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no more dogs?*vent*

iamlosingit's picture

Sorry if this seems over-emotional, but I have nobody to talk to about this.
I have been in a relationship with DH(fiancé) for almost 6 years now. Before we met, I rescued a dog from a shelter. He has been my friend/best buddy/companion since 07. Coincidentally, DH had his son the same year with BM. When we met, these things did not bother us. I understood he had a 3 y/o child, he understood I had a 3 y/o dog. Years later, I thought we had become a wonderful blended "family" unit. Fast forward to now and my pup and his son are soon to be 9. They adore each other, his son frequently asking to walk said pup on our park outings, and pup runs up tail wagging for our visitation days.
A few months ago we discussed our future and me wanting a bio child someday. We discussed all of the ins and outs, and after a loooong talk agreed that we will not have any children. I am still unsure about this as I don't know if I will have regrets later in life, but as it stands we know we can not afford a child. I contribute to all of his child costs when we have his son; birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, groceries, and even share 50% of the rent and utilities. The only expense he shares regarding my pup is 1/2 the "pet rent" which in our case is only $15 from each of us. The extra costs seemed like a lot to me at first, my monthly expenses increased an extra $300/month (sometimes more) with the cost of his child. Sometimes I complain, I'm only human and I'm sorry.
I'm getting off point.
Last night we came home after dropping his son back to BM. Not sure how the topic came up, but DH asked "how old is____(pup)?" I responded, the same age as SS. He then asked what the life expectancy was on his breed. I was a little confused, I hadn't given this much thought. I asked him why, and he responded with "I want to know how much longer THAT DOG is going to keep restricting us from places can move into". Needless to say, I was shocked. We haven't had any real trouble finding a pet friendly unit since we moved in together. Yes, I'll admit, we have fallen in love with a rental building only to see the "cats only" at the bottom of the advertisement. It sucks and can get frustrating. But it's not the end of the world, and we certainly don't live in a bad neighborhood or a "crummy" apartment. We have always made sure we live at least 20 minutes away from BM, a choice that I don't argue because he is the only parent doing the driving so I understand. But how can he not realize his child restricts our living location as well as my pet? BM doesn't live near my work, yet to live near SS I don't complain about my extended drive time, I understood this is what happens when you are in a relationship with a man with a child. When I told him it really didn't matter because of course I was going to get another dog some time after my pup passes, so where we would be living down the road would be pet friendly already, he got mad and said "no, I don't want any more dogs". I have already compromised on the "no bio children", how is it fair that he denies me the only other thing I have? He doesn't chew, bark, ruin furniture, I always properly train and care for them so he isn't too much of a burden on anybody else. I just don't understand! We can't go on vacation abroad without a pet sitter, well we can't go on vacation alone without consulting his visitation schedule either so what gives?? People are probably going to hate me for comparing a child to a pet, but they both require sacrifices, and we both accepted these sacrifices early on. I just feel like I'm being forced to give up everything for the sake of his "perfect family picture" image.
Rant over. Again, I'm not expecting many to side with me, but am I not allowed anything other then being a checkbook for his child??

iamlosingit's picture

I honestly don't know for certain if I want/don't want kids. Is anyone ever 100% positive they want MORE kids after living with a skid? lol I am turning 31 soon, the older I get the longer bio children will be in our lives, I don't want to be over 50 years old before we can live a life without children living with us. Also, I REALLY worry about DH trying to find time for another child, SS is used to his "daddy time" and I don't think he would take kindly to "sharing" his visitation days as DH works overtime every weekday we don't have ss. If any child would be neglected, it would unintentionally be the bio child. That is my other argument, DH is gone almost all week (if he didn't work overtime, he wouldn't be able to afford anything) I can count on one hand the hours we have together until the weekend. My pup is my buddy! Not a replacement, but I would get really lonely without him. I don't get why DH doesn't understand why this is a big deal to me. I tried explaining and he asked why I couldn't just "get a fish"... Blum 3

mimisha's picture

GET A FISH????????????????? yeah right...is DH usually this good at compromising? I would also give up ss before my dog, and I actually love ss (just proving a point) a dog is part of the family...if DH is just waiting for him to kick the bucket...i would be devastated...

after living with skid, I could not be 100% positive that I wanted bio kids, but I was 100% sure I wanted the option...only you know what you're willing to give up to make this work, but anything that brings resentment and regret, IMO, should be avoided...

