Thursday, June 5, 2008

Heres the deal....

My son Aaron, (the eight year old, from my 2nd marriage) is staying with his Dad right now for summer...actually, we are going to alternate every two weeks. Aaron has wanted a pet for a long, long time. I like animals, I don't love them....I am a clean freak, and I don't want to upset any of you animal lovers out there...but, I don't feel that having animals in the house is very clean....sorry. All power to those of you that do...that is just my believe, my feelings. I don't like the thoughts of another living, breathing thing to have to clean up after, feed, play with,etc...My kids, my husband and my job are all I have time for and if an animal, primarily a dog is brought into the picture....I would be the one taking care of it, regardless of the "temporary" promises to take care of it by the kiddos...it wouldn't last. So, I put my foot down, said no...not until we get a bigger place, bigger yard, out in the country....then, we can have an outside dog. (See...I am not totally anti-pet)....Anyway, back to the point of Aaron staying with his dad....his dad went and bought him a puppy....a Rottweiler puppy.....Aaron is in love with this dog. In the meantime, Aaron's dad (who lives with his dad/Aaron's grandpa) have put their house up for sale...they live in Terre Haute, about 2 hours away from me...they (dad/grandpa) are planning on moving to Lafayette, where I live...so that they can be closer to Aaron...that is all fine and good....we have put the past behind us, so to speak....nice that he wants to be around his son more....the problem I have, after just getting off of the phone with Aaron, is that when the house sales, they are renting an apartment....an apartment which does not allow pets....Aaron asked me if we could take the dog....(I know his Dad put him up to it)....

This is what the dog looks like now:


This is probably what it will look like before long:


Hubbster, without even knowing what kind of dog it is, has flat out refused...I haven't told Aaron yes or no....in my heart I know it will have to be a NO..but Aaron and his Dad have made this dog and inside dog....I can't and won't have it in my house. What am I going to do? How can I tell Aaron this without breaking his heart, because if you have been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know I live to make my kids happy, but this is one thing I am torn over....

Do any of you know anything about these dogs? How do I handle this?

12 comments:

Steph said...

Rotties are GREAT dogs. Seriously, google it. They are amazing family dogs. You HAVE to start training them early, and really socialize them, and they do need exercise. Because they grow up to be so big start when they are young enough that they can't haul YOU around:) A puppy class would be great.

"The Rottie is calm, trainable, courageous, and devoted to their owner and family. They have a reliable temperament. Protective, he will defend his family fiercely. These are strong fighters that seem immune to pain. Serious, steady and confident. Firm and careful training is essential for this breed, otherwise you may end up with a very powerful and overly aggressive dog. Yet they can, with proper handling, also be loyal, loving and very rewarding companions. They require owners who can handle their massive size. The Rottie is a natural guard dog with a mellow temperament. They are highly intelligent and have proven their worth beyond question in police, military, and customs work over many centuries. Because of their size, training should begin fairly young - while the dog is still small, and great care should be taken to ensure that the dog is not made vicious. This breed needs a lot of companionship and socialization to be truly happy. They can be aggressive with other dogs and should be kept on leashes in public places. When the Rottweiler is consistently brought up and trained, it will be a good playmate for the children. It will accept cats and other household pets as long as the dog has had a positive experience with them while it was young. Friends and relatives of the family are normally enthusiastically welcomed. Strangers can get no further than the sidewalk. The breed does well in competitive obedience, schutzhund, and tracking.The Rottie will do okay in an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised. They are relatively inactive indoors and a small yard will be sufficient."

We have a friend that used to breed them and they were the sweetest, most docile dogs. Just like most other dogs, you need to be consistent with training. And they are soo smart! After our lab and border collie pass away (which hopefully NEVER happens hehe) that is the breed we are thinking of.

Anonymous said...

I can totally see where you are coming from, totally.

Rotties are good dogs, though. You just have to make sure to train it well. They aren't huge shedders either. (They shed, but not long hair.) And you CAN make the kids take care of it, you just have to follow through. I don't ever do anything for our dog- seriously.

But, I can understand your hesitance and they are BIG dogs. And if your husband is dead set against it it will probably cause problems btw the two of you if you give in and he'll probably take it out on Aaron ( I KNOW men).

I think you should have a talk w/ the ex and explain that you just can't do it. And make HIM tell Aaron.

Steph said...

Oh... also your question on how to handle the situation. I have no idea. Why did your ex buy a dog when they were selling the house? Especially such a LARGE breed? No matter what you do people are going to be unhappy. I am a HUGE dog person, which also means I know how much work they are. We have 2 dogs and 3 cats. I have to vacuum and dust every day. Its not fun. And I dont have kids. It would be a nightmare.
Obviously, just one dog would be way better, but even without letting it in the house there are still responsibilities, and it sounds like you'll be the one stuck with the responsibilities so I really don't know what to tell you except if you were concerned about the breed at all you really dont need to be:) Good luck and let us know!

Seals said...

I feel the same way about animals (perhaps even worse) so I definitely know how you feel.

You have to put your foot down. NO DOG IN THE HOUSE. PERIOD.

The dog either stays at Dad's or it goes somewhere else. The dog shouldn't be your concern. You and your husband don't want a dog. What part of that doesn't your ex get?

If your son can't handle a direct reason, blame it on allergies. On the other hand, the thought of allowing a dirty, disgusting animal to live in the house should certainly be enough.

the planet of janet said...

dogs *shudder*

BIG dogs *twitch*

BIG dogs that aren't mine and i have to take care of because someone didn't think ahead *convulsion*

i have dogs. i don't want dogs. you may have seen how dogs took over my life last weekend (shoot me). i'm mean. sorry. i join you on your anti-dog stance.

Sicilian said...

Dix. . . the X did to you what X's do best . . . they try to make you look like the bad one. . . . Stand your ground. . . . his dad made the decision to get a large dog. . . maybe his dad will have to rent a place that allows pets. . . . . remind son that you have never wavered on the issue. . . . you love him. . . but he is not going to be able to have the dog in your house. . . . remember Dix. . . . big dogs make big poops. . . . Just say no. .. . you are right.
Ciao

Big Pissy said...

yep....sicillian said it best.

good luck with this. :)

Toni said...

This is a tough one. Two things, rottweilers may be good dogs but in my area, a particular insurance must be carried on them because of their size, etc. That is one thing.

Two, dad is the bad guy. He shouldn't be dumping this on you. If you are going to say no (and you are because you can't for a # of reasons), turn it on him. Sicillian is right. It is a power play.

Your son knows the answer and it is going to be hard but make dad handle this one, not you. He needs to come up with a better solution. Period.

Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Rotties are supposed to be good dogs but if you & your husband don't see a way to keep the dog I hope you can find a good family that wants him.

i beati said...

put dad in charge of the problem- he needs to take ownership . He got the dog - he needs to find a way - friend someone to keep it so Aaron can play with it. they are tremendous loyal guard dogs.do not even put yourself in the scenario . You did not elicit the problem amen sk

DIXIECHICK said...

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions and comments. I have read each and every one and taken them to heart. I talked with hubby and absolutely, no...we are not taking the dog. I am not going to tell Aaron, dumb ass ex is...it's his problem, he will have to deal with it. I refuse to be the bad guy.

Dixie said...

Sounds like pops needs to put out some money for a kennel during his transition!

I personally don't like animals in the house either. I hate, No that is not strong enough, I detest having to try to vacuum animal hair. It sux.