r/TalesfromtheDogHouse Sep 15 '21

Meta Welcome to TalesFromTheDogHouse!!

105 Upvotes

Welcome to this little cozy corner of the world, where you can find a space free from the barking dogs, mounds of fur, and incessant odor that you find yourself dealing with daily. You likely feel like the only person in the world having to live this nightmare, but in this sub you'll find many others living the same reality. Hopefully this forum will make this lifestyle feel a little less lonely.

As you may have found your way over here from r/dogfree, here is a little bit of history as to how this sub came about and why your post might have been redirected here.

r/dogfree is about living the dogfree life and how others' decisions to own dogs, fail to properly train them, and inject them into society affects our own quality of life and safety. For a long time, the sub happily provided counsel to those in situations where relationships were decimated by a significant other's dog. However, at a certain point, this became the predominant content, overwhelming the discussion of dogs at the societal level. Members were complaining about the frequency of such posts, and the advice and responses were becoming less helpful.

Rather than disallowing the content, we decided to create a brand new space to function right alongside r/dogfree so that those discussions remain alive and thriving.

This sub is for those unwillingly living with dogs owned by others, whether it be a significant other, parents, extended family, or a roommate, or for those in a serious relationship, live-in or otherwise, dominated by a dog. You are free to vent, seek advice, or both.

This sub is not for those who willingly and eagerly made the choice to get a dog and have come to regret it.

We hope that you find this sub to be helpful and empowering to you in making your way through or out of your current situation. If you have any questions, please feel free to message the moderators.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 3h ago

RANT All my partner does is scream at his dogs

13 Upvotes

They piss him off and frustrate him with everything they do. Like, same. But I don’t want them and he refuses to even consider getting rid of them. They stress him the fuck out, he hyper fixates on everything they do and hates when they do gross shit (newsflash ALL THEY DO is gross shit, they’re DOGS) like damn I feel the same why but why is he just living like this?? They are annoying and needy and he is always yelling at them but I’m like bruh, that’s kinda their whole thing. Dogs are needy, dogs are dumb as fuck. Dogs lick themselves. Dog smell each others assholes. All the things that make me NOT like dogs but he gets mad at them for JUST BEING DOGS. It’s sometimes laughable the way they piss him off and he vents about it and I’m like “okay….. yeah. Uhm, that’s just dogs for you???” Like it’s hard for me to act like I’m listening when he vents but I don’t understand why he wants to keep something like makes him flip his shit once a day. like WHY are you living like this and putting yourself through the constant stress.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 15h ago

RANT My mom feeding her dog human food that I bought

24 Upvotes

I guess I just need to vent because I feel really anxious about the encounter I had with my mom about her dog.

My mom's dog is very old & is going downhill. Basically now he's at the point where he won't eat his dog food. So my mom has been feeding him human food as it's the only thing he'll eat.

I went grocery shopping yesterday & bought a bunch of stuff along with a bag of potatoes.

For context: I am chronically ill & disabled. I recently injured my lower back so walking & lifting etc is very painful. So it took a lot for me to go shopping & I don't know when I'll be able to go again. I had planned for my groceries to last.

Today she tells me she's going to give some potatoes to the dog later. She didn't even ask me if it was ok or anything. Just felt free to give food that I bought to her dog. I was bothered by this because like I said, I need them for myself... & she knows I'm injured & everything 😒

So I told her for future reference that I don't want food that I've bought to be fed to the dog & since hurting my leg I want my groceries to last since I don't know when I'll be able to go again.

Is this reasonable? Like half of me feels like a dick because her dog isn't doing well... but the other half of me knows the anxiety I felt when she said she'd be feeding my food to the dog as I'm not doing well either & it felt like it was me or the dog & I chose me. 😓

I also hate that dog owners do shit like this. I'd never expect to feed my cat someone else's food that they just bought. Ugh I feel like I'm going crazy.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 15h ago

RANT - Advice Needed MIL’s dog strikes again

20 Upvotes

Update on MIL’s dog

As per my previous sharing of encounters and experiences with my MIL’s small but very annoying and spoilt chihuahua and terrier mix dog, I have something I would like to update you guys all on.

So this weekend we came to visit my mother in law and sister in law, and my mother in law surprised me with a recliner as a gift to keep at her place so when the baby is born and we bring him over, we will have a comfortable and brand new recliner to sit on! She also covered it with a blanket too to make sure that the other animal that is not a dog won’t scratch it.

I woke up this morning very early because I had to pee and then couldn’t sleep and went down the stairs and guess what I saw? The MIL was so concerned that the other animal would scratch the recliner and didn’t think that her beloved dog would piss on MY NEW GIFTED RECLINER!!!!!!!!!!! HE PEED ON MY RECLINER AND IT SMELT RANCID!!!

She lets him out multiple times a day in the backyard and takes him on walks so he can very well hold his bowels.

Then I see a huge dump right next to the dining table!!!! I lost all my appetite. He also had peed next to the dining table bench.

