Dog owners, I have a predicament..

JustJennie1

A couple of days of driving him off the couch, and your b/f on the same page, the dog will obey...But I'm afraid for your relationship. This guy is not gonna give up his beloved dog. Hope everything works out though!

Seriously? You're afraid for the relationship because her bf won't give up his dog? And if you were in the same predicament you'd say "See you later doggie!" For someone else?

From someone who had a beautiful German Shepherd dumped at the end of their street because the owner didn't want the dog I am livid over this comment!! I would never expect anyone to give up an animal for me. When I started dating my husband he had a dog. I was by no means a dog person at this time but never would I ever have asked him to give her up for me. To say that you're afraid for her relationship because of this is ludicrous. You don't know either one of them or how their relationship is and I give kudos for her for welcoming this animal into her house and accepting him along with her boyfriend.

Would you have said the same thing if say he was moving in with a child? Probably not.

A dog is for life!!!! it's a living being

How can you condone such a thing!!!!

I can assure you my husband would go before anyone of my 5 (yes you read that right) Siberian huskies

I really don't get people. :shakes head:

Oh, and the dog that was left at the end of our street was a very lucky dog indeed because he found the best house to start barking at: Ours. Every time I look at him I think "How could someone do that to you?" Granted he needs to be trained and we are going to send him to Doggie School but he's a good, sweet boy.

ETA: I friggen LOVE huskies!

gleechick609

I confine my dogs with baby gates while I am at work. They have free range to our foyer and kitchen. However, my dogs do not shed so we do not have a hair problem! You may want to consider furniture slip covers that you can wash to remove the hair or invest in a bulk supply of lint rollers! Next time you get him groomed, ask for a puppy cut.

MelAb8709

My boyfriend has a 105 lb. yellow lab who sheds like it's his job. He's also one to end up on my bed/the couch. So, I cover the bed with an old sheet when I go to work, and I put the coffee table on the couch to keep him off of that. (Or, cover the couch with another sheet). Sometimes turning the furniture around so that it faces a wall works, not sure if you have trouble keeping him off of chairs as well.

Bigger dogs tend to get worn easier than little dogs. Sometimes I take my boyfriend's dog jogging, and he's only up for a couple miles before he's pooped. Another thing to exhaust him is raw bones - go to your local pet store (normally bigger stores like Petsmart don't carry them) and buy a frozen bone. They're usually leg of some animal. It will literally take him hours to chew on it, and then he will be tuckered from all that work. Just don't leave him with the bone while you're out of the house - if the dog is a very strong chewer he may be able to bite off shards of the bone which may injure him if he tries to swallow. So you just have to keep on eye on it and throw it out when you see he's starting to bite off shards of bone.

Another thing - you say you have a son - how about taking them both to the park and letting your son run around with him, throw a ball or a frisbee or a stick. Exercise for everyone!

kmcgaw

Lots of great advice for you and your new canine roommate. lol Costco has great dog beds and are reasonably priced. Give him his own bed at the new house. Most dogs behavior can be curbed with consistency, so this shouldn't take long. Also, a tired dog is a happy dog and will get into less trouble, easier to train etc. As far as hair goes, unfortunately, that is just part of owning a dog and despite your efforts, there is no easy solution. You can minimize it with brushing outside, but you might as well get over it early on, because dog hair is brutal. He sounds like a great dog that has been the centre of his owner's life for awhile, so remember that he is also adjusting to the new life and you too.

I read a great book from a dog's perspective awhile ago called, The Art of Racing in the Rain. I highly recommend it if you are a reader. It tells the story of a family (starts as a dog with single male owner, meets wife etc.) from the dog's eyes.

Dog's are amazing creatures who just want love and attention, so have fun with your new buddy and enjoy making him a part of your new family dynamic.

Good luck!
p.s. My hubby and I own two dogs and are in the pet industry.

