What to do...

[Lindsey]

Originally Posted by Tink

Lindsey, You'll get all the surrogate mothering here that you can handle. LOL

haha well everyone needs a mom or two right?

[DianaB]

Lindsay, your boyfriend has admitted that he's jealous of your dog. He's jealous of the attention that you give her so try not to give her much attention while he's there. He wants to feel that he's number 1 in your life, not number 2 after a dog. My husband feels the same way and I've quit giving Reuger as much attention when dh is home. Also, you may need to train Layla not to jump on the couch or bed so you can have that privacy as well or put her in the bathroom or kennel. Good luck.

[Lindsey]

The problem is I LOVE having Layla with me. I'm not with Kyle all the time, and when he's not around I like laying on the couch and having her come cuddle up next to me, or having her to cuddle in bed. I guess lately while I sleep Kyle kicks her off the bed. I woke up once and he said he does it all the time. She won't even sleep with just me anymore He only spends the night maybe one or two nights a week... on the weekend if we go out and get home late he just stays over. The rest of the week I'm kind of lonely without her! I can get her on the bed but she won't even lay down, she'll jump off and go sleep on the floor. I feel bad putting her in a seperate room when he comes over. I want them to have a relationship. Everytime he pushes her away she looks at me with her big sad eyes like I should do something about it and I'm so torn!

[Marilyn]

Lindsey, I'm sorry, but to me it looks like if you really want this guy around you are going to have to make some concessions for both you and Layla. You can't have him kicking her off the bed!!! If he's going to keep being there, you need to kennel train her so that she can sleep in the kennel when he is there and learn that it is safe to sleep in the bed with you when he is not there. For your and Layla's sanity and safety, this might be the best solution.

I have my little Zoe and know how close we can be to our furbabies. Melissa can vouch for that. However, it's not fair to her to have him kicking her around.

[Lindsey]

I was just thinking about this some more... and maybe he doesn't really hate the dog, but hates me constantly telling him he can't do whatever he's doing. He plays rough with his dogs. So when he used to play with Layla and start getting a little rough I'd be like "Be careful of her back, that's hard on it" or "Don't hurt her legs!" or "That's scaring her!" So maybe now he just wants to not be around her at all. He's very very stubborn, and so am I. I know he hates to be wrong (what guy doesn't?!) so maybe this is just his way of acting out at me. It just came about so suddenly that I really can't make myself believe that he just started not liking her and being so expressive about it out of nowhere.

[Gina]

Lindsey, think of it ,Layla is your baby. If you had a human baby you would want your boyfriend to accept her or he be on his way. You can't make someone love your dog but he shouldn't be cruel to her either. I hope that your relationship works out with this guy, if not Layla will be the one comforting you when it is over.

You need to come to some happy medium, like most said I do to think that he is jealous of this little dog. Some men are stupid, love comes in different forms and there is plenty to go around. Lindsey you have to step up to the plate, compromise but don't let it come to me or the dog...

[Lindsey]

Thanks Gina. I know if he ever made me choose between him or the dog, Layla would win hands down. He knows that, and he said he would never ask me to get rid of her because he knows how happy she makes me.
This weekend I am going back home for the first time since Christmas. My parents won't be around (and Kyle's not ready to meet them yet anyway!) Anyways... I asked my new roommate if she would mind if I left Layla at home for the weekend. Kyle and I will get a whole weekend to ourselves and maybe we can just go out to the lake and get away from all the stress and just have a regular talk without yelling or getting frustrated. I guess I'll see how this weekend goes and then decide if there's any future for us...