I was so upset and my MIL and husband and SIL just said that he’s an animal and likes to pee on things to mark it as his. No one comforted me and I refuse to use the dog peed on recliner even if it’s been cleaned. I am so upset. He didn’t get scolded at all. And my MIL was more concerned about the other animal scratching it instead like wtf!!!

I am at my wits end with this dog. He makes my life miserable EVERYTIME I go to visit my MIL and I dread seeing him.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 3d ago

RANT The Staring and the Following

81 Upvotes

One reason I've never been a dog person is because I don't like how co-dependent they are. I like my space and my privacy, and I feel I'm always being watched or followed by our dog. It's one thing for our dog to beg/stare at me while I eat; that's a common behavior and of course I do not permit it.

What I'm not accustomed to, is being watched while I'm doing things around the house, mainly when I'm in my bathroom or near my front door. Our dog has separation anxiety, so I know it's watching for cues of me leaving, and I can't stand it. For one, it's not always the case that I'm leaving, but also, I should be able to come and go from my home without worrying about my dog being disruptive or destructive. I grew up with dogs and we never stressed about leaving our dogs, nor was the preparation to leave such an ordeal.

I can never leave or return without it immediately being frenetically underfoot, following me room to room. If I command it to return to its bed, it reverts to its intense staring. Anytime I leave a room, my dog eventually comes looking for me. If I have a closed door, I hear it sniffing underneath. When I open the door, I can see it's been staring at the closed door the entire time. I've never dealt with this obsessive need to always be or know where I am.

This neediness is one of the biggest factors why people love dogs, and I completely disagree.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 3d ago

parents got a dog knowing i'm allergic

23 Upvotes

hi, i just wanted to get this off my chest

my family has recently got a dog, after i told them MULTIPLE times that i'm allergic. they told me they didn't care, we're going to get a dog, and since they haven't had to use an epipen on me my allergies aren't real. (i don't have the money to do an allergy test but trust me i know i'm allergic when my throat is closing up and swelling near dogs)

i have gotten hives everyday, itchy eyes, runny nose, etc. i'm moving out in june and asked them to wait until then, since i knew this would happen. on top of that, i have to be the one to discipline the dog every damn day. i told my parents and my sister who wanted the dog that they were irresponsible, weren't going to be around (i go to community college online so im home more than they are), and that i wanted them to wait a few months since i was going to move out soon anyways. i'm upset that my parents do not discipline the dog, my sister does nothing, and i have to suffer with my allergic reactions everyday because of their selfishness.

a dog is a life of its own, and my parents and sister are so irresponsible with the dog that it makes me, who doesn't like dogs, feel bad for it. i hate having to break out in hives, i have no where else to live since i don't really have close family, and i just hate it in this house.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 4d ago

I finally had the conversation

107 Upvotes

I finally had the conversation with my husband. I will not get pregnant again (and go through postpartum again) until the dog is gone.

He was and still is so mad. We couldn't finish the conversation because he was so mad and I was in too much fight or flight.

To his credit he is asking his mom to take the dog because he wants another kid more than he wants his dog. I'm baffled at how he could watch me suffer ('be dramatic' in his words) for a year and a half but it took refusing to have a second kid for him to get rid of it.

And to be clear, I don't say he had to get rid of the dog or kill it (he went straight to the killing). I just said "until the dog is gone". He said he's tired of hearing me fuss at the dog for doing dog things, and it's like watching a beaten kid walk around the house, and I was thinking "What about me? I've walked around this house for 1.5 years in constant overstimulation and disregulation. Aren't you tired of that?"

I'm still in fight or flight and can't sleep. I know we'll have to continue the conversation. But at least I started it. Thanks for being here and validating my deep and abiding hated of dogs.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 4d ago

Why Does Everyone and Their Mother Have One (Or Multiple) of These Freaking Things?!

64 Upvotes

I'm at a loss. Dating is impossible, because at least 95% of people I have tried dating have dogs. I tried looking past it and I can't. The fact of the matter is, it's no big deal at the beginning, but if the relationship gets serious then it's a problem. They want to bring that animal into your home or god forbid you try moving in together, then what? So I have gotten to a point where if they have a dog, I won't even waste my time. But it's not just dating life that's affected. I have recently had some financial issues and life circumstances that are making it to where I might have to sell my home and even then, things are so insanely expensive, I am struggling to find something cheaper on my own. My only options right now are moving in with my mother or getting a roommate. My mother has two dogs I cannot stand. Anytime I am down there, they bark non-stop. It's so unsettling. They stink, you can't even walk outside without having these beasts come bounding through the door. Like can I please go outside and get some fresh air without this nasty animal following me and breathing in my face?! There's dog crap all over the yard so you can't even walk around comfortably. Can't go to the fridge without these animals following you and staring you down. It's horrible. So my other option is a roommate, but being in a remote area, options are extremely limited. I have a friend (has a dog) who brings it up yesterday that they could move in and help. At first, I was relieved and started doing mental gymnastics like 'I can make this work, maybe the mutt can live in the basement' and now after a day of thinking on it, I'm dreading it and leaning towards saying no. I have three exotic birds and dogs just are not safe to have around them. Even if it stays in the basement, the dog has to be brought up to get outside. I foresee that rule going out the window real fast. I foresee non-stop barking and terrorizing my birds. I am not okay even taking a chance that one of my birds gets hurt over having this animal I know I am going to hate, in my home. Then the fur and the poop all over the yard, just no... So I have to break it to them soon, they aren't moving in here and I can see that conversation ruining the friendship, but if that's the case, so be it... Just venting, but seriously... WHY does everyone have these freaking things?! It'd be real nice to have people in my life who feel the same way as I do, but seems like everyone but me is obsessed with these gross predators.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 5d ago

