u/OJConcentrates

These are some of the best bars I’ve heard out the city in a while.

I’m (29M), & my wife (34F) is forcing me into getting a dog.

We own our own home, and have 3 YOUNG kids (4,3,1) + 2 indoor cats.

I like dogs… But I’m not a, “dog person”. I had a dog growing up, and it was definitely a core memory of mine. My wife is a SAHM, and I work 50-65 hours/week in a small, 73 year old, family business with my brother and a handful of employees.

Raising 3 kids isn’t cheap nor easy. We’re so lucky to have happy & healthy kids, but finances are a constant struggle. That’s just reality in 2026. For basically anyone.

*My wife is getting a dog.* I generally do not want a dog. For a few different reasons.

1: A dog is basically a kid. You have to always consider them, and take care of them. Just like you’d need a babysitter to watch your kids, you’d need a dog sitter.

2: I have personally seen & experienced how dogs ruin cats lives. We have 2 cats. One is a runt with 1 eye & 1 ear. The other is a dominant orange male, who were constantly fighting to keep inside. I know in my absolute soul that if we get a dog, our cats lives will be ruined. Our cats currently live good lives.

3: If we were to get a dog, I absolutely do not want a big dog. I feel like a big dog will only increase my current issues more than a small dog. A big dog could *kill* our cats. A big dog is more to take care of than a small dog. They need walks/exercise, and are in general just more to deal with.

**My wife is dead set on getting a dog. And she likes big dogs.** The most recent dog she “fell in love with” is a Great Dane / something mix. Very large dog. Still young, living with a foster family. Apparently has, “Special Needs” as in the dog has bad vision, and bad hearing. On top of orthopedic issues. The “report” at the SPCA or whatever says, “Will need consistent, long term veterinary care.”

That’s literally the last fucking thing I want to hear. Not only do I NOT WANT A DOG. But the last thing I want is a large, disabled, dog, that I’m going to have to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on.

My wife doesn’t understand. She thinks I’m mean for saying things like, “OMG that sounds like a nightmare. What a nightmare. Oh god.” When…. That’s just how I feel. We’re not dog trainers. We have 3 little kids, and 2 cats. Our yard is kind of fenced in, but not really. It keeps in kids, but not dogs. And we live in the suburbs. I don’t want a dog in the first place. If you’re gonna tell me that you want the biggest, most difficult, and most expensive dog? I’m not going to be jumping up and down, happy, and cheering for the dog.

My wife doesn’t understand. Is there an example I could give her that would make similar sense? Even if I had to do it. For instance, what could I force her/my family/ my home / my house to now deal with, that she wouldn’t want? And then make sure to pick out the most difficult.

What could I do? That would affect everyone’s lives who lives in our home? That my wife obviously wouldn’t like? And then instead of making it an easy version of such, make it super super difficult and unpleasant?

It’s so frustrating. I don’t want a fucking dog. Our life is absolute fucking chaos. We have 3 little kids. The last thing I want is a massive disabled dog to take care of, clean, feed, and train.