Would You Dump Your Dog For A Girl/Boyfriend?
By slasheuse
@slasheuse (79)
February 14, 2007 11:56am CST
Let's imagine: you have a great pet, you've had them for a few years. Your dog is your best friend, who has only ever lived with you. Perhaps they're getting old and a bit sick, or maybe they're young and boisterous and need a lot of exercise. Either way, they're hairy and need a lot of grooming.
You're also single, but then you meet someone who you think could just be the love of your life. Only problem is, they're painfully allergic to dogs and cats and just can't live with your pet.
What do you do? Who goes - your lover or your canine companion?? I am interested in your responses.
14 people like this
48 responses
@cassidy22 (2974)
• United States
14 Feb 07
My dogs and I were a package deal. I made a vow when I adopted my dogs to provide them love and a home for ALL their life. If I met someone who couldn't accept my committment to my pets, I didn't date them. Heck, boyfriends come and go - but to get rid of your loyal pet and friend over a date? NOPE, not gonna happen. I also want to have dogs in my life for the rest of my life - so dating someone who doens't like dogs would wreck that.
When I got married, I had 3 dogs, and he had 2 and a cat... we're all happy together.
4 people like this
@quatelmon (955)
• United States
14 Feb 07
That is your own oppinion. A lot of people find comfort in their pets more than they can find in any human being. If the person can not accept that you have animals and they are allergiv, it is not really true love...Besides. I do not believe in "true love," but that is another topic all together. :)
@slasheuse (79)
•
15 Feb 07
"Accepting" an allergy doesn't really do anything, does it? I mean, it's hardly psychological. I don't think you should "dump" the pet in the sense of abandoning them, but I do think that an animal can be happy with ANY good owner (as long as they are not very old or very young, or likely to be traumatised by the manner of the move).
@gemini52981 (158)
• Canada
16 Feb 07
the boyfriend or girlfriend could always get allergy shots or take allergy medications to deal, so that both can co exist in the same household. My brother dated a girl for four years who was very allergic to our cats. They would make her cough and wheeze and sneeze constantly. but she still stayed iwth my brother. She still would pick up the cats and stick her nose in their fur and cuddle them. Eventually, she ended up taking allergy pills to calm the allergy a little. When the relationship ended, my brother ended up ending and it had nothing to do with her allergy of our cats, it had to do with differences in religious practices.
@quatelmon (955)
• United States
14 Feb 07
My boyfriend is allergic to dogs, and my dog was not going anywhere. There are things you can do to control his allergies. It's not the hair he's allergic to, it's dander. You have to control the dander and this will control the allergies. Do so by doing the following:
Don't let the dog into bedrooms. Use baby gates to control the rooms the dog is allowed in.
The rooms the dog is allowed in should not be carpeted. Carpeting holds dander, and makes it harder to clean up.
Clean tile floors DAILY with a vacume and then use a moist swiffer mop to clean up hair.
This has made a HUGE difference in his relationship with my dog. Also, make sure to only wash the dog once a week with a shampoo that is meant for controlling dander. Washing the pup more than that can create more dander.
Good luck! And I hope that you can work things out. That is what I did, and I would never EVER get rid of my dog for anyone. He's my best bud!
@jillbeth (2705)
• United States
14 Feb 07
These are all great tips. People who have allergies to dogs often have allergies to other things in the atmosphere: dust, pollen, pollution, and getting rid of the animal doesn't always solve the problem. Too many beloved pets end up in animal shelters when there are other solutions. If these things don't work, a trip to an allergist may also help, to determine that the person truly does have an allergy to animals.
2 people like this
@sensesfail (2251)
• India
15 Feb 07
Great discussion.
+ rated.I would never do something harsh like that.i mean what did my dog do and why should i punish my dog for no reason at all.I'd try to persuade her,if she still insists then i'd rather dump her.
@Cephoozee (373)
• United States
14 Feb 07
Bro's before ho's, the dog stays, he's proven himself to always be there for me and my best friend, 'nuff said.
2 people like this
@melissacus (441)
• United States
14 Feb 07
dear jerk,
i think your girlfriend may be a bit upset when she reads this.
p.s. i'm severely allergic to cats.
1 person likes this
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
14 Feb 07
Nope. The friend would either get used to it or hit the road. My pet was here first. Besides the pet is always glad to see me, never asks for money or borrows the car.
1 person likes this
@Jshean20 (14349)
• Canada
14 Feb 07
I would choose my dog first. As I was getting to know this "potential love of my life", one of the first things that would come up is his feelings towards animals and whether or not he could live with them. I'm a huge animal lover myself and so my partner has to be have a love for them and be able to tolerate them as well. If I found out this wasn't possible then I wouldn't persue the dating any further..
@slasheuse (79)
•
15 Feb 07
So, even if they were a wonderful person and liked certain animals but literally *could not be around* dogs, you'd end the relationship? I admire the firmness of your principles. Out of interest, what would you do if your dog attacked your established partner? Would you have the dog put down/given away? Presuming there was no provocation.
