Any suggestions on how to change my husbands mind?

Question

I want to adopt another dog, currently we have one rather large sized hound/beagle mix, he is a great dog, and we adopted him from the humane society. My husband thinks it will be too much work getting another dog, and we have not had luck with dogs before our current dog. We had a golden retriever puppy that was the alfa female of her litter, and she did not like me getting anywhere near my husband or kids for that matter, so we gave her to friends, then we adopted a basset hound, and he was sweet, but he would pee on the couch and beds at every opportunity he had, we had to keep him in his crate like all the time, so we found him a new home, and then we adopted a cat from the shelter, and he died three months later of a kidney disease.....I can see why my husband is skeptical, but I love animals and can't stand to to think that so many are put to sleep everyday, just in San Antonio alone...Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Two dogs are twice the expense and four times the work as one dog.

BEFORE you get any dog you should read some great books on training. (Try not to pick books randomly - there are a lot of bad books out there also!) These are some of my favorites and you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know – Volhard http://www.volhard.com/
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.
http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/
Find a good breeder by going to www.akc.org or talking to people at dog shows. You can also find info about the breed clubs on the akc site - they probably have a rescue group where you can get an older dog for less money. The best breeders will be members of their breed club, promoting healthy dogs with great temperaments. They should ask you a bunch of questions to make sure their puppy will be getting a good home. If all a "breeder" seems to care about is whether your check will clear, you can be sure he won't care a week later when the pup is dying from distemper or parvo and you want your money back.

Whatever you do, DON'T go to a pet shop, a flea market or buy one sight-unseen off the Internet!!!! You'll pay top dollar for what is usually a poor quality puppy mill dog. And you'll be supporting one of the cruelest industries in the country. The breeding animals are often kept in deplorable conditions - spending their entire lives in small wire-bottomed cages. They probably haven't been vaccinated against contagious diseases or tested for any health or temperament problems or genetic diseases - that costs money and cuts into their profits. A female is often bred every time she comes into heat. When her poor little body can't take it any more, she is often clubbed in the head and tossed into a dumpster or an open ditch. Most puppy mills ship their pups to pet stores at wholesale prices and many pups die before they even get there.

These so-called "breeders" have now figured out that they can use the internet to ship a dog directly to the customer and thus make more money by cutting out the middleman. If you buy a dog from out of state, good luck getting your money back if there's something wrong with the pup. These people count on you becoming instantly attached to the poor little guy and being willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars at the vet to treat whatever is wrong with him.

Answer 2

I don't think taking your present dog to the pound or anywhere else is a good idea. Your dog is going to be scared being in a place where all the dogs are barking and he will not get a good vibe about it at all. So, no matter what dog you choose, he isn't going to take to it while you are there anyway.

I had a lot of problems adopting from the shelters or animal aid places because the dogs were either sick or already had emotional problems. It's difficult enough to train a dog without those added problems. I researched the net and asked questions. I had an idea what I wanted. You have to take into consideration your life style before choosing a dog. That is the most important detail that most people forget.

I bought a purebred so I knew what I was getting. I went to the breeder and saw where the puppies lived. I spent hours there with the breeder and the dogs, including the mother. She has scrapbooks and backup on what kind of dog you are getting. Sure, you can still get a bad one or one that doesn't work out with your family. But reputable breeders will give a health guarantee and most will allow you to return a pup if it's only been three days since you bought it.
I can't tell you how much my dog is like me because I did do my homework and didn't go out and purchase a dog "just because".
He has been exactly what I wanted from the day I brought him home.

As far as your husband goes, I don't know what to tell you. You should be able to sit down and talk to him about it. Tell him why you want another dog and that you are going to research it, etc.
Remind him a marriage is 50-50. So, YOU do have as much to say about it as he does and tell him it is a project you can do together. If you can afford I don't see a problem. If he still says no, then remember that the next time he wants to purchase something or do something that you don't exactly agree with.
That's probably one of the reasons I'm not married......I won't be told what to do or not do. I am an adult too. OOPS! I am getting off track here!!!!! Good Luck to you............................


You don't say how many kids you have or how old they are. BUT, you must be aware of that when getting another dog too. An emotional dog or older dog might turn on the kids. Or might have been abused by kids. That would not be a pretty sight...............

Answer 3

One thing to keep in mind, you will have to take your dog with you to the humane society to see if he will get along with your new dog you adopt, then that will lessen some of the work, about the animals getting along.
Have your husband go with you to the humane society, maybe he will pick a dog.
Tell your husband taking care of another dog, is no different than cleaning up after one dog. Plus your other dog will have a friend, some dogs love companions. Some do not, that is why you need to take your dog with you.

Answer 4

Do your homework on the nature of each type of dog and the care that it needs. Many breeds of dogs may not suit your family needs.
Some prefer big dogs some little dogs or an in between. I have a mini-pincher she is a doll baby trained to go outside with the occasional
(my fault for giving her scraps) accident. Always fix the dog unless you plan to breed. That will stop a male from marking his territory so much. Collie's and labs make excellent family oriented pets but they are larger. I have always found a dog picks its one master but honors the family. Usually the feeder of kibbles and ear scratcher is #1. So maybe if you did your homework and found what breed would be more suitable for the family and tell him the needs and care need for the breed he might just give you one more chance. :-)

Answer 5

Three possibilities here. The first two have the same answer but for different reasons. Numbers 1 & 2: Quit trying to change his mind. Why? A) You'll never succeed because we resist change by persuasion. B) Sometimes, when you quit trying so much, he'll change his own mind the way you want, maybe not as fast as you want, but he may actually change his own mind, and in the direction you want. And now I can't remember what my third possibility was for how to change your husband's mind. Oh, we have to have a mind first before you can change it. I knew it would come back to me before long. God Bless you.

Answer 6

Instead of giving away "problem" dogs, have you considered actually training them? You can train dogs not to be over-protective or pee all over the place. Until you can do that, I'd suggest not getting another dog.

Answer 7

yes, take your dog to the shelter with you when time to pick out the new pet. let him show you who he is happy with. then they will keep each other company, and well excersized. i have 3 great danes and they "play" each pther out 3 x a day and sleep really well!. we put in a doggie door and a fence and they were house trained in2 days :) good luck

Answer 8

Get the dog, and let your husband see how much of a sweetheart it can be.