Doggy Blues

[mizfiesta]

I've recently met a guy online and we've met up a few times and get on well. He has a 4 month old puppy, but as it's from a large breed (French Mastiff) it's already a fair size.
The guy lives around 20 miles from where I live so the twice he's been to my house, he's brought the dog with him. Although I like all animals and living creatures, I don't consider myself a 'dog person' and I'm a bit OCD when it comes to animals in my house. I wish it was different but I'm not.
So when the puppy comes in to my house the guy basically lets it do what it wants. It climbs on sofa, bites my cushions and my play bites my feet! The guy just basically laughs while exclaiming "it's only a pup" when I start to protest.
Anyway, the guy wanted to visit me on Saturday evening and I asked him if he could get someone to watch the dog for him while he comes through for a while. He was mad at me and long story short, he didn't come through. Today he text me and he wanted to come through but said he would need to bring the dog. I said no, and that we were going to go round in circles with this subject. I said I was sad that this was an issue. He text back saying I was sad any and hardly a bundle of laughts and had control issues - then blocked me.
I already felt bad enough about the fact I couldn't cope with the pup, but he's made me feel like a complete nutter. So, my question is, how many of you would just have tried to accommodate the dog to make way for a budding relationship? Or would anyone else have stood firm? I actually cried earlier as I just felt so inadequate and upset...

[chanel5]

I think the relationship was doomed from the start. Obviously, this man comes as a package - man and dog - and I can relate to that, as I would feel the same about my cats. But I can also relate to your feelings of discomfort and maybe even disgust at the antics of the dog in your house. This does not in any way make you "a nutter" (what a terrible expression). It is just part of your character and personality that other people have to accept. It is not unusual to feel like that - many people do - and it is not wrong to feel like that. But your feelings about the dog and his feelings about the dog are both so strong that they make you and this man incompatible with each other.
You may have liked the guy, but there would be no way round the dog problem. You deserve someone who is compatible with you, and so does he, so I think you should both cut yourselves free and look elsewhere. You will find someone who makes you happy. You just need to keep looking and not give up.

[viv41]

I don't know why some of you are saying you feel sorry for the dog! He obviously loves it very much and puts it first, this is better than leaving it alone for hours and hours on end and beating it up!! After saying that though, he is definitely not for you miz, he needs to find someone as besotted with his dog as he is.

[Cloverjo]

Most dog owners that I know are aware that not everyone loves them as much as they do, and would keep them under control in someone else's house. He doesn't sound right for you.
You should not feel inadequate.

[mizfiesta]

Thanks for all the latest responses since my last post. I felt really apprehensive about posing my question as I know that some dog/animal owners can be a passionate bunch and I was scared I would be harangued! All the responses have helped me to gain a bit of perspective. I wish I was a bit more laid back at times but I guess we are the sum of our experiences. I really hope the guy starts to train his dog properly as the 'play biting' won't be fun if it does it to a child.

[woofgang]

viv, if you are going to have a big dog (or even a little one) then its up to the owner to protect the dog and that means not putting it in a position to do things like “play bite feet” if the owner of the feet doesn’t want them to. We live in a litigous society and if the pup tries to be a pup with a stranger....say in the park or in the street...and the stranger feels the need to do so, then they can go to the police, invoke the DDA and make all sorts of trouble...and the dog pays. Those of us who love our dogs know how important it is to keep them safe from people who may, quite reasonably, not love them as much as we do...may even, again not unreasonably, be scared of dogs. That is why I say I am sorry for the dog.