TwoOfUs's picture

You will want kids, most likely. I was like you at 30...got married to a guy with a vasectomy. I'm now 36 and love my DH immensely (he is not an ass to me, nor does he treat me like an open checkbook for his kids...) but I am sad and severely depressed about not having kids of my own. If you resent the sacrifices you make for his kid now, even a little bit, trust me. That resentment will intensify after you marry, as time goes on. Resentment is VERY common for stepmoms...and I think even more so for stepmoms who don't have biokids of their own. I mean, think about it. You're childless but not child-free. `aka...all the things you've already mentioned above. You can't choose where to live, where to work...your time is not fully your own. All for some kid who's not yours. It's terrible.

Say all this to say...please run. Find someone without kids who can give you and your eventual family together his full time and attention. This guy isn't it.

SugarSpice's picture

lets see...

you don't get any more dogs

you cant have any bio children

you are forced to live close to skid

so wants your financial support.

what is in it for you?

keep pup and tell so and skids to go packing.

SugarSpice's picture

my pets are more important to me that the skids or the in laws. if something happened to dh i would never talk to them again.

SugarSpice's picture

my pets are more important to me that the skids or the in laws. if something happened to dh i would never talk to them again.

one time sd invited all her trashy friends over to a party where dh of course paid for everything. she threw the dog outside. i immediately bought the dog back into the house. no one under my roof has a right to throw my pets out of the house.

ESMOD's picture

Yep. OP needs to really think about the bio kid issue for herself. I'm 50 now and no kids of my own. It will matter to you in the future

twoviewpoints's picture

"I want to know how much longer THAT DOG is going to keep restricting us from places can move into". :jawdrop:

I hope you carefully explain to him that furbaby (or future furbaby)and you would be quite content and comfortable in a one bedroom place without him.

iamlosingit's picture

Honestly I was so shocked all I could do was a "death glare" (and promptly burst into tears) when he walked inside. It really took me by surprise, we had discussed many months before that our next pup would be a breed that DH is interested in. I have no idea where any of this is coming from. This was right before bed, we didn't have much time to discuss any of this, and tonight is another skid night so I won't bring it up.

iamlosingit's picture

Omg thank you! I wanted to post this but was worried that made me a monster. I don't hate kids, but this did make me laugh }:)

SugarSpice's picture

^^^rotfl!

yes, the skids do smell, don't clean and are also asking their father for support.

how different is that from a cat or dog?

notasm3's picture

Tell him as of TODAY you will no longer finance his child. And you'll be happy to pick up the other $15 of rent.

I was a total non dog person for the first 35 years of my life. Not sure why I got a dog but I fell in love and have now had dogs for 30+ years. I might give up my DH (who I adore) before I gave up my dog.

But I do remember quite well in my non pet years just totally not understanding how people felt about their pets. I felt just like ImaSmom back then. So I do know what it's like not to have that bond. But I would never have deprived someone else of having a pet - especially so I could suck them dry of money for my needs.

He's a selfish bastard. What kind of ahole ever expects his new partner to support HIS child? That's a total dick move even without the dog issue.

happystepmum's picture

Omg, no no no. No way would I ever give up my dogs or agree to not have any more in the future. And sure as hell, there is NO WAY I would be forking out hundreds of dollars a month for SOMEONE ELSE'S child, when we're not even married.

What sort of man allows his fiance to do that???

