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*sigh* My hubby brought home a puppy yesterday. :rolleyes: We needed another animal like we need a hole in the head but we love them all. Before we got married my husband hadn't grown up with animals so he didn't have the same perspective as me but now....it's welcome to the zoo LOL! I don't think i could be with someone who doesn't love animals. It would just be to hard for me. I know I would be unhappy. :animal-pa

Hey All, I am a new poster but have been browsing around since the end of March right after I got my Duncan. When I saw this thread I just had to chime in.

I met my husband about 7 years ago online while I had my previous yorkie named Dodger. He knew I was a yorkie lover and I knew he was allergic to dogs (and most other animals). I've always told him that someday I would need to get another dog since Dodger was my family's dog and taking him wasn't an option.

Knowing that it would be hard with his allergies we made our home and furniture choices very carefully in preparation. Our flooring is tile and wood; our couches and chairs are leather or wood.

Now that we have Duncan (about 1 3/4 years into our marriage, 1 month with Duncan) my husband is getting four allergy shoots a week for the next four to fives years. He will even take care of Duncan when I need to run an errand. He generally loves him too, but definitely not to the extent that I do. He would be more excited if he wasn't allergic and I can't blame him for that. I can't wait for the day that the shots (hopefully) kick in and he can play with Duncan without hesitation.

I have the best husband ever!

Ah, very good point too! I have 100% control with the medical situations for sure and I over rule my dh with the training too ;).

Absolutely a deal breaker!

My last boyfriend loved Layla... for the first few months. He started getting more and more tired of her, and JEALOUS of her... It started that she couldn't sleep on my bed if he was there, then she couldn't sleep in my room period. THEN she wasn't allowed on the same floor as him :eek: She was scared of him and whenever he came over, she ran downstairs and stayed under the couch until he left. I hate that I let that happen. He broke me down so much to believe nobody else would ever want me, he was the best I'd ever do and I might as well settle. But, I never considered ever giving up Layla even though he pushed me to do it constantly. I gave up nights with him to stay home with her.

The big eye opener came one day when he was leaving my house in the morning, all happy and cheery, and he opened the front door, and Layla came running upstairs, tail wagging, happy to finally see me... but he wasn't gone yet. His demeaner did a complete 180... he raged and called her a "Cocky b****" and stormed up the stairs after her... she ran behind the couch. He grabbed the corner of the couch, threw it across the room, and slapped her. I threw him out of my house SO FAST and told him never to ever step foot in my door again. I cried and hugged Layla, and was late for work because I was so traumatized by it. He didn't come to my house again, and I ended the relationship for good, after a year and a half together.

My boyfriend before him didn't like Layla, but tolerated her and never did anything mean. I didn't like that either. He made me feel stupid for how much I doted on her. I vowed I wouldn't date another guy who didn't absolutely love my dog.

Well, Layla's new daddy is everything to her that I am :) He wouldn't think of hurting her. He didn't bat an eye at the expense of her spinal surgery, and even cried in the exam room thinking about maybe never getting her kisses again. He is everything I have ever wanted in a man. He didn't grow up with animals as part of the family.. he had a dog and a few cats that were given away when they were too much work for his parents. He now says he can't imagine ever living without a dog.

That's such a sad story, but I'm overjoyed it has a happy ending. :)

I'm so glad you threw that piece of trash out of your house. The nerve of that guy!

Me too! :D Layla and I have never been happier! The ex used to say that if I had to choose between him and Layla, I should choose him and he got so mad knowing that wouldn't happen. When I started dating my current bf, and I asked him if he would ever expect me to choose between him and Layla, he said he would never make me choose, because he knows Layla would win and he'd lose me :)

That man is a keeper! I am so glad in the end you ended up finding someone worthy of you and Layla!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: I am glad you kicked him out to make room for the wonderful man you have now! :)
Buster and I are a package deal. If you can not love my sweet Buster who has brought so much joy to my life than you must not love me.

I'm so glad you got rid of the loser and found a keeper - and I am especially glad that he is so understanding of Layla and her special care! :)

My husband was not and still really isnt an animal lover but he knows my love for animals so he tolerates them. He does have his favorite dog now though but It took me a month to convince to let me get my toy poodle, now she is his little princess. I got Tucker because he got a motorcycle..lol.. That was our trade off. ;).. I wont lie and say that it doesnt cause friction sometimes, because it does mostly about the amount of money that I like to spend on them (food, accessories etc.) I have promised him that I will not bring anymore in the house untill some of the ones we have pass on. We do have quite the little "petting zoo" and really dont need anymore furcritters right now..;)
But I do agree that to have a happy relationship/household, both partners need to either love animals or tolerate the other's love for animals or it just wont work.

Good for you! I love sad stories with happy endings!

It takes a special person to love and accept an animal that they might not have chosen for themselves, but isn't that what everyone wants in life? A special person to share life with?

My now wife came into my life when I had a 13-year-old Lab who was declining rapidly. He panted all the time. His shedding was terrible. Gas.

From her perspective, he was not a nice presence in the house, and I could understand that. She didn't have the history with that dog that I did. I got him from a shelter when he was 8 weeks old, and we grew up together. We hiked, we swam, we traveled, we moved from town to town and city to city. He was my best friend, and I looked at the challenges of his senior years as a small way I could pay him back for the 13 years of unconditional love he gave me.

My wife became my wife when she accepted that and treated him with the love and respect he deserved. If she hadn't, she wouldn't be my wife of 14 years. ;)

linz06 good for you! Any guy that would rage at a little dog like that would ultimately physically hurt you, or children too.

Layla's new daddy sounds awesome, and please tell him that your friends on YorkieTalk think he's one terrific guy!

That is a great story too! I can't believe I almost settled for someone who didn't love Layla. Knowing what it's like now, my life has completely changed for the better :)

I am glad your wife accepted him too. I think the best qualities in people can be seen in their care of animals. A person who loves and respects animals, even in their worst days and in the end of their lives, is a person who will always love and respect friends and family.

In my case, when a grown man sees nothing wrong with slapping an innocent little dog, it will never end up well. If we ended up together I have no doubt in my mind that he eventually he would have hit me, or any children we might have had together. I didn't see it then, but I do now!

Layla never really loved anyone I brought around before. Scott expresses her twice a day (letting me only do it once!), he fixes her hair when it's in her eyes, he runs with her when we go for walks, he sticks up for her when people put her down for being handicapped. Last week, he left one evening to go play ball, and Layla refused to eat, and she laid at the back door on his shoes for hours until he came home! All of a sudden, I'm not the cool parent anymore :rolleyes: But it warms my heart!

For me it's take me, you take Andy. If he had a problem with Andy then he would have a big problem with me.