@spiritwolf52 (2300)
•
14 Feb 07
I would keep my pooch. I'll give you my example: I was single living in Alaska. I met someone online who lives in Scotland. He knew I was a package deal. If I moved to Scotland, Amani would be coming with me. I would not leave him behind. My fiance came over and met Amani and he really liked him. So, we got married and we all went back to Scotland to live. That is the short version of the story.
If the problem was due to allergies, there are medicines out these days that can take care of that problem. Amani was my best friend and he saw me through some tough times. There was no way that I would leave him behind. You take on a dog and you are responsible for their well being, their happiness. They give you unconditional love the least you can do is to return it. Love me love my pooch.
@slasheuse (79)
•
14 Feb 07
That's a great story! I'm in an LDR so examples like that are really encouraging. Did Amani have to stay in quarantine for a long time? If so, how did you feel about that? I know that some people think that putting a dog through quarantine is cruel and it's better to find them a new, loving home rather than put them through the trauma of a long flight and a period in quarantine. I have never been in that situation but you have - what would you say to that?
@candygurl24 (1880)
• Canada
15 Feb 07
Well as someone who owns a cat and is looking to buy a dog in the near future, I'd have to say that Fido stays and the man never becomes anything more than a casual acquaintance. My animals are treated like my family and I would have to keep the dog.
@slasheuse (79)
•
15 Feb 07
Introducing a dog to a cat - that's got to be very challenging! Do you think it'll work? Thank you very much for your response - it was interesting.
@cf44867 (42)
• United States
15 Feb 07
I always find out how a potential date feels about my babies! Like the other night I had a first date and we came back to the house to see how he interacted with them, ok so we came back to watch a movie. lol The point being I would never put myself in the situation of having to choose one or the other. I am an animal lover, period. I will not be with someone that does not like animals as well.
@slasheuse (79)
•
15 Feb 07
But what if it wasn't that they didn't LIKE them, it was that they made them sick? Like, if you were with someone and they were willing to help you with your animals but it made them sick, what would you do?
@all_am_rejects (57)
• United States
14 Feb 07
i would keep the dog and dump the b/f. What kind of relationship is it if u have to give up some thing u love just to be with a b/f. Then what might happen is u might not like the b/f then u would still at least have the dog. I personally would not know though because my b/f loves dogs.
@slasheuse (79)
•
15 Feb 07
That's a good point - although doesn't love sometimes demand sacrifice? Couldn't the dog be equally happy with someone else? We could all be better owners - walk them further, take them to a better vet, buy or make better food etc.
@all_am_rejects (57)
• United States
14 Feb 07
I would most likely keep the dog and dump the b/f. i really would not know though becouse my b/f loves dogs
@slasheuse (79)
•
14 Feb 07
You're very lucky, then! What if you were already in love with the boyfriend, wouldn't it be difficult?
@niranjankiller (19)
• India
15 Feb 07
You can give your pet to someone who likes pets and takes care about it. In this way You can get your lover and in the same time your pet will also get good attention by them. The pet is one which will stay with you for few years only. But a lover is one who will stay with you for your lifetime and will take care of you more than a pet
@slasheuse (79)
•
15 Feb 07
Exactly - at the end of the day, a good owner is a good owner and a dog can be happy with LOTS of people. Whereas we only get one or two chances for real love.
@babykay (2131)
• Ireland
16 Feb 07
Sorry but I really wouldn't get rid of my dog. I would urge my new b'friend to get acupuncture and try various measures to deal with his allergies. I would spend time at his place instead of mine. I would spend less time with my dog but I would not NEVER let go of a loyal friend.
I don't even have a dog, just cats.
@toyboxer04 (353)
• Malta
15 Feb 07
My companion will definitely have to leave! I won't give up the dog for anything in the world. I would find another boyfriend later on but my dog will not surely pay the price!
@destroyer (784)
• Pakistan
15 Feb 07
hmmm... my canine companion as you put it has been with me for 1.5 years now and is like a family member to me, if a girl asks me to get rid of a member of my family than its shes got another thing coming!
@trinidadvelasco (11401)
• Philippines
16 Feb 07
The first step will be to find a way to have a happy compromise. If I keep my dog in a kennel and let him out only when my dog allergic husband goes out somewhere, that should be fine. Singly, I'll take care of my dog, and I don't see any problem here because, it had been that way before my husband came into my life. If this can't be, as we are only living in a condominium unit, then I'll find a friend or a relative where I can lodge my dog. This will have to be so because, it is indeed a reality that it is very difficult to find a soulmate. But, if he is only a boyfriend yet, there's no way he'll take priority over my dog. The boyfriend can always stay out of my house anyway.
@ShadowStalker002 (107)
• Philippines
15 Feb 07
no way! i'll find a way to keep both of them, but i could never dump my dog.
@gemini52981 (158)
• Canada
16 Feb 07
i shouldn't have to choose between my lover and my pet. The pet stays hands down, no matter how decrypt it is, or how old it is, the pet stays, the lover goes. If he doesn't like the same things I do, then there's a problem right htere, and the person is not my match.