I'd be heartbroken if my husband was waiting for the dogs to die Sad

twopines's picture

I don't understand why on earth you are contributing to the cost of someone else's child when you supposedly can't afford a child of your own. :jawdrop: That sounds a wee bit backwards. And insane.

iamlosingit's picture

I can try to sum it up like this: 2 bedroom apartment so skid could have his own room and independence for ONCE in his life (don't get me started on that one) increased our rent (we had a one bedroom before) to +$250, add in the extra utility cost and its about $140 more not even including our cell phones. This amount in 1/2 from each of us is about an extra $300/month. Include his expenses (truck payment, student loans, health insurance which he has to cover for ss, and his cs) leaves him with virtually NO wiggle room for expenses regarding an extra child. Basically, if we did have a bio child, we would have to get a 3 bedroom (rent/utility increase again) and I would probably be stuck paying for ALL the expenses for bio child including health care because he just doesn't have a high enough paying job for another kid. Not to mention he can't work overtime on skid nights/weekends, I don't get off work until late evening, we have no other childcare. I truly don't understand how parents are able to afford more then one child lol

TwoOfUs's picture

You should rework this ASAP. HE alone covers the cost of the extra bedroom and the extra expense of having his kid there. I know, with utilities, it's not an exact science, though. So maybe agree to half those just to keep it simple. But the increase of a two-bedroom over a one-bedroom? He pays that alone. If he can't afford it, you go back to a one-bedroom and skid gets the couch or Dad works out another way to see him.

Also, you wouldn't have to get a three-bedroom right away (or, possibly, ever) if you have a biokid. Biobaby gets a bassinet in your room for the first year or sleeps with you...then shares with skid on his nights over. Lots of siblings share rooms, no problem. How often is skid there, anyway?

Brookfield Batman's picture

You both needed to speak up long ago. It took him 6 years and you still haven't spoken up. You want a child and he doesn't want a dog. Lots of time has passed, If you two aren't married by now, you should be questioning major things anyway. Time to give the whole relationship a good look. It may be time to move on for all of the other reasons too. Good luck

notsurehowtodeal's picture

Just like you knew and accepted the fact that your DF had a child when you got together, he knew and seemed to accept that you had a dog. It sounds like the dog is well behaved, so it doesn't seem there is a valid reason why he has changed his mind.

Pick up the $15.00 a month he is paying for the dog and quit paying the $300.00 you are paying towards the child. What is his financial situation? Is he paying more than he is court ordered for the child? Why do you have to pay that much?

iamlosingit's picture

its the extra cost of two bedroom rent vs one bedroom, all the utilities that increased with the extra space, cell phones. Divide this amount in half and its honestly an extra $300 each per month. Not including extra cost of food when ss is over. The utilities fluctuate because this property divides the utilities between all tenants based on the number of ppl in building and square ft in apartment. We don't have our own meters so it fluctuates.

step-2-be's picture

Your fiancé is very selfish. I have dogs, and I would never give them up. For your fiancé to expect you to not only forgo having your own children, but also the love of a pet is ridiculous. It makes it ten times worse in the fact he does not have to compromise one bit. He has his kid, which you have accepted, housed, financed and make sacrifices for. Perhaps you should suggest that he gives BM 100% custody of his kid so that the skid does't restrict the places you can move into Blum 3 . Suggest a nice one bedroom apartment much nearer your work would suit you more, seeing as you wouldn't have those pesky kids and dogs cramping your style }:)

Yes, a pet can't be compared to a kid for the most part. But in your situation your pet is your kid. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander. I think you need to sit your fiancé down and explain to him in no uncertain terms just how much you sacrifice in your life to be with him and his kid. Give him examples such as where you live, the money you are paying, the hassle of BM, skid scheduling etc. Then tell him this sacrifice is on top of one of the biggest sacrifices a woman can make - not having her own kids (should she want them). If he doesn't see how selfish he is being then I think you have your answer on how your future is going to look.

Rags's picture

It may be surprising but generally I am not big on dictates within a marriage. Particularly on not core issues such as pets. I prefer the freedom and flexibility that we have without a pet but... tear up regularly over missing Max. He is our now 22yo Senagal parrot who ran our home for 15 years. He could not travel with us when we moved internationally so we left him with my parents. They put him up for adoption a few months later.

He was adopted by the family of the head of Women's Athletics at UT in Austin. They have two now teen girls and a rescue African Grey and by all reports from the Avian Rescue he settled right in and is a core member of the family. Apparently he torments the much larger Grey. Not surprising. He is a domineering little rat with wings.

