My husband [27M] insisted on us getting a puppy instead of an adult dog like I [26F] wanted and now I'm pregnant and we're at an impasse

Oh jesus, a German Shepherd puppy? And you're pregnant?

I have a German Shepherd. He was a nightmare most of the time. He doesn't like to be left alone for more than a few hours because he gets lonely and starts to dig holes. He requires 20km a day of walking, (we ended up getting a bike to ride with him because it just wasn't possible every day). He wants constant attention, and will always want attention. That is their breed. They are stubborn, neurotic and strong when full grown. They are smart and loyal, but you have to have the time and effort to put into training. I work from home so our dog is being trained constantly.

That's just the dog! Then you'll have a baby as well. Which also requires constant attention, is stubborn, neurotic and literally poops everywhere.

And then apparently you have another baby in the form of a fully grown man?

Dogs get wet. They don't care. My shepherd will stand in the middle of the grass and stare at the front gate. Never mind there's a covered patio a foot to the left. Potty training takes time. Our dog was peeing sporadically inside up until he was 4-5 months old. It only happened every once in a while but it was a pain in the ass to clean up. Imagine doing that full term pregnant.

Your husband was the one who chose one of the most difficult breeds of dog in the form of a puppy so he needs to be the one who puts in the effort for training.

Theoretically I would sit him down and tell him that he needs to put more effort into training the dog but the real world isn't always that straightforward. Obviously at this point your husband isn't going to listen to any conversation starting with rehoming the dog. That's the nuclear option. But framing the conversation around training and care rather than rehoming might help?

I'd say it gets better as they get older but you'll have to prepare for the fact that the dog will always be under your feet. They need to "help". Today I vacuumed while my dog ran around barking at the vacuum cleaner trying to save me while simultaneously being terrified of it. That's difficult enough but add a baby and you've got a recipe for disaster.

/r/relationships Thread