For starters I love animals, ever since I was a kid. I wanted to be a veterinarian for a good amount of years and decided on treating humans instead. I love all animals, even the stupid ones that aren’t supposed to be liked or deemed as “cute” I’ve never met a dog I didn’t like.
When me and my boyfriend moved in together, he brought his dog with him. I’ve also paid thousands of dollars on this dog at this point, as he made it clear she was a necessity. At first she was fine and decent enough, couldn’t be allowed off leash as she will run off and has no recall at all, you could yell her name for hours and not once would she come back. Plainly didn’t listen at all to command. But It’s gotten progressively worse over the last few months. Getting into trash and dragging it all over the house, destroying things like pillows, begging for food, getting on furniture no matter how many times it’s corrected.
My boyfriend genuinely believes this dog is a saving grace or something and somehow believes she can do no wrong. He only has ever tried “positive reinforcement” training and it’s clear as daylight that doesn’t work for shit. She doesn’t even listen to him, the man who spoiled her to death. I’ve said for months she needs training, he’ll agree, but then do nothing about it. I grew up in a household where bad behavior was corrected, and it worked. It’s baffling to me how someone can let an out of control dog control their lives.
Last week, went for a walk in the woods and let her off leash. She immediately ran, refused to come back, and later I get a call that she was found in the road and is jumping on cars. (She was fine)
This week, she gets into THC candies that were in an office with a shut (not locked) door on an elevated desk. Ate everything (including wrappers). In the process of trying to get her to the vet while I wasn’t home, my boyfriend attempts to lift her into the truck, falls and breaks his foot. She is fine.
Yes, I’m extremely upset, as I’m sure most people would be. Is that right? I don’t know, and I don’t know if I care. I’m so fed up with the endless incidents and continuous coddling. I feel crazy for not wanting a dog to act like this or have my stuff destroyed.
I’ve paid for training today and can only hope they go. Before anyone guesses, she goes to the dog park every single day. She goes on walks to go potty at least 3 or 4 times a day. She plays with new toys at home regularly.
Ultimately my boyfriend is her legal owner and I don’t have much of a say in what he does with her. He thinks i’m just an angry animal hater who has no sympathy for animals, and it makes me feel like i’m crazy. It’s beginning to feel like a “me or the dog” situation when that should never be a possibility. I love my boyfriend, but his dog is making me miserable.