A mother of two has revealed that her marriage was on the brink of collapse after her husband had a dog that “destroyed” their home.
The British woman led momsnet to explain how her husband had nagged her for years into welcoming a pet hound into their home, and about 10 months ago she reluctantly gave in.
In a long and emotional forum post, the mother sought help with the “impossible situation” and expressed her frustrations about the “Armageddon” she faces in her own home.
The pup ruined her precious yard and took over the house, prompting her to give her husband an ultimatum that it’s “either her or the dog.”
Many blamed the husband for “coercing” her to keep the pet and encouraged her to separate from her partner.
A mother of two asked British parenting forum Mumsnet for advice, revealing her marriage was on the brink of collapse after her husband had a dog that “destroyed” their home (file image)
‘AIBU (am I being unreasonable) for not wanting to live with a dog?’ she asked.
‘We now have a German Shorthaired Pointer puppy. We got him in the summer when he was eight weeks old. Cute and very handsome but with a big pain in the back!’
‘Since then, my life has turned upside down. Initially I told myself I would hold out until we get past the crazy puppy months.
“I always said I wouldn’t pick up poop or change my plans to accommodate the dog. I absolutely appreciate my freedom and don’t want to be dictated to by an animal (raising two kids was enough)’.
“My house is being destroyed in front of me… but after a few months of a lot of stress, anxiety and heartbreak, I decided that it is definitely not for me and I will never be happy or relaxed with a dog in my house.”
And that’s not all. The mother revealed how the annoying pup destroyed her “little piece of heaven”: his quiet and peaceful garden.
She wrote: ‘Poos everywhere, squash plants, dig in pots and everywhere really. Their urine is toxic, it kills plants and grass. It’s Armageddon. He makes me feel so angry and stressed.’
Now we’re at a point where I said, “It’s me or the dog.”
The mother and the two took to Mumsnet to ask others if she was being unreasonable, and the post racked up more than 650 responses.
“I don’t take it lightly and I appreciate that this is difficult for my husband. I feel a little selfish, but maybe we’re both being selfish.
“If I get my way and he agrees to let the dog go, he’ll be resentful, hurt, and forever hate me for it.”
‘I love my husband. He hasn’t always been perfect, but we have a special bond and we’ve been through a lot together. She flatly refuses to give the dog away and said that he will leave.
Since then, over 100 comments have poured in from various Mumsnetters who were sympathetic to her plight.
“I’m a dog lover but I’m so sorry you have to live with one when you don’t want to,” wrote one user.
Another added: ‘I sympathize with everything you’re saying. Pot digging etc will stop as it gets older. But those early years are challenging.’
But others in the thread stood in solidarity with her husband and said they would do the same.
A third wrote: ‘I would let him go, he knew you never wanted him anyway. If my husband chose a dog he had for five minutes instead of our marriage, screw him.”
But not all the mothers were on her side, and many appealed to the poster, asking her to try to understand her husband and exercise more patience.
One user even stated that he would also prefer his dog over his partner: ‘Oh my God. I would prefer my dog over my partner, so I understand his point of view.
“I think the dog has highlighted the sad fact that this relationship has come to an end. He said he’s leaving, so that’s what he has to do.
‘Could they stay married and live apart? Sorry if it’s a crazy idea.
Another wrote: ‘This sounds very strange to me. The poor dog will pick up on the anxiety and tension, you know?
“I would wonder what else is behind this, why are you so against the dog and judge/resented its existence. You sound very sad.
“Perhaps if you took part in the walks and trained yourself, you’d find the dog (and husband) not as horrible as you seem to have decided they are.”
One user offered a reasonable compromise: ‘Keep the dog, but tell your husband the dog is not allowed in the garden. It is the only commitment’.
And rather harshly, another added: ‘I honestly think you’d be better off single, just like your husband.’