'Please don't make me choose': Dog Mom Faced With Ruff Dilemma After Boyfriend of Three Years Still Disliked By Scared Shelter Pup, Internet Reacts With Wholesome Advice

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Jul 2, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

It's a shame we don't speak the same language as our dogs, right? If only we could tell them about our days and understand what makes them happy or nervous. Well, it's pretty obvious what makes them happy, but don't you wish you could understand your delightful doggo a little bit more? One woman and her pupper, "George", have been together for a while, but George just doesn't like her boyfriend, even after three years of them being together! She went to the internet expecting howlarious responses, but instead got a wholesome handful of advice on how to repair George's and her boyfriend's relationship.

Seriously, this is why we love the internet. When you really need it, it has your back. Mostly because the dog community is filled with a whole bunch of woof-tastic people, but mostly because a lot of people need help learning how to understand their doggos. Especially poor shelter dogs. They come with a lot of baggage, but inside all that baggage is even more love! Scroll down to read the whole story below and see how they went from enemies to friends with just a few easy steps.

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  • 01
    My boyfriend and I have been together for almost three years now, and my dog has yet to come around. A little background; I adopted my boy, George, from the pound when I was in middle school. He's the greatest birthday present I've ever gotten. I had a tough time throughout middle and high school, and George, quite literally, kept me alive. We are attached at the hip as much as we can be.
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    Our dog is also like this. She is always following us around wherever we go. She doesn't even hope for food, she just likes to be near us. If we're in a different room than her, she wants to come check on us to make sure we're still there. We love it!

  • 02
    Unfortunately, he's traumatized. When I was 16, my neighbors had a pitbull who they neglected, which made her violent. I took George out on the leash, and didn't know she was in the car. She came through the open window and after us. George protected me, and my neighbors got rid of the dog the same day. Since then, he's been scared and hateful of new people and animals.
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    This is so hard - if only we could talk to our dogs and help them understand that everything is okay. But dogs don't get over things as quickly as humans do, they don't have the processing power to rationalize situations. If only we could speak doggo…

