Really funny relationship wife, husband, family dog.

[Anonymous]

This is funny, how exactly? Sounds completely normal to me.

[Anonymous]

The timeline doesn’t make sense. How old are the kids? I’m team dad on this one. If my dh insisted on a dog before the kids were old enough to walk it, he’d be in charge of the dog. We’ve discussed getting one, but I’m not up for the job, so no dog in our house yet.

[Anonymous]

Wife needs to walk the damn dog.

--wife who wanted the dog, including for my kids, and who takes care of the dog with the kids' help. My DH never takes the dog out unless I am out of town. why should he? He didn't want the dog particularly.

[Anonymous]

Yeah the dad is a jerk but my rule about dogs is that I never agree to get a dog unless I am personally willing to take care of it. Because I know I am the one who makes sure the dog is cared for. And I never get a dog just because a kid wants one. The kid's fascination will pass and I'll be the one left doing the work.

Anyway, sounds like the issue here really isn't the dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She wanted the dog; the work of the dog falls on her or the kids. He did not want the dog; the dog is not his responsibility. For those who will then say that he shouldn't have agreed to get the dog you are right. He should have just continued to say no. And she should have divorced him for it or dropped it. She didn't and now she has a dog that she needs to take care of. Maybe in future remember the guideline of having to have two yesses. No meant no.

You don't take into consideration emotional well being of children being entirely abandoned by the father. It is clear and obvious that he can not be bother with children nor a dog that would provide what he is lacking. Taking dog out one time a day would mean some 15 minutes of exercise for a fat lazy faddy daddy, the only thing he would do all day to contribute to the family life. Yeah, rehome, not the dog. Dog clearly provides more comfort and stability to the family then such father who only benefits from hotel like settings, money wise he still is responsible for the kids so why bother?

You are correct; I did not, because it's not relevant to my point. The discussion is about who is responsible for the dog. The answer is 'the wife and kids'. Period, full stop. The issue of whether he is a good father/partner or not isn't part of that. And if getting a dog was to keep the family together, then the wife made an even more horrible decision. Babies don't keep marriages together, and neither do dogs that one partner doesn't want. If he is a horrible father/partner, then divorce him. Don't get a dog he doesn't want and then be upset that it didn't fiiiiiiix hiiiiiim.

[Anonymous]

I'm generally not a fan of anything in a relationship where one partner is not willing to step up if the other is struggling. My job is to make dinner but if I'm sick DH does it. I can see the dog falling mainly to the wife but if the husband refuses to ever do anything for the dog on principal he's being a jerk. Being part of a household means being part of a household.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wife needs to walk the damn dog.

--wife who wanted the dog, including for my kids, and who takes care of the dog with the kids' help. My DH never takes the dog out unless I am out of town. why should he? He didn't want the dog particularly.

This is why we don't have a dog. My wife and kids talk a good game, but I know that after a while, the bulk of the evening walks, and *all* of the morning walks, would fall to me. I don't have it in me to just refuse. So, we don't have a dog. And won't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So our friends have this interesting case of family dog situation. Dad, Mom and 2 kids. Kids really wanted a dog, kids don't have friends living nearby, age gap makes hard for them to play together and dog seemed like such an emotional gift. Dad would never let them have the dog. Then after few years mom could not look at the miserable faces and finally convinced the father to get the dog. Convinced is the key word here. He was not happy about this but he agreed. Dog is fantastic, and kids are over the moon happy with it. Then few years into the dog situation he flat out refuses take dog out and it fells on mother's shoulders entirely. He claims it was her idea therefore it is her responsibility. They live in an apartment therefore each dog walking means going out rain or shine. Kids are still too young to take dog out. It is curious case. It is sad to see how it is dividing that family because dad is overall lazy boy who seats in the chair all day, watches TV does not show any interest in kids aside from being forced to help with school when absolutely necessary when kids starting falling behind. It is sad but what is the recourse if any the mother has in this situation.

And the mother is a sahm!

[Anonymous]

No recourse on the dog, but mom is under NO obligation to cook dinner and handle the laundry for the DH. Win Win.

[Anonymous]

I want my 2 minutes back.

In the future, if you include "really funny" in the title, make sure it qualifies aka find better words.

[Anonymous]

Mom needs to care for the dog, and I say this as someone in her shoes. She wanted it, it's her responsibility.

The much bigger issue is dad's lack of involvement with the kids. I'd divorce over that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want my 2 minutes back.

In the future, if you include "really funny" in the title, make sure it qualifies aka find better words.

+1. Also not understanding why kid can’t walk dog. If they’ve had dog a few years and there was a big age gap in kids, but both were old enough to ask for a dog, I think the older one must be at least 9. Old enough to walk a dog and pick up poop!

[Anonymous]

Not funny. Kids and wife are responsible for the dog, they are the ones who wanted the dog, even though they live in an apartment. Dad probably knows he is lazy / tired and didn't want the work of the dog in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not funny. Kids and wife are responsible for the dog, they are the ones who wanted the dog, even though they live in an apartment. Dad probably knows he is lazy / tired and didn't want the work of the dog in the first place.

+1 We were in the same situation but it was me (a DW) that refused to agree to a dog. When the oldest was about 10, I agreed because they kids were then old enough to take primary responsibility for the dog and I would only be 'back up'. That was 7 years ago and it's worked out really well. Kids still are primary caregivers of the dog because I enforce the agreement.

[Anonymous]

My husband wants a dog, I do not. If we got one it would be his responsibility fully, not mine.