Me or the Dog

by Stephanie Shumway
(Dillon, Co)

Pic by Ed.

My boyfriend and I have been dating for a year and a half. We have a great relationship with only one problem: his dog.

He is utterly convinced that his dog is the sweetest thing ever. However, she is thoroughly untrained. You have to tell her continuously to do something and maybe half the time she does it. The dog has a history of aggression.

His ex had a puppy that tried to play with her toys and she nearly ripped him apart, and my boyfriend's thumb got ripped apart by his dog when he broke up the fight.

She has also charged my mom's cat when she was sniffing around her bed, and bit my kitten for doing the same thing. His response was "no dog is perfect, she has her character flaws."

He's also told me that it was unfair for me to come into the relationship and dislike his dog (aka to him as "his kid") and that he would choose his dog over me.

This is our only major problem and it's keeping the relationship at a standstill. He has also admitted that if it weren't for this problem, then he would marry me.

I've tried to get over it but I cannot trust this dog and he never takes any steps toward fixing the problem, insisting that I'm the one with the problem. I'm stuck at what to do. Help!