Man vs DogFollow

Is it a real dog or is it one of those undersized rats you can carry in a purse that women call dogs?

There are two sets of puppies at a local shelter right now. One set is black labs, the other is a corgi/terrier/pit bull mix (best guess).

I like the mutts. Labs are kind of big for a house dog.

Dogs are significant effort. You'd be a bad person to introduce such a thing into someone's life knowing they don't want it just to please yourself.

I personally would be royally pissed if my SO brought a puppy into my life unexpectedly.

Then again, I'm a cat person.

Get a cat, they essentially make you the pet, but they're very low maintenance.

Spend time convincing him, and look together. Don't just run out and grab one. It will most likely just cause problems with you two. Don't limit your searching to just puppies, either. Most of those adult shelter dogs come potty trained, and even know a few commands! So don't rule them out!

I do understand how much of an effort and responsibility dogs are. That's why I never allowed the kids to have one. We were very busy when they were growing up - always on the go.

Not anymore. Kids are gone. We're homebodies for the most part. We do hope to do some traveling but it would be planned. I'd think we could find someone to watch a dog. Yet, this is the main reason my husband gives for not wanting a dog. He doesn't want to be tied-down. Also, he worries about the house getting ruined. This isn't a concern I share with him.

A couple times a year though, he goes away for two to four weeks. The house is very lonely.

I have time for a pet now - and possibly feel some need for devoted unquestioning companionship. I also would hope a dog might keep me active. As I get older it gets easier and easier to make excuses not to get outside and run and walk and play.

I probably wouldn't or couldn't go completely against the will of my husband. My marriage is my most valuable asset.

............I need to change his mind.

You could always bring him to the pound and toss him into the puppy cage. Who could resist the floof when it's jumping all over you?

Dunno about him, but were I in his shoes, this one would probably convince me, if accompanied by sad puppy dog eyes.

This is spot on for Labs. I had three Labradors when I was a kid and, while they are a great breed around kids, they are highly demanding for both attention and energy. Typically, we would run them in the backyard at least once or twice a day and, in the summer, let them swim in the pool a few times a week.

Depending on personality, though, that may only last a few years. Two of the three settled quite a bit by age 5 or 6 and were calm and easy going the rest of their years. Most of the time, they would just want to be with a person in a room.

Both hubby and I wanted dogs but he was iffy on timing and circumstances as to when we would do it. So I just did some research and found a couple of rescue dogs. Our Great Dane is the biggest wuss and when his prior dog-fighting owners realized that, he was used as a bait dog for the fighting dogs to train on. It was a heart-breaking story for that big lovebug and Ray just couldn't say no. Our Pomeranian was abandoned by her prior owners but she's just so adorable that my kids' melted. But she's the boss and the Great Dane wants nothing but for you to throw a football/soccer ball so he can fetch it. The Pomeranian loves squeaker toys and she tears those sucker apart to get to the squeaker.

I have some excellent Korean recipies I might be able to interest you in...

Gedörrtes Hundefleisch. Go for it.