Froggy1976

I keep my German Shepherd in a crate during the day. He really doesn't mind, it is like his house. He gets in there on his own in the evenings sometimes, with the door open of course. It takes a little adjustment period but it really isn't as cruel as it sounds and the furniture is safe from being chewed on.

wickedcricket

first - YES. Long walks are essential - he needs LOTS OF EXERCISE. Most labs respond pretty well to training - I have one training method/deterrent I like & works for most every dog AND cat. Get a water bottle, when they jump on the furniture say NO firmly & squirt them in their face. They don't like it & will stop. After a while, you don't even have to squirt them, just show them the water bottle.
Gating is good you could also get a cheap washable slip cover & go ahead & let the dog on the couch but some ppl don't like this idea.
MY pets ARE family (tho cesar doesn't like this philosophy) and can go where ever I go, but that's just me and probably NOT the best way to train dogs since they walk all over me & nobody wants a lab that walks all over them.

The more exercise & training you give him the more he will love & respond to you. Labs are really great obedient & smart dogs. He will obey you out of love & loyalty and give his life to protect you.

MelAb8709

Dogs are actually den animals, which means that they enjoy being kenneled. My Yorkie enjoys the safety of his kennel. I let him sleep with me at night, but every morning, I let him out before work, then he runs in the house and straight into his kennel without being told. I come home after work before the gym to let him out, and as soon as he is back in the house he runs straight to the kennel. Anymore I don't even tell him to Kennel, he watches me, sees what I am doing and runs into his kennel when he knows I will be leaving. The house is just too big for him to be in without me, it makes him feel unsafe and he gets ornery, causing messes. I realize Yorkies are much smaller than your dog, but I know of a lot of people with larger dogs that kennel their dogs all day as well. He'll be ok, I promise

Trust me - not all dogs enjoy being kenneled. It would be absolute torture for my dog - evidenced by the bloody teeth as she tried to gnaw her way out of the kennel. If he's not used to being kenneled, don't you be the one to start.
A baby gate might help, but if the dog is big enough he will probably just jump over it or bust it down. Your boyfriends dog sounds like he's a mix of some very smart, determined breeds, if he wants out of the baby gate area he'll get out.

foot2wood

I just bought the "Furminator" de-shedding tool, shampoo, and conditioner as well as a new Bissell pet hair eraser vac for the shedding and i walk my dog daily either one several mile walk, or a few 1 mile walks and he sleeps like a baby(he's 10 months old) and when i leave him home, for 8 to 11 hours sometimes, he's never disappointed me. So i'd suggest frequent grooming and walks that tire him out so he sleeps while you're not home. Good Luck....

rml_16

A couple of days of driving him off the couch, and your b/f on the same page, the dog will obey...But I'm afraid for your relationship. This guy is not gonna give up his beloved dog. Hope everything works out though!

Seriously? You're afraid for the relationship because her bf won't give up his dog? And if you were in the same predicament you'd say "See you later doggie!" For someone else?

A friend of mine got rid of her dog for her first husband. A couple weeks shy of their first anniversary, he informed her that he wanted to continue living with her, but wanted a divorce and an open relationship.

She should have kept the dog.

I'd never give up a pet for a man. And I wouldn't be with a man who would ask me to.

kirstyg1980

baby gate and confined to a certain room is the best bet

the other thing you could consider is a kennel and dog run for the garden if you have one

A dog should not be crated for longer than 4 hours at a time regardless of the size of dog or whether it likes its crate or not, one of my dogs can destroy a crate with her teeth in 10 minutes flat

slimy72

Gates are great! Also if he seems to be shedding a lot there are lots of supplements that can help. When I give my dog a no shed oil supplement and brewers yeast she hardly sheds. When I don't she sheds like crazy. Good luck, I am an animal lover and the hair drives me nuts. Something that helps for me is a roomba vacuume. I can set it to run every day while I"m at work and it keeps things cleaned up for me.

happypath101

One of the reasons I'm here is that my sweet old dog passed away. I didn't think I was burning many calories walking her, but low and behold 10 pounds snuck on after her death. YES! Go for big, log walks/runs with the dog. You'll poop her out and burn a bunch of calories for yourself. Plus the mental health benefits of a dog walk cannot be understated. As far as the furniture, if the boyfriend let's her get up on it, then you've got a challenge ahead of you. I suggest getting a great dog bed for her. Make a big fuss over it. Present it to her with a great treat, e.g. chewy bone, after said long walk. She'll probably have a good, long nap on it. If you're lucky, it will become her preferred spot.