I do miss him though. I catch myself absentmindedly whistling his favorite tunes and thinking of what he would have to say about things going on in our home.

That said, we are both also enjoying our status as empty nesters. I do not foresee any more pets or kids in our future. But... stranger things have happened. My bride is only 40 so a whoops is certainly possible as is an adoption if our close friends don't stop adopting left and right. Rewinding on the status as a Dad at 52 is a bit daunting.

I will have to dodge the kid and pet thing for a few more years I think. Sigh.

iamlosingit's picture

I completely agree 100% with your comment, that is why we did discuss if we were ever going to entertain the prospect of a bio child. I would rather sacrifice NOT having children then bring a child into the world who feels unloved/unwanted by his/her parents for any part of his/her childhood. I think between helping my ill mother raise my siblings and having a SS, there probably isn't much I haven't experienced with kids. I'd like to experience a time in my life without the stress of kids lol

hereiam's picture

I contribute to all of his child costs when we have his son

Why? Seriously, stop doing this.

So, basically, your fiancé is just counting down the days until your beloved pet dies. Nice.

Tuff Noogies's picture

not only no, but H3LL NO.

i had to rehome two of my furbabies because of oss' allergies. that was a HEALTH concern. there is no way in h3ll i would have done so if it was strictly a jack@$$ concern.

my big ol' furbaby will ALWAYS be by my side until the day he crosses the rainbow bridge. aside from dh, he is my bestest friend in all the world. gran'pa's gettin' up in years, but we will NEVER be without furbabies.

that was a total d!ck thing for your fiance to say, and would be a total deal-breaker for me. at the very least, you should move into your own place so he wont be "tied down" by YOUR child.

Merry's picture

I love my DH. But if he ever wanted me to choose between him and the dogs, it would be the dogs. Every time.

My DD faced this situation a couple of years ago. Her asshole boyfriend gave her a puppy, and when the puppy was too much trouble he asked her to find it a new home. She did. She moved out that very weekend. I was so proud of her.

I get the give and take of relationships. Seems like you give, he takes. That's not the way it works.

Cocoa's picture

Do not marry this man. He's not looking for a partner to build a life with. He wants help with his baggage. Be very wary of single fathers. This particular father has made his intentions perfectly clear. Believe him.

thinkthrice's picture

THIS!!!!!! Disengage financially as a true test as to how much he "loves" you. Most single dads are looking for a financial backer to their previously enjoyed family.

SugarSpice's picture

for so to even INFER of the life span of your dog (indicating he is looking forward to his death) is a deal breaker for me.

then again, you can always say, "as soon as skid turns 18, you are kicking him out of the house."

not loving animals is a deal breaker for me.

iluvcheese's picture

There are deal breakers in relationships. One deal breaker is someone that wants kids and someone that doesn't. Move on with someone that wants kids. You will regret it for the rest of your life. Dint wait around hping he'll change his mind or trying to convince him otherwise, just leave because this is a deal breaker. Please love yourself enough to get the things most important to you in life.

And NO way would I stand around while my DH complained about my dog being limiting when he had a child. NO way. I'd let the entire list I've created in my mind loose on him after such a statemen. Since you didn't do that, I'm guessing you're more mature than I am. Say something to him about how offended and hurt you were by such a comment. I'd also bring up the fact that you're a dog person, which means if you want another dog down the road, you'd like him to respect that considering you're dealing with a skid. Perhaps he was just in a mood. All I know is, I love dogs, someone not being into having a dog or dogs would be a deal breaker for me. You need to find out how he really feels about the future, about another dog if that's important to you. Are you going to compromise on dogs and babies/children? Don't do it!

SweetMom's picture

you tell him you are not getting rid of your dog and if dog dies you will get another dog right away, Infact he needs to come up with his child's expenses so you can save money for another dog. Maybe he should take up some side work under the table. It's not your job to spend your money on his love child or your time. Men are so stupid they need to be told what's going to happen. Yeah they will moan and groan about it but it is what it is and they need to belly up if they want the relationship. He has his kid companion and you need yours.