What to do about boyfriends disgusting and badly behaved dog

[lostinmyhead97]

I'm at a complete loss at what to do. I've been with my boyfriend about 4 months. He's wonderful and one of the all round best guys I've ever been with but I HATE his dog and it's leading me to want to break up with him. He got a German Rottweiler puppy a couple months before meeting me. It is now 8 months old. When we started dating he warned me that he had a puppy and he wasn't completely potty trained yet. I have grown up around dogs so I understand that it takes a few months to get them trained and I had no problem with it. I just figured the dog would be trained soon enough. 8 months later the dog is NOT POTTY TRAINED. It's kennel is in the bedroom since my boyfriend's roommates don't want it in the common space since the dog smells so bad since it rolls in it's own poop. My bf will take the dog out and run it around and it will poop literally minutes after coming inside. Whenever my bf tries touching me the dog will bark at us and pee or poo. Trying to have sex is hell. In the morning if we so much as talk or move the dog will bark to be let out and poo as my bf goes to let him out. The dog is also huge but does not understand basic commands which make it difficult to have it loose around me. I'm a tiny person and can't control it. The dog used to be allowed out around me but one time it tackled me into the concrete wall and gave me a concussion. My bf felt terrible about that but he still doesn't do anything. He says the dog will get better eventually but there has been no improvement. I'm getting tired of dealing with the constant stench of the dog and not being able to spend any time with my bf without the dog making us miserable. He's the sort of person I could see myself being with long term but I'd never want to move in with him or get too serious when that filthy animal is still around. I want to tell him the dog needs to go but he spent $2,000 on it (which I think is absurd). He also refuses to tie it up outside during good weather because he's afraid the dog will be stolen. I don't know what to do.

[awmd]

The biggest problem is going to be that a dog that big isn't bred for being locked in a bedroom most of the day.

To start with - Tell your boyfriend to enroll in training courses if he can't properly train it on his own. Nothing wrong with getting help an can bring the dog a long ways in as little as 6 weeks. That's for basic obedience.

The potty training is going to be harder now because he was properly done the first time. At a young age (8-12) weeks. When the dog was brought out, it shouldn't have been brought back in until it did it's business. Basicly needs to be treated like it's a new born pup all over again. But will be tougher because it already developed those habits. It's not impossible though.

The dog shouldn't smell, if it made a mess on itself the dog should have been bathed. The filthy animal is only filthy because your boyfriend is a terrible pet owner from what I have read in your post.

Every dog is trainable. Some might be more stubborn, require different forms of training. But it's possible. You can take a wolf pup from the wild and atleast teach it to sit.

Long term relationship with the guy? He can't even take care of a dog. How is he going to teach a child?

[Birdie]

This is on your boyfriend, not the dog. Poor dog really, totally dependent on someone who doesn't care for it.

 

Has he sought advice of a vet? Any medical reasons for misbehaviour? Has he sought out a trainer? How much time does the dog spend in a confined space? Any socialization with other dogs? Tying up a dog outside will do NOTHING to fix these behaviours, just make your life easier....again not fair on the dog.

 

Your boyfriend needs to step up as an owner and provide for his animal. He needs to seek out help training a puppy, since it seems obvious he doesn't know how.

 

Also, this is how he handles conflict and challenges, what do you think of his behaviour? This is a good indicator or future behaviour when dealing with problems that arise. Personally I couldn't be with someone who passively shrugged off issues because they think it'll resolve on its own and get better later.

[HeartGoesOn]

Wow, my heart goes out to this poor dog. This issue is not with the dog, as it's the owners responsibility to train him, or at the very least have him trained by a professional.

 

In any event if he refuses to care for this dog in a proper way, your only other option is to walk. As an added thought, and as it stands now I would respect myself enough to not sleep in that environment.

[Moontiger]

Geez, your BF is a terrible dog owner. German Shepherds are working dogs. They need a lot of exersice and stimulation and if they don't get it they become anxious and destructive.

 

There is really no nice way to say this to your before but the dog deserves a better home. I would walk away from any guy who doesn't take care if his pets.

[Snny]

He has a high energy dog. Rotties have a lot of energy and need to be exercised daily. This doesn't sound like a compatible dog breed for your boyfriend based on the information given of its misbehaviors.

 

. It's kennel is in the bedroom since my boyfriend's roommates don't want it in the common space since the dog smells so bad since it rolls in it's own poop.

Dogs will not defecate in their crates UNLESS:

1. The dog has been left in it too long

2. The crate is too big.

 

This all points to bad ownership.

 

Whenever my bf tries touching me the dog will bark at us and pee or poo.

Dog needs to be corrected and trained. This is on your boyfriend.

 

In the morning if we so much as talk or move the dog will bark to be let out and poo as my bf goes to let him out.

The dog should be let outside first thing in the morning. Just like having a baby in the house, you don't get to sleep in with a puppy. Sorry.