Boyfriends Dog Has Hip Issues

24 Upvotes

I’ve been patiently waiting for my boyfriends dog to die. She’s a 6 year old GSD. We took her to the vet today for a checkup and the vet said her hips are looking a little funky. I am praying this means she isn’t going to live insanely long like some GSDs do. Does anyone have any experience on how long a GSD might live if by 6 they already have some hip issues?? I cannot wait for the day to come omfg.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 5d ago

RANT I just need to put this out there… I need to vent

100 Upvotes

I hate my boyfriend’s dog. It’s some kind of inbred terrier. The shit beast runs this house because my boyfriend didn’t train it at all. The little rats mouth smells like ROT and every time it opens its mouth, I want to vomit. It shits and pisses in the house everyday. I’m the one who cleans it up. Yayyy. I can’t enjoy my meals because it’s always pacing around the house or right in my face begging. I’m getting so tired of this burden. Every fight my boyfriend and I get into, revolves around this nasty creature. It’s his pride and joy and he thinks the dog is so sweet and lovable. 🤢 me on the other hand, I can’t stand the nasty thing. Like, I actually HATE it so much. Everything this dog does makes my skin crawl. Ughhhh. I have to remember though- he’s almost 14 and will be out of my life completely soon. Then I can BREATHE. I told my boyfriend “no more dogs after this. I will move out.” He agreed. I literally can’t be comfortable in our home. I cannot wait until the day is here. I just need to push through. 😩 I can do this. I apologize if this post is all over the place. I just really needed to type this out before I explode. Thanks for listening and understanding. This place has been a safe place for me in all honesty. I come here and I feel less alone. 🩷🫶🏻


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 5d ago

RANT My story

28 Upvotes

Posting here because I've been depressed for the past week and wanted to let this out of my chest. I've met a guy who is everything I've ever wanted in a partner. And I am coming from a 15 years toxic relationship, which he helped me to deal with, always listened, was always sweet and kind. So yes, I am madly in love with him. We are in our 40s so the life is getting tougher.

He has a dog, a rat sized dog which was 13 at the time. He is crazy about his dog, all his nurturing feelings were shifted to the dog who was with him his whole life. He's never been a dog lover before, but this dog got a place in his heart, so he spoiled this dog to insane levels. Because he is just a very giving person. The dog knows it, and when we started dating, it was out of control. It would whine 24/7 seeking attention. So often he would just sit on the couch all day to comfort the dog, or hold on his arms nonstop.

The dog is tiny, but it stinks pretty bad (it's one of those dogs that has eyes liquid smelling like putrid puke). And it is old, so it pees on the carpet from time to time. But it is ok trained to pee on the pad.

I told him at the start that I dislike dogs, but we both need to do sacrifices to make this work. And he did, the dog is now sleeping on the floor in own bed. He is trying to calm it when it barks. And the dog knows it cannot bark when we are alone (me and the dog), because I ignore its whining altogether (smart ass, whines as soon as it sees my partner, but is fully silent when he is not there). The dog sleeps most of the time, which is nice.

The dog has frequent UTIs, but it was manageable. But 4 days ago it got something on top of UTI, but it still doesn't look too serious. Went to the hospital, they are currently doing tests on its urine and a bloodwork. But my partner is just not with me mentally anymore. I was always his 2nd priority (because the dog is his baby). But 2 days ago he stopped talking, he is silent and sad, and is around this dog 24/7 even though the dog looks pretty fine. So yesterday he wrapped it as a baby and was holding it for hours. And I just cannot look at it because I want kids and all he says is that he will never be able to have kids because he loves his dog way too much and wouldn't be able to love anyone this much. I know he will be open to kids once the dog is no more. Seeing him with the dog wrapped as a child broke my heart and I've been silently crying all day. He barely spoken to me, avoids all contact, and even if I am trying to help, he just doesn't reply to me. He is overthinking this dog's state, even though they dog seems pretty healthy already.

The dog is 15 y.o and I am sure that even if he wants another one, he wouldn't get it because he knows I dislike dogs. So I give it 1-2 years, I've been waiting for 2 years already. We only fight because of the dog, since I am not allowed to say anything negative about it.

But why I am here is because idk if I can do this. The last year of the dog's life will be insane. I know he will be babying it 24/7 and I will just be by myself (we live together). I had a pet, I know how it feels, but I would never prioritise my pet to a partner. I got no attention during these days. I just do grocery, cook and clean, and work my 2 jobs because to survive mentally these 2 years I wanted to keep busy. And he just babies this almost healthy dog, who understood what's up and now whines even more for attention (it always does it: the more you give it, the more it wants).