  • 03
    My boyfriend and I got together in my senior year. He comes over to my house quite a bit, and George has never tried to bite him, but it's easy to tell he hates him. He growls and stays as glued to me as he can be. George lets my boyfriend pet him, and we all even slept in the same bed last night. I would like some help on how to make George more comfortable with him. I love them both with everything I've got, and I wish they could get along better.
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  • 04
    My boyfriend likes George, but I can tell he's not the biggest fan, especially since this has been going on for almost 3 years. Thank you. Edit: My bf is very loved by my other dog and both of my cats, one of which extremely skittish and scared of new people. The solution is not getting another boyfriend. Thank you for the concern.
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  • 05
    PapillionGurl 7 days ago Let your boyfriend take him for walks and play with him
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  • 06
    Ok Supermarket9053. 6 days ago This, and working on already known tricks with rewards. I've been in bf's shoes, and it took awhile but 'George' and I got there. Just be careful OP, 'George' pretty much became my dog.
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  • 07
    fakegermanchild · 7 days ago • In these 3 years, what have you actually tried beyond him petting George (which honestly you shouldn't force if it looks like it makes him uncomfortable)? Is he feeding him treats/meals? Have you done any work to raise your dog's confidence in general after the incident? It sounds like you would benefit from working with a professional who's experienced with dogs that have been attacked.
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  • 08
    Lower-Sink262 - 7 days ago First off, how much does your boyfriend know about dog body language? My ex girlfriend's dog hated me. when we were together as teenagers - because I didn't know enough about dogs and kept making eye contact. If he doesn't know a lot about it (and I mean a lot!) get him to read up on it, so he can tell when the dog is giving calming signals or whale eye and doesn't want to be bothered.
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  • 09
    Make sure you give your dog lots of attention when the boyfriend is around so the dog doesn't think boyfriend = no attention from mom. Then, get some high value treats such as sprats and have your boyfriend dole them out liberally.
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  • 10
    • Electrical-Ad-9100 7 days ago When I got together with my boyfriend 7 years ago, he had a 3 year old dog. He's his best friend and he had very little interest in me. It took some time, but when my boyfriend started working 3pm-12 am, our dog realllllly warmed up to me. I take him for walks, play with him, feed him dinner, sleep with him, etc. he follows me around when my bf isn't home, but when he is in second choice lol.
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  • 11
    Best suggestion is your boyfriend doing things with him, sounds like George just think your bf is around and tolerates it, but spending some one on one time/ bonding would be great for him!
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  • 12
    . Dazzling_Ant_5913 · 7 days ago Definitely try having your boyfriend hand feed George regularly! Then he will associate your bf with food, and help with building trust in their relationship. Also you could try letting your boyfriend be the handler on walks & get him to do some training with George, not suggesting anything crazy just basics like sit, paw, etc and rewarding him with treats/toys will build a good relationship there too :)
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  • 13
    AlbaMcAlba · 6 days ago Food and treats supplier should win the dog over.
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  • 14
    dogfarm2 6 days ago My dog hated my grown son. I had Jasper for 15 years. He originally was so traumatized that he'd run away if a human looked at him. He came around, but it took years, and adoption of a young shih tzu who believed Jasper was his mom. They both did. Still, he hated my son. If he came over, Jasper would lurk around out of sight, and if he
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  • 15
    saw his chance, he'd sneak over and bite my son, and run away. He liked everyone as he got older, just not my son, he hated him till the day he died. My animal lover son felt terrible about it, my other dogs loved him. There's just no way to know how to change a dog's mind. Even my little poodle Jasper.
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  • 16
    Proud_Huckleberry_42. 6 days ago When I started dating "M", him and my dog did not like each other. He would say "she is just a dog!". Every time he tried to touch me, my dog would growl at him. Then, I started giving M food to give to my dog. So, my dog started to like him. So, when he came over, she would run to him to greet him, and lick him. And so he started to like her, too. Then M started to buy her gifts AA
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  • 17
    AgisterSinister 6 days ago . It's not uncommon for rescue dogs to have been mistreated or abused by men, and to not like them as a result. George might have had similar experiences, and is frightened of your boyfriend. I'm guessing that treats and patience will eventually get him over this.
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  • 18
    SlippySloppyToad 6 days ago • Have your boyfriend do all the feeding, take him for walks, and train him to do tricks; doesn't really matter what the trick is, so long as he dispenses a lot of treats while he does it. George will love him in no time.
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  • 19
    sparkplug86 6 days ago When I got my first rescue dog he hated all men. He had been starved and I'm am guessing ☐ and mistreated. He would growl at men when we walked past, not let any approach him or me and was very very protective of our house. He was a complete teddy bear with kids, loved them to death but his standoffish behavior understandably
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  • 20
    made my brother nervous. So after he was more comfortable I invited my brother for a weekend. We grilled a ton of steaks and by the end Tucker decided this guy was ok. Then was my Dad, and his special treats, then slowly a couple of my guy friends. And pretty soon he learned, if I like them, he can like them too. He never did like strangers, but one on one and some quality special treats will do wonders.
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  • 21
    Resqdad 6 days ago If you really trust your BF, have him take George out for the day. Just them two, you stay away. Let them bond a bit, George needs to know that he has his back.
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  • 22
    lasandina · 6 days ago If your bf feels at all nervous around George, then have your bf try things that help him (bf) feel more relaxed around George. Dogs can smell our emotions, and they are also reactive (to our emotions). Plus all the other suggestions above about treats and feeding, etc.
    via u/lasandina
  • 23
    . Donny-Moscow - 6 days ago I like the idea others have had of letting your bf feed George. One thing I want to add is to let George warm up to him at his own pace. For example, if your boyfriend has some treats for George but George doesn't want to take them directly from your bf, have your bf toss the treats on the ground one by one.
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  • 24
    The key idea here is to maximize good experiences while doing everything humanly possible to eliminate negative experiences between the two. Forcing your dog into a situation he's not comfortable with, even if it's something that should be a good experience in your mind, can end up being counterproductive.
    via u/Donny-Moscow

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boyfriend wholesome dogs dilemma dog mom Precious puppy relationships doggo advice dislike dog owners animals shelter scared
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