UsedToBeHusky

I've taken my black lab mix out for hours, and she came home exhausted. Yes, you can wear them out... and he WILL love you for it. Labs love to walk.

As far as the dog hair, my little girl's hair isn't all that long so she doesn't have a shedding problem, but I resigned her to be an outside dog anyway because she is so hyper. She is always knocking stuff over and breaking stuff. So when I moved I had a nice-sized pen built for her in the backyard and got her nice big dog house. I still walk her though so I can get exercise and so she doesn't get bored. It works for us.

LilRedRooster

You basically sound like my boyfriend when I had my Samoyed. He hates dog hair, hates stinky dog breath, and is a clean freak. Which is ironic, given that he doesn't clean anything..

Off-topic. Anyway, making it a rule that he can't be on the couches, beds, etc., is a good one. Our dogs aren't allowed on the furniture, and after a few times of them jumping up and us shooing them off, they got the picture, and didn't do it anymore. We also did have a dog gate for places that we wanted to keep them out of, like the laundry room, bathroom, etc. It's actually pretty helpful, because they have their space, we have ours.

And is his dog spot-trained? Like if you say "Go lay down", does he have a spot, like a bed or crate, he can go to? A lot of dogs find crates or beds where they have a designated spot very helpful, because it gives them a sense of place, and safety.

Good luck! Honestly, pets are one of those things that I would never ask anyone to get rid of, unless there was some sort of danger along with that pet. If the dog is just kinda smelly and hairy, you can work around that, and although you might not like it, recognizing that the animal is important to your boyfriend is super-important in accepting him and who is is, since his pet is part of who he is.

Jreneewright

i have a lab boxer mix and she sheds like crazy!! i love her and she is an inside dog now but when im gone she likes to sleep on the furniture. i have found it easier to just pick up those slip covers for my couch and stick them on when i leave and snatch them off when i get home. keeps the hair and the puppy smell out of the furniture.. they also make special blankets you can get really chean that just drape over your couch or chairs for dogs.. it will protect it....

i know it can be a pain but the pup is def worth it! i love my baby but hate the hair! i have to just find ways to avoid it.. lol

SlimSammy2012

Let me start off by saying that I am NOT an animal lover. I have never wanted a pet but my boyfriend is moving in......and has a dog. I have a son and his dog is like his child so it was just a no-brainer to me that this would be a situation where I would have to give a little. My boyfriend is only here on weekends for the next couple weeks but the dog is now staying with me. I'm a bit of an obsessive neat freak and I am trying to adjust to the dog hair, the stinky breath, him tracking stuff on my clean floors, etc.

My issue as of now, I cannot keep the dog off my furniture! He is a Black Lab/Spaniel/Rot mix and has terrible long, wavy, black hair and sheds like crazy. We even had him groomed a couple weeks ago and the hair is just collecting on my couches, bed and hardwood floors. Even though I do not like animals, I do not have it in me to keep him caged while I am at work for 9 hours a day. For now I come home on lunch to let him outside and he stays off the furniture when we are in the house.. My boyfriend has suggested a baby gate to keep him confined to the kitchen/laundry/mud room. Has anyone else overcome this issue or have suggestions?

Finally, a silly question. If I take him walking for a long period of time, is he going to get exhausted? :laugh:

My Ex Girlfriend would complain that my pants smelled like dogs and she couldn't stand it. I mean she really made a big stink (Pun inteneded!) about it. I made sure that I changed my clothes before going to her house. Oh, By the way, I never made a single comment about how her hair, clothes, house and car smelled like an ashtray! She smoked!

rml_16

I don't have a dog and never did but might get one some day and would be faced with the same dilemma. I also worry about the floors and furniture.

I also think it's terrible to keep a dog in a crate overnight or for long periods of time and like the idea of a baby gate.

That's what I would do.

You need to learn more about dogs. They're den animals. They feel safe in crates.