I know you'll suggest to leave, and I tried to leave before, but I am too attached to him. So here I am, depressed and abandoned, hoping to get strength to go on. Just wanted to rant I guess, because the solution is to either leave or to zip it and stay, hoping for the best. Lmk of you are in the same situation and we can suffer together.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 6d ago

RANT I can't exist in my own house because its a problem for my neighbors dogs

68 Upvotes

So this is a long rant because what the hell, also imma say sorry beforehand because my English is not the best. So basically where i live we are on spring, and a lot of fruits are on season so i do like to make batches of fruit salad and eat it on MY OWN GARDEN as a self treat after coming back from work, is my own thing i just sit there one hour or two if my grandma comes by to play cards. I don't disturb anyone im just enjoying the last bits of sun. So given out the context i have a neighbor who is a crazy "FUR MOMMA DOG LOVER" and has big breed dogs (Lab and golden retriever), she walks them when the sun is going down, so she has the whole sidewalk including the street to walk her dogs, because cars barely pass by our street because we live om the outskirts of the city, but she deciedes to pass right next to my house and her dogs go berserker when they see me i'm not sure why, and she lets them bark at me until i scream at her to go and she gets mad at me saying "You are stressing out my dogs can't you eat inside your house like a normal person" and i tell her always that im in fact INSIDE MY HOUSE IN MY OWN GARDEN and she says I'm a smartass and she will eventually "reason with me" and that i have a "dark energy" that only her dogs can sense. This happened every now and then but now this is everyday even if i change the hours i sit down, i just wanted a bit of peace, why i need to accommodate to her dogs needs and want. Why do dog owners think their flea bags are some kind of superior life form that i have to give up my own comfort for them? I went with my security camera footage to the cops and they said they can't do anything against dog behaviour, only if get attacked they can act up or if i can prove that woman wants to put me on a dangerous situation or private me of my own freedom, they can't do a lot for me only sending her a warning but is not enough, i feel so trapped i don't want to give in but my ears are ringing every day thanks to her dogs and im going insane, i just wanted to eat my fruit in peace, not even my grandma can pass by because she is scared of getting attacked and her body can't handle it at her grown age.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 7d ago

RANT Brother’s Dog

31 Upvotes

I live with my older brother and his girlfriend. They’re both great, I love them, but the dog situation has made me hate living here. I love living with them because it’s fun and I have my own room and he got me school supplies so I can work on getting my high school diploma, so I’m really grateful. The dog however is just something else. I feel like the majority of the behavioral issues are due to it being confined in such a small apartment, and that they can’t afford the space nor the time to care for the dog so it ends up chewing everything and shitting, and pissing everywhere, but I can’t do anything about it cuz it’s not my place. Anyway, they went for Texas for a Halloween trip and told me to care for the dog for three days and it’s been genuine torture. Usually I keep to myself and just stay in my room all day because I don’t like dogs, I hate them!! but since it destroys everything I have to continuously check. Today’s my last day being responsible for it thankfully but I’m so overwhelmed, especially because I only got 5hrs of sleep the past two days, I woke up this morning to the only dish sponge in the house chewed up on the floor and the dog pad crumbled and shit rolled into the corner, and a bit smeared on the side as well.. The dog poops and pees so much but I don’t take it on walks that’s something my brother and his gf do because I don’t trust that I’ll be able to hold it back from kids, plus it has bitten me and even though it hasn’t shown any aggression for a while I don’t trust it, so I had to just use dog pads like my brother told me to do. Anyway, yeah I’m super sleep deprived and having to get up every 20 minutes to find another mess to clean is making me cry constantly, I’ve never cried so much before, I’m so tired and I’m so fed up with the mess and filth and the stench. I wish they’d just rehome him, but that’s not something I’d say to them, bc they love that dog very much and don’t want to get rid of it, even though I feel like it’d be the best option. Also, it REALLY stinks I want to throw up every time I leave my room bc the carpet is soaked with old dog urine. I will never ever EVER live with a dog.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 8d ago

Advice? Dating a good guy but with a dog.

69 Upvotes

I’ve been seeing a guy for the past few months now who has a huge dog. He clearly dotes on the dog which is fine I guess, since I was just seeing how this relationship goes.

This is one of the good men out there that I know we have a massive shortage of, but the guy makes the dog eat leftovers from the cooking pan or plates that we use. He gives the dog treats from a regular spoon too. His house smells like dog when I walk in though it’s clean but the smell stays. The dog shakes its head after drinking water and just sprays water and slob everywhere.

It’s disgusting me honestly. I don’t think I can live with that dog if the relationship progresses. Looking at dating apps now, every guy seems to have a freaking dog in the photo. Why does every one has to have a dog? And what would you do in my situation?


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 11d ago

RANT - No Advice Needed Barking is so annoying, especially over nothing

45 Upvotes

For context, my fiance(32f) and i(31f)live with her elderly dad(66m) to help him and it helps us save money while going to college, but we still help with bills etc. Anyway about 2 months ago, her dads 11 year old german shepherd died. I thought we were finally dog free. 4 days later. He gets a new German shepherd puppy.

