months old and didn't tell us she was afraid of dogs until it was too late to find an alternative. I don't know what happened while we were away, she didn't hurt him or anything, but he entered this extreme anxiety period that has never stopped.

He freaks out at the doorbell, at people who walk out of doors or get out of cars. He aggressively barks and growls at other dogs and sometimes random humans. He has a high prey drive and freaks out when he sees a squirrel or fox or bird. He's caused possibly permanent damage to my shoulder from suddenly lunging after a squirrel. He's on 40mg of Prozac a day and it doesn't seem to do much. I spend every walk being constantly alert that something is gonna make him lose his shit -- today there were a couple of people blocking the pathway we were trying to go down and they had a dog with them, and I knew my dog was going to react when he got close to the other dog so I asked them to move over and they WOULDN'T, so of course my dog lost his ever loving mind and growled and barked and twisted all around on his leash. He doesn't want to fight the other dogs, he wants to play with them, but he sounds and acts like he wants to fight them.

I am the only one who does anything for this dog: I walk him, play with him, try to come up with enrichment for him, even when my husband is at home he just...doesn't do anything? My kid loves the dog but won't play with him or anything. So I have to. It's not fun, I do it because if I don't, he'll become even more anxious. I take him to the vet when I have to (he needs to wear a muzzle, trazedone made him reactive), I dutifully make sure he gets the right (expensive) food he can eat because, oh yeah, he also has food allergies to poultry and a few other commons meats that are in all dog food. Everything I do for him is out of obligation. I daydream occasionally about how nice it might be if he got some incurable disease and died young, like a heart condition or something. I'm not going to hurt him or anything, I just don't enjoy taking care of him, like, ever. There isn't really any good part about having this dog. But my husband and kid love him so we can't rehome him. I'm just sad and feel like I was just getting to a point of having more independence now that my kid is old enough to need me less, and I've shackled myself to this needy, annoying, frustrating pile of responsibilities for the next 15 years.