If I didn't crate my minpin at night, no one in the house would sleep because she barks at everything that moves. She's happy to go in, usually goes in by herself before we even get up off the couch to go to bed.

dalmiechick45

the baby gate is a great idea, and make sure to have your fella spend lots of time combing him... mine shed like crazy, but I just have to work harder to keep the house tidy, one of those floor swiffer sweeper vacs works nicely too (on hard surfaces and tile)....

Also, do try for your man's sake to like the dog a little that dog will protect you and your son to his dying breath! I sure hope you can learn to like him a little bit...

ohh and those thing Johnson makes, the pet shedder thing that looks like two rolls with a plastic blue cover... gosh cannot think of what its called... and also, have the fella pitch in too... if you can clean, so can he....

also, I bet your little boy may like brushing and combing the dog too... and it sure is a good way to teach him to care for other living things...

_ylime_

Gates are great! Also if he seems to be shedding a lot there are lots of supplements that can help. When I give my dog a no shed oil supplement and brewers yeast she hardly sheds. When I don't she sheds like crazy. Good luck, I am an animal lover and the hair drives me nuts. Something that helps for me is a roomba vacuume. I can set it to run every day while I"m at work and it keeps things cleaned up for me.

I had a roomba... and then we got our second dog.... the roomba didn't stand a chance.... :noway: :laugh: So... if you get one... make sure the dog understands that it is not a toy... :flowerforyou:

Lots of good points on this thread... EXERCISE (lots of it), more frequent brushing, consistent training when you guys are home... it will take some time, but he will adjust!

stephaneb74

Dogs are crated in my house when we are not at home and at night..... it is their safe place they even go in there themselves during the day if we are at home..... they stay in there sometimes for 8 to 9 h a day now and they are fine..... just take him for a jog ....

thoshowski

He will get exhausted after a very long walk, mine always does, but he will find the most comfortable place to sleep...the bed or the couch. I definitely recommend the baby gates. If you are coming home at lunch to let him out, he won't mind being confined to the mud room for a little while. As for the dog hair, I recommend a swiffer or variety of such. I swiffer daily, and the clumps of hair I get are disgusting. I have an 8 year old Chocolate Lab and I wouldn't trade the world for him. Those are the things I decided to deal with to have him, but I am a dog lover.

downinaggieland98

Crate train him!! I have a dog that's nearly 100 lbs and when he sees I am about to leave for work, he goes upstairs and crates himself. No accidents when I get home and he is happy. I am a huge animal lover and I always thought it was mean to leave them crated, but it's his safe place, and it's zero effort to clean up after him.

When you are home, just be constant in your discipline to let him know it's not ok. Good luck!

fbmandy55

Thanks for all the great replies!

I do exercise him everyday, even if it's throwing a ball in the back yard (he actually drops it at my feet) or taking him to my dad's to run and play with their dog. He get's plenty of walks, but I was concerned about taking him on LONG walks and possible even hiking our local river trails. I'll try to easy him into it.

Like I said, he is a good dog but it's just a very hard adjustment for me to make. I'm not really happy about it but I'm giving it a lot of effort!

rml_16

He get's plenty of walks, but I was concerned about taking him on LONG walks and possible even hiking our local river trails. I'll try to easy him into it.

A dog that size will be fine. Just make sure he has constant access to water. Overheating is more of a concern than the exercise itself, especially for a part rottie!

_ylime_

oh... this doesn't help so much with the shedding... but if "dog smell" bothers you I would reccomend trying this grooming spray... it smells like baby powder... I LOVE IT! My dogs smell great and their coats and super shiny... we also give them a brewers yeast / garlic suppliment... helps with shedding and deters fleas... seems to help....

http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Pet-Baby-Grooming-Spray/dp/B0002AQ8X6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334762187&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Brewers-Yeast-Tablets-Garlic-1000-Count/dp/B00025K10W/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1334762431&sr=1-1

ladybg81

I am a HUGE dog person. I have 4; 3 Boxers and a beagle. My youngest, Zoe is about 4 months old and stays in a kennel all day. I don't feel bad about it at all because I come home and my house is the same as I left it. Nothing chewed up or messed up. My other 3 have free reign of the house all day. They are over the chewing puppy stuff so no issues there. Having a dog, whether you like them or not, is just dirty. Their dogs. Their gross. But I love 'em! I used to be a real neat freak and I finally just got over it. My house is not dirty by any means but there is always hair floating around or something. They are not allowed on the furniture, my husband hates it.