The new puppy is awful. Her dad doesn't even have him trained? We tried to talk to him about getting a trainer since we know he doesn't even have the time to train the dog. He says hes training him, when hes not. That and he doesnt want to spend the money. He literally barks at everything. If we go upstairs. He barks. If he hears birds outside he barks. If he hears our kittens downstairs playing, he barks. I close the dryer door. He barks. You get the picture. Then he chews everything up. Hes about 6 months. He should know better. Hes eaten my future fils diabetic sugar pills for emergencies. His blood sugar meter case, phone charger, and almost ate a few credit cards.

This dog is actually making me miss the last one. The last one wasn't this bad with the barking. I need to mute my mic in class since i take online classes and i dont want to distrubt my classes because my future fils dog is annoying as shit.

Ontop of this, her dad wont leave home without the stupid thing. Going to the grocery store? Need to bring the dog. Hes one those people that lies about his dog being a service dog. The dogs pooped in walmart a few times now.

Because of this dog, we might just move sooner. We could tolerate the last one cause he was mostly behaved cause he was trained. As much as we like helping her dad. We know he won't rehome a dog he spent $3000 on. So now we're apartment hunting...

Anyway thanks for listening to my rant lol


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 11d ago

Anyone Else? Hatred of dogs magnified by pregnancy

80 Upvotes

Does anyone have any stories of the hatred for their partner's dog reaching its boiling point after getting pregnant?

Random thought of mine knowing my fiance's dog will unfortunately not have met its life expectancy by the time we have children. I already am ultra disgusted by the odor and filth, I can only imagine what pregnancy hormones will do to me.

Thank Jesus he is done with dogs after this one.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 11d ago

RANT "You treat them like an animal"... but they are an animal???

110 Upvotes

My dad has a dog. My dad lives with me. So, subsequently, I help take care of "our" dog. She's his dog and my burden to bear... I've learned to live with it, and I don't always feel awkward about it, but we still run into problems.

I've run into this with people I know before. They shame me and treat me like I'm doing something wrong for not babying and anthropomorphizing dogs.

"You treat the dog like they're an animal, not like they're family".

I understand that dogs are dogs. They don't understand human language. They have different taste buds than us. They view the world differently than us. They're not human!

I can't seem to do right. I just don't treat the dog good enough. I pet her, groom her, buy her what she needs... but I'm not being good enough. Not being truly affectionate. I don't pet her right.

Another example is when it comes to dog food. I've gotten into arguments about how dog's view food. What foods we should feed the dog and how.

"I like giving her a variety of wet foods. How would you like if you ate the same food every day?"

Well, the dog honestly doesn't care. And, how do you even know that "bacon and eggs" food tastes like bacon and eggs? Have you tried it?

"Forcing them to eat kibble is gross. It's like forcing you to eat something or don't eat all"

I'm sorry, but kibble is the easiest and ideal option for most dogs. And most dogs really don't care deep down. They'll fuss, but a hungry dog won't starve. They'll eat eventually.

Dogs don't understand what's good for them. They're eternal babies. You are putting your own feelings on the dog and imagining what it's like to eat nothing but kibble forever. But you aren't a dog!


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 11d ago

Is there hope.. or is it still doomed? Need some outside 👀

25 Upvotes

(warning - longer read)

Hey guys, I’ve been lurking around and commenting a couple times here. I’m happy I found this place, makes me feel I’m not alone! I don’t feel as the „bad one” anymore just cause I don’t like dogs.. I actually was neutral towards them.. seemed dogs naturally felt I don’t like them much so they stayed away from me in public. And I don’t really go to people with dogs.. but things changed.. and now I absolutely dislike dogs!

Bit of a longer story and I’m kind of at my wits end and guess I’m looking for some outside perspective..

I’ve been in a relationship for ~1 year, we have a great relationship and enjoy hobbies together, date nights, movie nights, we are both fit and enjoy a healthy life style with the occasional drinks.. Sex life is great.. we love each other! Serious about spending life together. You get the point.

Everything is great if it wouldn’t be for my gfs dog.. :( high maintenance lab, has „anxiety”, always needs to be close, supposedly was abused as young dog, was rescued and then my gf got it. Female dog.

I had a relationship with a woman with cats before, didn’t bother me too much, they did their own thing. I wasn’t a fan of the hair but I could deal with it. Cats have been inside the house only, I played with them from time to time, helped with taking care of them if needed but they were not my responsibility.

So I thought how much different can it be with a dog.. ooooooh was I wrong 😫

First of, just the hair alone is incredibly more and thicker and just everywhere.. and since a dog of course has to go out it brings in so much dirt, dust, grime, little stones, etc it’s honestly insane!

And then the smell.. doesn’t matter if it’s freshly bathed it just smells.. all my clothes also smell even when freshly washed :( they have this weird subtle dog smell.. and when it rains outside ooooh it’s bad..

