Have a husband that doesn't want a dog? Any tips?

2kidsNadog · Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:20 pm Post subject:

WOO HOO! I'm so happy to hear that a dog (doodle or no) is in your future, Carey! Hopefully the wait won't be too long!!
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-Marjie

Jac · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:04 pm Post subject:

Congratulations! Now...if you want a doodle and your DH is considering it...you might want to attend a few doodle romps so that your DH can see, first hand, what the dogs are like...and speak with many owners, some with stories like yours. Very Happy

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Jacquie777 · Junior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 37

My husband was at first opposed to getting a dog at all. My daughter and I wore him down Smile

and eventually he relented. Both he and my son were not excited at all about the idea of a dog, we have an outdoor cat and that is their pet and they had no desire to add to our family with a doodle.

Well, after Holly was in our home for a few weeks...she won everyone's heart. She goes nuts when hubby gets home and rolls over to show her belly for scratching, and he is happy to oblige. He's always slipping her treats. He emails her photos to all his friends. He cuddles with her in the evenings watching TV. And as for my son, he and Holly are buddies-- they explore the woods together, play fetch together, romp with the other neighborhood dogs, chase each other, etc, etc. I think dogs have a way of making themselves irrestibly lovable, especially doodles. Don't worry-- your hubby will love your doodle! Smile

ZMan · Senior Member Joined: 22 Nov 2006 Posts: 119

I am the husband that did NOT want a dog. My wife wanted one badly and we argued and discussed the pros and cons of it.

When my wife first started the "I want a dog" deal, she wanted a LITTLE dog. She was thinking Yorkie or some other very small breed. I've had big dogs (goldens and shepherds) and am not a fan of little lap dogs.

So, I started thinking of, and suggested a compromise. I would give in and say OK to a dog if she would consider a larger breed. She didn't want a BIG dog, and we both wanted a dog that would not shed or shed little.

That's when we came up with the Labradoodle. We went with an F1B for it being more likely to shed less or not at all. And, the size was a good compromise. Not the 80-100 lb BIG dog and not the few lb Yorkie either. Our Bailey is right around 50 lbs.

Once we agreed to a breed, I did the most research and shared my findings. When visiting the breeder to "just look at the puppies that are ready to go", my wife was hooked. Our puppy even pee'd in my lap at the breeders and I still gave in. And we had a 90 minute drive back home.

This has been a great breed and compromise for us. Her size is good for us. More dog than you want in your lap for any period of time, but a nice size. Her fleece coat does require a lot more work (brushing) than we had thought it would though.

Good luck!

annabelles mom · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:37 pm Post subject:

Zman - how nice of you to pop in and post your experience and Bailey is adorable !
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Mary & Annabelle
Zippity Doodle, Zippyity ay, My O My what a WonderDoodle Day !

http://www.picturetrail.com/luvlabs

Libby&Jofi · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 4:30 pm Post subject:

It's great news that you will have a dog (hopefully a doodle) in your future.

I just realised I had this cute pic on my camera of my partner and Jofi - he was also reluctant to have a dog and it took a lot of reasoning and persuading to change his mind - but as you can see from the pic, he's now a convert and a very happy doodle owner (we're even waiting for our second doodle):

Maureen · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 4:53 pm Post subject:

Oy, I smiled when I read this post but I sure can relate!
My hubby grew up out in the country, sorta, and dogs were always outside animals with him. Not with me! They're inside, laying right next to you household friends. He adjusted. Then when our first ol' girl died, he didn't want another one, but the kids and I did. He didn't want shedding. So what options? Terriers - who always need a job - or POODLES! Razz

Took me 6 mos. of just talking to other people, learning about poodles and simply sharing what I was learning. It grew on him.

I think that talking more is a good idea. And being honest and open. And asking good questions - like, 'what if I want one and you don't? How do we resolve that?' That's a reasonable, respectful question, in my mind.

Also, the idea of an older dog is a good option HOWEVER there is something sweet about those early bonding moments. However they are not vital, with my 3 yr old girl Copper here, as my proof (I got her last summer).

Of course, sometimes rescue dogs have unpredictable emotional baggage. But sometimes the trade-off is the maturity.

Keep us posted!
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LabradoodleRanch@aol.com
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annieG · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:39 pm Post subject:

Doodle converts...I just love it Razz

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AnnieG & Tanner

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

annabelles mom · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:14 pm Post subject:

Libby that is a precious picture - Pure Love !
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Mary & Annabelle
Zippity Doodle, Zippyity ay, My O My what a WonderDoodle Day !

http://www.picturetrail.com/luvlabs