To think DH needs to take responsibility over the dog HE chose?

[Coffee90210]

DH and I wanted a puppy. Originally we were only going to buy one but couldn't agree on who would be the dog's "master" as we'd both always wanted a dog of our own so we decided to buy a puppy each. I got an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy and he bought a 10 week old Border Collie. The dogs have been with us a few months now and both are BRILLIANT dogs. However, the german shepherd is more responsive to training, doesn't "act up" in training class and seems to be more affectionate towards us and sociable. The collie is extremely lively, bouncy, overly excited etc and is struggling to learn much of anything yet. DH is now getting to the point where he's ignoring the collie in favour of the GShepherd. Upto now we've always walked our own dogs in the morning before work and now he's taken to leaving the poor collie at home and taking the shepherd out instead. His excuse is that we need to socialise with each others dogs but I do that anyway!! I don't mind taking the collie out at all but I'm a bit miffed that DH has interupted my training as I incorparate a lot of training into my morning walks and now my puppy is out with DH in the mornings, it has stopped. Also though he's started to deliberately make more fuss of the shepherd and seems to be regretting buying the collie at all.
I love both dogs, the collie is adorable and ok she's difficult but that is her personality and she is hilarious at times as well as very affectionate when calm and she's great with the kids and knows when to be careful.

AIBU in telling DH to concentrate on his own dog?? I never wanted responsibility of two dogs and I'm a bit miffed that he made a massive fuss out of wanting "his own dog" and now doesn't give a shit about the poor thing!

YANBU - I'd put my foot down and tell him that he can't take your dog out at all - he has to only walk his dog. ( I understood from your post that you walk them seperately?) He chose his puppy and he's acting like a spoiled child because he thinks yours is better than his!!!! Poor dog!!!!

Buying two puppies at the same time was a terrible idea - even very, very experienced trainers would rarely have two at a time.

The Collie sounds like a typical Collie and clearly he didn't research the breed properly because if he had, he'd understand that being lively, bouncy and overexcited is part of the Collie job description

Owners like him are the reason there are so many dogs in rescue. It's a shame.

YANBU. Border Collies are very very clever breeds who need a lot of stimulation and excerise. If your DH can't deliver that to the dog he really shouldn't have got him in the first place. Maybe see if there is a flyball class or something near by? The collie needs more attention, more exercise and more commitment from you DH.

YANBU, I do think it all sounds a bit... I don't know, childish? Of both of you (though he sounds worse). "my doggy!" "no, MY doggy!"

I don't understand the whole 'master' idea - most dogs in a family home do fine with all family members. Why would two people in a marriage need individual pets?

But it's done now, you are taking responsibility for your dog and he isn't for his, so regardless of how you got yourselves into this situation, yes he's being a twat.

If you were both walking your dogs individually can you not just do it together? Attend training classes for his one at least?

If one of you is ill, would just one dog get looked after?

Could you take the collie back to the breeder?

What a ridiculous idea to buy 2 dogs because you both wanted your own. You are both being unreasonable as it was a stupid idea in the first place. Surely as a family you take responsibility for any living thing that joins your family.

Its like having two children and favouring one, it's wrong and irresponsible.

Dogs become your children, your babies. To favour one over the other is mean.

Exactly what Calamity Kate said.

Any fool could have told him that the Shep will be so much easier to train and calmer than the BC - that's why I have 2 Sheps!

He's being selfish and he's letting his poor BC down as well as screwing your training up. You just can't train 2 pups at once, it doesn't work! And, the more he ignores the BC in favour of the Shep the more behind and difficult she will become - before long he'll really have reason to complain that she's too much to deal with.

Send the stupid man to training classes - he can take his BC but it's him who clearly needs them most - and tell him that under no circumstances is he to take your Shep out, unless of course you're ill etc, where of course he should just as you'd take his BC out if he were ill.

Out of interest - do you both work out of the home?