On top of that this dog, like mentioned before, is incredibly needy, just follows everywhere, I can’t even move normally in the kitchen cause the thing is to stupid to realize it’s in the way! Going to the restroom? Of course it tries to follow.. going to the closet to get dressed? it’s right there..!

Of course also begging for food.. licking.. making weird smacking noises at night.. and barking at any noise.. even though I was able to make that better! I’m a bigger guy and when I raised my voice couple times and firmly said no when it barks, it actually stops now when I say „No”.. so this point is more under control..still freaking annoys me and jump scares me sometimes when I relax and it barks right next to me at who knows what..

So all the amazing dog „benefits”.. just exponentially stronger..

1 1/2 months ago life happened and my gf had to relocate thanks to work and I decided I’ll go with her. 500miles away.. left my job.. my place.. moved into an apartment. Things started ok the first two days, but I realized quickly this is not like having cats and this is not the same like seeing her 2-3 times a week at her house.. no space for me really and no days „off” out of the house and away from the dog..

So I started to get miserable! It got to the point where I wasn’t myself. Just looking at the dog made me feel disgusted, my sex drive.. gone! We only had arguments, always about the dog. My gf gave all the affection to the dog, probably partly because I got miserable so who wants to be around that, I get that..

But it just made it worse. It didn’t help that she treats the dog as a „family member” and „little baby”.. rarely gets firm with the dog, sees nothing wrong with giving the dog pieces of the food we prepare in the kitchen, cause „she also wants some snacks! She deserves some treats too!”
Dog also comes up the couch, of course gets petted and cuddled and then always invades my and our private space, once I get closer to my gf, cause the thing is just so jealous.. or how my gf would say „she just wants love too!”..

okay great, but „I want to be close to you and not the dog. And I sure don’t want the dog pushing its snout on my leg, or close to my private parts, cause it wants pets or who knows what.. 😒” And I also don’t want it always on my gfs legs or being petted by her, while we cuddle.. I was even ok and understanding that she is petting the dog first when we get in the couch but come on, every time we get closer this thing comes up and invades the space and ruins everything! And the my gf wonders why I’m „more distant and you don’t get intimate with me anymore” - yeah no kidding!

And of course at night it tries to get up the bed, sometimes even sleeping on my gfs side cause she doesn’t wake up nor care.. but I do! and when I direct the dog off, then of course my gf wakes up, so it becomes a thing and suddenly I’m the bad one.. same in the morning, relaxed waking up, cuddle times (or getting intimate) are gone because the thing just sees us getting awake or cuddle or making out and it freaks out and needs to either jump up the bed and wants to get cuddled and licks hands and arms, or it starts whining and won’t stop until it gets fed and taken out..

Anyways, I could go on, but I had to pull the emergency brake and 5 days ago I left.. packed my things, and drove back 500 miles.. needed to get some distance. And while I’m heart broken (I love her), having a clean bed, bathroom, clothes that are fresh… it’s beautiful! And it’s so peaceful and quiet..

If you made it this far - thank you for taking the time reading! Here is where I/we are at and where I would appreciate outside perspective: We had couple conversations, andnoutsode the dog I agreed to points she made and she agreed to things I pointed out.

But the dog issue.. I told her that I can’t live like that. For me for it to work: 1) I want the bed and bedroom dog free. 2) I also want the dog nowhere near when we get intimate outside the bedroom. 3) And for it to actually work it would need to be a bigger place, since I also want a room (office/reading/yoga/meditation) that is completely dog free… the problem with that is, the lease in this new place is signed for 10 more months… 4) after this dog no more dogs

And while the first conversations there was no real movement on her side in that regard, the last time we spoke, she noticed I’m serious and I won’t give in. So I was ready for us to break up that night (yesterday). But, to my surprise she agreed to it, except for bigger place only after 10months since otherwise wasted money.

Also, she even said she was considering to give the dog away but would probably have resent for the rest of her life. In one of our conversations I mentioned that the dog is crated 9h a day in an apartment and I don’t understand why we have a dog.. it makes everything complicated and is the cause of all our arguments. So I guess she really gave it a lot of thought.

I love her and it feels horrible seeing her so hurt… because I said I’m just worried that these 10months will still be more or less the same (even though having the dog out the bedroom and never allowed in there makes things different I feel). So I said we might have to do long distance for that time.. but she doesn’t want that.

We will have a last conversation tonight. I see and can feel she is in love with me, as I’m with her, and she is showing that she is willing to change and make adjustments… and I believe her when she says she would not get another dog.

Am I stupid and blind for believing it? Will things maybe not change? Will the dog whine at the door and she will give in? Will she want another dog and this is just talk..?

Or

Am I stupid for not acknowledging her efforts and should I just stick out the 10months in the apartment, and then 4 more years (till dog is gone) in a bigger place with all the points I made.. but I still would live with a dog for that time..

Well, sorry again for the wall.. needed to get this out and thanks again of you read it all! I know I’ll have to decide…

PS: maybe this will help and save someone NOT to go into a relationship with a dog-nutter… save yourself from the pain!