I agree with previous posters about the kennels being their safe zone. We crated our other 2 boxers as well and when they knew we were leaving, they'd mosey on back to their room, get in their kennel and sit there until we gave them their treat and closed the door. Most nights they would even sleep in it with the door open. All 3 of my Boxers love(d) it. My Beagle however, ugh, nightmare dog.

LabRat529

One more comment-

Those saying the boyfriend should give up the dog for the sake of the relationship- it makes me smile, but not for the reasons you might suspect.

I was once dating a guy, getting really serious, and he told me I'd have to get rid of the dog or get rid of him. Guess who I said good-bye to? Best decision I ever made. My dog doesn't put conditions on his love.

SlimSammy2012

Oh yeah, one more thing....A spray bottle with water in it! Squirk the little guy everytime he does things you don't like, like getting up on the furniture and stuff....I have three pugs and all I have to say is "I'm gonna get the water bottle"

seebeachrun

It's a lot to take on but it can be worth it.

1. baby gate - great way to confine him to certain areas of the house while you retrain him; right now he is trained to get on the furniture

2. dog blanket - buy a blanket specifically for the dog; pick one you like and that won't show his fur too badly (wash it every week or two); when you allow him out of the gated area and near the furniture, slowly train him to only sit/lay on his blanket; over time you should be able to train him off the furniture completely and onto his blanket on the floor; it is slow going but worth the investment if you can't stand the fur on the furniture; at the very least training him to lay on the blanket will confine most of the fur and dirt to one area; my dog is 5 and is still obsessed with HIS blanket which was actually mine from a trip to Vegas where I broke my knee and needed it for the plane ride home

3. walks/doggie daycare - Wear him out! The more tired he is typically the better behavior you will have. Walks usually aren't as dirty as leaving him out in the yard for an hour or two to roll/run in the dirt. Extra bonus with doggie daycare is that most will bathe the dog before they come home for an extra fee.

4. brushing - try to brush him 2-3 times per week (outside!) to cut down on the loose fur

5. change his food - most dog food is crap and vets are bad about recommending the crap food; buy better food and the dog will be healthier and you'll see a reduction in shedding; I switched to buying gluten free for mine and his flaky skin went away and now his coat is always shiny and velvety soft plus he has been seizure free for over year with no meds! http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/about/ http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/

SyntonicGarden

Gating and confinement will work. Training the dog to stay off the furniture will work better.
Don't mean to read more into this, it sounds like the intro of a dog into your life is not something you and your boyfriend have discussed.

I agree with OP. Talk to your boyfriend and come up with a training strategy that works. It's important that you both agree on where the dog can and cannot go, because if he lets the dog onthe couch when you're not home, then the dog is going to get confused and be sneaky about it, sit on the couch, and jump off when it hears you coming in. Same thing with the bed... And you both have to be consistent.

I agree with baby gates. The other things that helped me were a broom and a spray bottle. When she was a puppy and I caught her doing something, I'd spray her with plain water. Just make sure that NOTHING but water goes in the bottle. Eventually, I got to the point where I could spray the empty bottle and the noise would make her move.

The other thing that you might want to consider is covering the couch while you're training the dog not to go on the furniture. At least this way, you'll have all of the hair in one spot and you can wash it. Either a flat sheet or a couch cover (from a place like Domestications or Wamsutta) would work too.

When we leave the house, I put a broom (or a yard stick, or something else that she doesn't want to sit on) on the couch. She has her own soft bed to lay on. Sometimes he'll forget to close the bedroom door, so I'll come home to find a wrinkled, warm, dry spot on the bed. Rather than get upset, I've just learned to put a flat sheet over the bedspread. It's easier than getting mad at him for leaving the door open and at her for just wanting to sleep somewhere that's soft and smells like us.