“I’ve been with my partner for two years now, and three months ago we moved in together. It was going well and we were talking about getting a dog, and then one day they just brought a dog home without asking me. I like dogs but I’m not like a ‘Dog Person,’ you know? They haven’t asked me to do a lot yet or pay for anything but I feel it’s starting. What do I do?”
Julie (At All Pets on Church Street)
From the very beginning, just set really clear but friendly boundaries about what you are and aren’t comfortable doing. Like sit your partner down and be like: “Hey listen, I’m super gung-ho that you’re happy about this dog but I want you to know that I don’t feel like I’ve properly signed up for the very large task of raising a dog with you. As your partner and also somebody who’s sharing a shared space with you, there are some things I’m not willing to do. Like if you’re not home for extended periods of time, please don’t expect that I’m going to be ready to take on the full burden of taking care of your dog.” If it raises a larger concern with the partner, then that’s a much bigger conversation. If one of you wants to have pets for the rest of your life and the other is not ready for that, then you’re just in different places.
Reald (At the Allan Gardens dog park)
They have to talk to each other before they make the decision to get a dog. But now that they have a dog, they have to take care of it! That’s all. They both have to do it. Sometimes it’s hard to deal with a dog. But if you take it you have to deal with it.