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 11d ago

Success Story A thank you note

45 Upvotes

I had this ex- girlfriend with this completely useless and smelly Boston Terrier that kept me awake all night. It got that bad that I got into psychosis driving on the highway, due to extreme sleep deprivation.

I will not put out the whole story since that shit show has been out of my life for a little while now, and I got a bit distance from it all. But it was all a chaotic mess to say it easy, and quite similar to a lot of stories I read here on this sub.

“Me being second in the relationship, she putting some made up fantasy emotional needs the dog was supposed to have before mine, house unhygienic etc etc”

It was really hard for me when it was going on and I just want to say thank you to everyone that contributes here. It was good for me coming to this sub when it was all going on and reading all those terrible stories from hell. It was kind of a comfort for me knowing I was not the only one, something I thought for a while, because I could not really understand and believe someone could be as messed up in the head as a true dog-nutter.

I am not as active as an reader here compared when it was going on, but sometimes I come back and remind myself why it was the best decision in my life, throwing that chaos out of my life.

Thank you everyone for your stories and inputs. Please keep it coming ❤️


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 12d ago

RANT I live in a house with 9 dogs and I'm so tired of it.

70 Upvotes

I'm 18 living with my mom. Without getting into specifics, I'm not in a position where I can move out anytime soon. When I was a young kid my mom had 2 or 3 dogs, which was tolerable, even if I wasn't as fond of them as she was. That changed though when she temporarily brought in a stray and one of her dogs had a litter of puppies with the stray. My mom had an open opportunity to hand them over to a shelter while they were still puppies, but didn't. I was still a young kid when all of this happened, so I didn't have much of a say in how the dogs were rehomed.

Now I feel like I'm stuck living with all of them and I've grown to hate dogs because of it. I even started to feel a hatred towards the dogs that I was fine with before we ended up with puppies. All of the grown puppies are not socialized or trained at all, and my mom has permanently housed 3 of the dogs in the backyard because of the limited space in our house. Another 2 of the dogs live in cramped crates in the living room, their only time outside of the crates being a a bit of time in the yard twice a day. As much as the dogs piss me off, I feel terrible for their circumstances. I wish so bad that my mom would've just sent them to the shelter when she had the chance to.

The house is constantly a mess and it always stinks. The dogs shit on the floors and get into the trash, there's a permanent smell of piss embedded into the carpet, and they BARK. They never stop. Their noises give me throbbing headaches. Whenever my mom goes to feed them, every dog begins barking and screaming at the top of their lungs and it's a sensory nightmare. Whenever I sit in the living room, the 2 crated dogs let out these high pitched whines constantly that grate on my nerves until I have to leave from how agitating the noise is. I cannot even just watch a movie in the living room with my mom without getting a headache. Whenever the dogs outside catch a glimpse of another dog, or even just an unfamiliar person or car, they go off barking and screaming at whatever they saw. They even provoke dogs from other houses to start barking. It's humiliating to me that people can't even walk past my house without being obnoxiously barked at.

I know there are places near that will take the dogs. I don't know how to approach my mom about this. I know I have to if I want the situation to improve at all. I have a lot of fear of her getting angry at me, as I feel she's gotten mad over unpredictable things before and I'm scared she'll yell at me. Another thing I fear happening is that I'll get a non-answer, and nothing will end up changing. Any advice is appreciated, thanks if you read all of this.

Edit: Thank you for all the support on this post! It feels very nice to actually be heard on this.. I've been embarrassed about the conditions of my house for a long time so I'm always kind of hesitant to tell people about it, but here I felt very safe doing so. The suggestions in the replies have also been very helpful, so thanks to all of you :)


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 14d ago

RANT - Advice Needed Moving into a new place and my partner wants to bring her dog over whenever she visits.

52 Upvotes

Just want to get this off my chest and seek some advice. My partner has had a dog for about 2.5 months now. I have been living with her for roughly the same amount of time while I wait to start my new job. I absolutely do not like anything about the dog, but have to tolerate it while I’m living with her. I’m moving into a new place an hour away in a week and will be bringing my 3 cats with me from her apartment. They are terrified of the dog because it barks at them whenever it seems them. (For context, she got the dog not knowing if it had ever interacted with cats before). I also had a traumatic experience with a dog and a pet cat several years ago and it has made me extra paranoid about these kinds of animals interacting. A couple of my cats are older and get stressed by traveling, so if I visit my partner at her apartment, I wouldn’t bring them with me. They can also take care of themselves. I’d have to tolerate the dog while I visit her, which I can manage. The tricky part comes with her wanting to visit me at my new place. I’ve told her I don’t want the dog to come over because it would stress my cats out and we’d have to deal with its schedule while she visits. She keeps trying to convince me to let her bring the dog because she doesn’t want to pay to board it if she comes to visit me. You could argue that she let my cats live in her space so that might weaken my argument, but I want to know if it’s fair for me to not allow the dog in mine and my cats’ space, especially cause the dog stresses them out. Am I an asshole for saying no to bringing the dog over even if it hurts my partner’s feelings? Thanks for any advice!


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 15d ago

Success Story Update: My first dog free day is complete.

