I Got A New Puppy. Hubby Won't Speak to me.

[cschin4]

Yesterday, I bought a new puppy. A golden retriever. Paid $200. Hubby doesn't mind the money spent but didnt' want another dog. We already have a small dog about 1.5 yrs old. I am hoping to get the pup trained without too much destruction. Wish me luck!

[Broken Arrow]

Uh.... GOOD LUCK!

[boefixepa]

aahhh. I love puppies...puppies are so cute....hopefully training will go well and your one dog will like having another dog to be it's friends. Dogs do well in packs...I have three and they have their moments, but like hanging out with each other.

[JoyJoy]

Your puppy will win hubby over! They are too adorable and too lovin' not to. Watch and see!

[fairy74]

What is hubby's main objection to the puppy? Is it something you can overcome? Yes, I am sure the puppy will win him over in the end and another dog will be good for your current one

[Fern]

He may have been upset becus you didn't talk it over with him. A new member of the household is an important decision.

[poundwise]

Originally Posted by Fern

He may have been upset becus you didn't talk it over with him. A new member of the household is an important decision.

Speaking as a husband... I concur.

[Ima saver]

I love puppies. Mine was so tiny when I got her, I thought she would be hard to pottie train. Every time she went pottie outside, I would say, "good pottie, Holly" and give her a tiny piece of vienna sausage. Within two weeks, when she would go pottie, she would lick her chops knowing she was going to get a treat. It worked great!

[markio26]

i would try to get hubby back to talking.. i hate the silent treatment... my spouse pouts when he doesn't get his way... all of the above comments were true and i think 2 dogs is better than one... and the protection they provide is priceless.. we just watched the news and an elderly lady was awakened by her dog... a gas leak from the furnace in the basement.. she called a neighbor and they helped her out of the house, or she and the dog would have died they said... best wishes....

[kunoichi]

Good luck to you. I do agree that talking is important though sometimes it is harder to work with the hubby than the puppy :-).

[Broken Arrow]

Contrary to the adage, I believe it is better to ask for permission than to beg for forgiveness.

Just saying.

[PRICEPLUS]

It is always best to talk things over before you go ahead. Dogs are great but they require a big commitment in time and money!

[nanamom]

Goldens are wonderful. Ours was 16 this past summer when she died. We want another one even though we have a shepherd we love now. I can't say enough about the breed.

[pearlieq]

I can see your husband's point. Adding an animal, especially one as high-maintenance as a dog, has to be a joint decision. Honestly, I would be LIVID if DH came home with a dog without discussing it with me.

You knew he didn't want another one and you did it anyway. Wouldn't you be unhappy if he completely ignored your wishes on something big like this?

We see so many animals like this at our shelter. People get animals without consulting other members of the family, or, even worse, as "gifts". They're not wanted, usually neglected/not trained, and finally turned over to a shelter as if they're some kind of disposable novelty. It's so sad.

The other thing that's sad about this is that a price of $200 likely means the dog came from a puppy mill or a backyard breeder, both of which tend to be cruel, unhealthy places for animals. I wish more people would adopt animals from their local shelter or a rescue group.

I'm not trying to be hard on you. To give you the benefit of the doubt, I'm sure you saw an adorable puppy and fell in love. Maybe you even did rescue him. I'm sure you'll take wonderful care of the puppy, and I hope your DH can grow to accept him.

But there are so many other things to think about when a living, breathing creature is involved. I see first-hand what happens when people don't approach stewardship of animals as thoughtfully as they should. I wish things could be better for them.

[tgavin71]

I agree wholeheartedly with pearlieq.

[cschin4]

I have adopted animals from the local SPCA. But, 99% of the dogs they have are "beagle mixes". Nothing against beagles, but I just don't like them as indoor dogs. Beagles tend to have an oily hair and they shed as well. I wanted a non-shedding dog since we have allergies. The dog I got was a Golden Doodle (Golden retriever/standard poodle mix). He is really adorable and is the kind of dog DH would love. He really likes the dog too and the kids adore him. Anyway, of course we should have dicussed and agreed on it.

[shelbylovesmelby]

Ya I was excited when dh bought me a puppy.... til all this dogs care was on my shoulders.
Plus I really hate taking him out in winter as he see's something & he's off & running.... so try being pg & being pulled down your back steps in the snow on your rump.

Unfortunatly our dog is still with us, as dh won't part w/ him but I'm the one who has to care for him! ]

[tgavin71]

Is it just me or is this fad with designer dogs a joke. $200 for a mongrel! That's basically what they are. If I was going to pay that much I'd want a pure breed that I could be almost certain of the temperment.

[cschin4]

Actually $200 is cheap for a mongrel. Now people want "designer mutts". A purebred dog is easily over $1000 depending on the breed.

[geojen]

What's so great about purebreds? They are more prone to genetic disorders than mutts (i.e. bad hips, arthritis, etc). Plus, mutts win the "temperment" test every time--mutts have the reputation of being the most agreeable dogs.

Besides that, the whole idea of purebreds is silly. There is really no such thing, as people just began breeding dogs for certain qualities less than 200 years ago. At least, that is what I saw on the discovery channel.