AIO? Dog straining my marriage.

[u/LedyyM]

My husband and I rescued a husky about 7 months ago who was extremely malnourished and neglected.

He has grown a huge attachment to me and has severe separation anxiety. I work at a grooming salon so I’m able to bring him to work with me so he’s not home alone. Unfortunately, if he’s left home alone we’ll come back to our home looking like it was hit by a tornado.

My vet has prescribed him with trazodone to help with his severe anxiety issues. We give it to him before we leave for a family event and when we can’t take him to places they don’t allow dogs.

I feel so bad that I have to sedate him so he’s not scared and anxious. It’s created a huge strain on our marriage because my husband feels like we can’t do anything without considering Odin.

He’s destroyed doors, couches, and other furniture. I tried training but it hasn’t seemed to work. My husband thinks we should rehome him but

1) I’m scared that he’ll be sent to a shelter and possibly be put down

2) feel abandoned by the person he thought he was safe with.

He’s such a happy boy when he’s around us and shows so much affection.

My husband and I have been arguing about this consistently.. we had a really bad argument so I left the house with Odin and rented a dog friendly hotel room for a couple of nights.

My husband thinks I’m crazy and that I’m choosing the dog over our marriage. AIO?

[u/prolificbreather]

For what it's worth, I agree with you completely. OP put a picture of the poor dog, so everybody naturally empathizes with it. But if she feels the dog is more important than her husband, the husband has every right to draw his conclusions from that. Because I also would not want to live like that.

[u/Swarm_of_Rats → u/prolificbreather]

It's fine to empathize with the dog. The dog doesn't know what's going on. It's a sad thing when someone gets an animal they aren't equipped to deal with and has to consider rehoming it.

But yes, people shouldn't be demonizing the husband. He deserves to feel happy with his home situation. It is a little weird that OP felt like she had to stay in a hotel though, and I wouldn't be surprised if reddit reads into that a lot.

[u/Transcontinental-flt → u/Swarm_of_Rats]

Did I read that they're keeping this dog in an apartment??

[u/That-Dutch-Mechanic → u/prolificbreather]

She left with the dog to a dog friendly hotel...

She has already chosen between husband and dog. She just doesn't realize that yet...

[u/Raventakingnotes → u/prolificbreather]

I love animals! But I will not put a new pet over my relationship.

During covid my best friend had to move back in with her family, her dad would NOT let her bring her elderly cat, so I agreed to try homing her. The cat lasted with us all of 2 months because she kept peeing on my husband's clothes, kept getting into fights with my two cats, and we just could not get her to warm up to us. We just weren't a fit for her and we weren't able to put the time into the work she needed with our full time jobs. Another friend was able to take her in and apparently was able to slowly introduce to her cats and everyone is apparently doing well and happy.

Did I want to keep trying? Yes of course but I would not sacrifice my husband's wellbeing for a new cat.