Dogs, man’s best friend – or relationship dealbreaker? That’s the conundrum one Reddit user found himself in recently.
Imagine coming home to a fluffy Golden Retriever, wagging its tail. For most, this might sound like a dream, but for one man, it was more of a nightmare scenario. A Reddit post on r/AITAH (AITA is an acronym which that stands for Am I The A**hole, and the subreddit is a platform for various users to seek feedback for potentially-questionable behavior, either theirs or others’) has been making the rounds online, and it’s got people talking. Posted by user sherzad71, it details how he broke up with his girlfriend of over a year after she brought home a dog without his consent. The post has garnered over 17,000 comments and 9,000 upvotes as of now, with most people siding with the OP (that’s “original poster” for you Reddit newbies).
Did he really make the right call?
Sherzad71, a 25-year-old guy, has been with his girlfriend for over a year. Described as funny and kind, she seemingly made a unilateral decision to adopt a dog, knowing full well that her boyfriend has a significant aversion to dogs. Not just a mild dislike, but stay-in-another-room kind of fear. He had been clear from the get-go: no dogs. Cats? Sure. But dogs were off the table.
When he arrived home to the unexpected sight of the dog, his girlfriend cheerily introduced the pooch, even prompting it to greet him as “dad.” Overwhelmed and feeling ignored, our Reddit poster left the house and checked into a hotel. His girlfriend’s response? Accusations of overreaction and an insistence that he should just learn to live with the dog and get over his fear. This response only added to the tension and feelings of being misunderstood and disrespected.
Now, let’s pause here. Fear of dogs, cynophobia, is a real and often debilitating issue for sufferers. It’s like if I had a crippling fear of heights and my partner decided to “surprise” me with a hot air balloon ride. Not cool, man. And bringing a pet into a shared living situation is no small decision. A pet is not a piece of furniture that you can return if it doesn’t fit the room’s aesthetic; it’s a living, breathing commitment that requires consensus.
Ultimately, while I sympathize with the OP and don’t believe he’s the antagonist for maintaining his boundaries, I can’t help but wonder if there was a middle ground between “suck it up and live with the dog” and “goodbye!” But hey, I wasn’t there. And as much as my curious side is itching for an update on how this situation unfolded, we’ll just have to wait and see if the OP decides to fill us in.