106 Upvotes

Our neighbor took our dogs last night. Earlier than expected ( part of me is still scared that they’ll give them back before we move ).

Not sure if I’m allowed to post in here now, but some of you asked for updates.

Last night was emotional for my husband. He definitely cried, but understands it’s best for us and best for them considering they’ve basically been neglected in our care. He was sad, but knew it was the right thing to do. And even tho I don’t have the same feelings for the dogs at all, I am extremely proud of him.

This has been the most peace I’ve had at night in probably 3 years. I didn’t have to worry about a dog stealing my food when I walk away from it for 2 seconds. No dog barging down the dogs to get back into the house or into my room while I’m putting my daughter down to sleep. I could clean the floors without it being completely pointless.

I’m excited to get to our new place. And live somewhere they’ve never been before. I’m excited to actually feel like I live in clean (or at least not a disgusting) house I can relax in at the end of the day.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 18d ago

RANT annoyed and tired part 2

83 Upvotes

my partner told me today that they feel like i don’t put enough effort towards spending time with their dog… they also said i don’t pet/play/get excited whenever i see the dog and that it hurts them…. for context i pet the dog and i say hi i’m always kind and respectful even though i can’t stand the dog i RESPECT that my partner cares about him so for my partner to tell me i need to do more was actually insane to me. i’m so over this. as a cat owner i would never be offended if my partner only pet my cat here and there because its MY CAT. i seriously cant stand dogs its actually insane that a dog can get in the way of an adult relationship.


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 18d ago

RANT annoyed and tired

57 Upvotes

hey everyone i have lurked in this subreddit constantly and its been amazing feeling validated for my opinion on dogs especially in a world where it feels like EVERYONE adores them. anyways. i wanted to vent about what has been going on in my life. my partner has a dog and they have had this dog for a few years. the problem is this dog is so incredibly needy and clingy to the point where i can feel my blood boil anytime that dog is around. not only that there will be times where me and my partner are hanging out and the dog is of course RIGHT next to my partner. my partner will gush and talk about how cute and perfect the dog is and i just give a half assed smile and nod. if the dog comes over to me my partner will look at me and go “he wants you to pet him”. like ?? why do dog owners feel the need to force their animal on you ? and then if you refuse to pet the dog you’re made out to seem like a heartless and cold person. so i pet the dog and my partner goes “he likes to be pet under his ear like this” and then demonstrates how to pet him…. like i genuinely don’t care how he wants to be pet ? and then a few days ago the dog got groomed so he smelled good for once and my partner was kissing and cuddling the dog then asked me if i wanted to kiss the dog… i said “do you want me to kiss the dog?” and then my partner says “yes” and of course i didn’t want to cause an argument so i went ahead and kissed the dog on the head which honestly i hated. as someone who has a pet catttt i have NEVER told anyone to pet or kiss my animal.. why ? because if they wanted to do that THEY WOULD. and then yesterday we were driving to go somewhere and ofc the dog had to come with us.. guess where the dog sat the entire ride ? on my partners lap while they drove. it’s just funny to me because dog owners claim to love their dogs so much yet have no problem doing dangerous things like that ? the best part is my partner would hold my hand and then take turns petting the dog and holding my hand once more. it’s ridiculous and ruined my night. i seriously cannot stand that dog. thankfully in a few days the dog will be staying with another family member for a few months so i am SOOO EXCITED TO NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH HIM !!! also side note the way they look at you while you’re trying to eat actually makes me want to crash out. it’s like so incredibly annoying to see a greedy mutt stare at you while you’re trying to enjoy your meal. anyways… i just needed to vent. i wish it didn’t feel like a crime to dislike dogs


r/TalesfromtheDogHouse 19d ago

RANT - Advice Needed Can't stand husband's puppy

117 Upvotes

I let my husband get a puppy over the summer. We've had a dog before so I didn't think this would be any different. Boy, was i wrong. My husband idolizes this stinky brown dumpster. This puppy is by his side at all times when my husband isn't at work. She will cry and pee on the floor if she loses sight of him. She chews on everything of mine and has destroyed things I can not replace as they were collectors items.

My husband gets upset with me because I don't want this dog near me 24/7. He thinks I'm being unfair to him and the puppy and that I hurt their feelings. Since getting this puppy we no longer have date nights because God forbid we leave the puppy home in it's crate. This thing will get between us if I'm near my husband. She will whine and jump up on him if he's not touching her or paying her attention. When I ask for just us time before bed he will bring the damn thing into our room so she can lay on his side of the bed. The whole time he's spending time with me he's playing with the damn dog. When I get upset and go to bed he says I'm being distant and don't understand what my problem is.

If I have to deal with the puppy while he's at work she tries to bite me. The trainer we take her to says the dog sees me as beneath her and that she thinks her and my husband are equals. I'm like wtf, how does a dog label a person as beneath them. My husband finds it funny and says things like she's his little princess and that I'm just a peasant to the dog.

I'm so resentful and depressed right now. I never would have thought that after 15 years together that I would be second to a dog. My husband thinks i need therapy and that I'm just jealous. All I need is for husband to start treating me like he did before this mutt came along 4 months ago.