Spouses that aren't "into" the dogs...finding a "happy medium" to keep Peace - Page 1

I've found many of the people I train with or am friends with in the dog world have spouses or significant others that just have no interest in the dogs...including my own husband:)  Just wondered if it poses conflict in the home??

In my house it has at times...he has been raised with a housefull of GSD's, my mother in law trained for a living and even bred a few litters so it puzzles me that he wasn't thrilled with my love of the dogs.  He says he has "too much to do" and doesn' t have time to play dogs when the weekend rolls around.  It used to be such a battle if I wanted to go training because he'd always make me feel guilty that I was "neglecting my domestic duties" lol  Well we've finally reached a somewhat happy medium...he enjoys our camp on the weekends and I enjoy a day to myself with my dogs.  He does still groan when he has to clean kennels and the kids don't help out as much but Rome wasn't built in a day I guess.

He says I spend too much money on the dogs...everytime he gets a wild hair up his ass he starts calculating all the money I've invested in the dogs, the kennels....down to the dog food every month.  Drives me up the wall. lol

Is this only in MY house or does everyone go through the same thing with a non dog person in their life??  Is it better that your spouse isn't into the dogs or would you prefer them to be more involved?

WOW!!  sound just like my house!

No, I hear ya! If you're into sport, it would be nice to have that together. As long as one doesn't get controlling over what the other does and how they do it. I wish I had that too. SchH is my thing and my thing alone. I think that it's hard for some spouses. They work all week and see you spending more time with the dog than them.

Mine alternates between complaining about the dogs, & complaining that I don't care for them 'correctly' (his way! LOL!). When he catches that wild heiny hair he says "Too many dogs." He is into the dogs, but he didn't realize that dogs were not commodities in my eyes, that proper vet care & treatment cost a fortune, & that I planned on training them the I was taught to train a dog. This is still the key issue between us. He absolutely does not understand that you need to maintain & encourage confidence in the dog you're training, & that the little dings & scratches suffered in the course of training don't mean the dog is evil, or poorly trained. And of course, I've had a couple injuries serious enough to require surgry, so I guess he is trying to protect me. He sees good drive in the dog as "stubborn, pain in the a$$", & wants to knock it down. It's very discouraging. Working with Beckett & my pups, I was trying build drive, only to find him swatting their faces with a glove, or a newspaper for discipline. Pretty soon, they weren't biting anymore, they were flinching instead. And nothing I did could make him see the light. He would say, "You're supposed to be the master, not the dog." I took him to training, I took him to trials, to no avail. I finally gave up. Now he will care for them, play with them, take them for walks, buy the best dog food, & he obviously loves them; but if I'm ever going to be able to train & trial my own dog, I've got to find a way to keep him away from the dog, especially as a pup, when his form of play is basically dominating the fuzzball into submission, not allowing any nips, biting, etc. That's the major reason why I won't get another pup. I just can't bear to see them , I hate to say 'ruined', but that's how it feels to me. So what's a girl to do? I love the old geezer, so I have 4 well loved & cared for GSDs, that will probably never be titled because my hubby has trained them to be good pets. **sigh** jackie harris

I guess I lucked out on this one. My fiance LOVES the dogs and is happy he has hip pick of them all for his next K9 partner.

Melissa

I'm in the same boat but I made that boat. I told him when he came into my life he could/would NOT have anything to do with the dogs. Don't give them commands, don't tell me how to feed/train/vet them and I wont kill him in return. Works out good most days but he does bitch that I spend too much $ and time on them. He has learned to enjoy my time away, he can do whatever he wants at home, while I am at the club training.

      lol..Sounds like my house too....My husband has absolutely no interest in having animals..I have 1 1/2 dogs, two horses and 10 cats...He complains all day long about what a pain in the butt they are, and all the $$$ spent to feed, vet, train..etc...I am unemployed at this time, so it adds to his frustration. However, I have to say he had been a really good sport about funding it all....and when I work he lets me put every last cent towards their care and training ect...while he pays for the necessities...He is a good man...and when he thinks I not taking notice, he is the first to sweet talk and pat every one of their 13 1/2  furry little heads.....Shhh it is a secrete because he really does not like them...LOL..LOL...

                                                                                            Ruger1

I mean this in jest but on the same hand with a sprinkle of honesty! I got rid of my wife then got a GSD! Dog never screams or cares about the socks on the floor! always likes what I cook and never talks back! when she gets dirty I just hose er down! Just a couple of human draw backs but those things were over-rated any way!  but I guess all those advantages would work for women with dogs too right!LOL But you precious girls stand by your man as Tammy would say! And tell the world you love him1Ya know like the blues bro,s sang it!LOL

My DH has his own hobby.  He shoots skeet and trap competitively.  It's really nice because we both are understanding and respectful of our seperate interests.