 

The dog is also huge but does not understand basic commands which make it difficult to have it loose around me.

Your boyfriend needs to work on training the dog. I had my puppy fully trained under 5 months old when I took him to obedience classes. He was more disciplined than my parents 8 year old dog at the time. He needs to enroll in it.

 

I'm a tiny person and can't control it. The dog used to be allowed out around me but one time it tackled me into the concrete wall and gave me a concussion. My bf felt terrible about that but he still doesn't do anything.

Your boyfriend needs to be a responsible owner and step it up in controlling his dog. Otherwise you stop going over to his house. A dog that jumps on people is going to be a major legal problem later down the line if it jumps on the wrong person. If he didn't do anything to correct his dog or to pull him off of you... personally, I would be done with the relationship. I'd be mad at him rather than at his dog.

 

He's the sort of person I could see myself being with long term

Oh really? You would want this kind of person to be the future father of your children? if he can't control and discipline his dog, what makes you think he can do the same with raising kids? he's already showing you how lazy and irresponsible he is.

 

I'd leave. And not because of the dog. Too many red flags here.

[Moontiger]

What kind of research did your BF do before buying the dog? Has he ever owned a dog before?

 

Here is some information on how to properly take care of a Rottie. Share this with your BF:

[Batya33]

"Oh really? You would want this kind of person to be the future father of your children? if he can't control and discipline his dog, what makes you think he can do the same with raising kids? he's already showing you how lazy and irresponsible he is.

 

I'd leave. And not because of the dog. Too many red flags here."

 

Not surprisingly (given my parenting related comments in the past) I also thought of this analogy and am glad Snny expressed it here.

[Snny]

I missed this:

I want to tell him the dog needs to go but he spent $2,000 on it (which I think is absurd).

Not absurd if he got it from a reputable breeder; especially one who has show titles. I'm not talking about a hobby, backyard breeder who doesn't know what they're doing and raises the price outrageously high. I spent nearly a grand for my Corgi. That money goes into:

- vaccines (pups have to go through a series of 8 vaccinations after they are born)

- the delivery of the pups from the mother (some breeds require a C-section)

- medical checkups on the pups

-feed for the pup

That's why purebreeds cost more than shelter dogs because you are paying for medical and health checkups. And vet costs vary upon the area you live in.

 

However, a reputable breeders would have interviewed him to determine if he would be a suitable owner for a Rottie pup. I was asked questions by my breeder about my living space, daily activities, experience with dogs, etc. before I signed their agreement and brought my pup home. A good breeder are very serious about making sure his/her pups go to a good home.

 

If a breeder found this out:

It's kennel is in the bedroom since my boyfriend's roommates don't want it in the common space

My bf will take the dog out and run it around and it will poop literally minutes after coming inside.

^ Does not exercise the dog.

 

There would be no way in hell a breeder would agree to give him the dog. That is unless your boyfriend lied to the breeder. A Rottie would not be content with being locked up in someone's bedroom all day long, and they are massive dogs that need plenty of space. That's the root of its misbehaviors.

 

And no, as a 4 month girlfriend you have zero authority on telling him what to do with his dog (unless he has been abusing the dog).

 

My bf felt terrible about that but he still doesn't do anything. He says the dog will get better eventually but there has been no improvement.

Dog training begins on the first day you bring a dog to your home. They need to be taught how to behave- hence why they are domesticated animals. At 8 months that dog should not be defecating in his crate or knocking people down.

 

My corgi didn't nip/jump on people or climb on furniture at 4 months because he started obedience classes at 3 months. He was the youngest dog in his classes, but he was the most disciplined by the end of the program because it is easier to train a younger dog and I spent massive time working with him. I made damn sure he learned to keep his paws off of people (my family was sued by a lady because our dog jumped and scratched her).

 

Whenever my bf tries touching me the dog will bark at us and pee or poo.

Also, this is a major sign of dog insecurity. That dog sees you as a threat of diverting the owner's attention away from him and onto you. It's possessive behavior that will lead into aggression if it isn't corrected.

[alc16]

Its training. I own a working line german shepherd.. They are high strung and need lots of exercise just like rotties.

 

I feel so sorry for this dog. It is all him..

The fact that you think its appropriate to tie a dog up outside and leave it shows you are just as bad as him but in a different sense. This is all disgusting.

 

He needs to re home that dog or get a trainer, asap.

 

I'm going to go home and hug my dog tonight and tell him how lucky he is to have me.

He was house trained at 12 weeks, I can count on one hand how many accidents he had on one had in those 3 weeks. All my fault.

He does not rush me, he does not jump, he waits for me to say ok before he eats his food. This was all ingrained in his head by 3-4 months. He is now a year, never on a leash, and people think hes way older because of how he follows me around always looking for direction.. He looks at me for approval before he chases a squirrel!

 

DO NOT GET A DOG IF YOU CANNOT GIVE IT THE PROPER CARE, TRAINING AND ATTENTION. This is why the end up in rescues.