When my children were about 9 and 7 years old I was introduced to a widower with a son the same age as mine - one of "those" introductions by a mutual friend.

We met at her house for a delightful meal [her daughter was at school with mine] and he and I got on fine, as did his son with both my son and my daughter.

Until it was mentioned that I had a dog. My first little Griffon.

The dinner party [and the possible relationship] ended right there.

I dont think I would even consider being with anyone who didnt like animals full stop. My OH loves dogs, he even started farming so he could be outside with his dogs all the time. When we first met I only had Fozzie and Foz fell in love with my him straight away, so that was good enough for me

My ex was a nightmare, used to throw hissy fits if I told him I had to walk the dogs before we could go out ( back then German Shepard and Ridgeback x GSD) If I made a comment about a dog in passing then I used to get ' you care more about bloody dogs than me' .... well.... yes actually!!

Needless to say he wasnt around long!

When I moved in with the OH we had only been together 3 months when I got the call about roxie, we went to meet her and he was the one that was up all night talking about her! However she is MY dog, and both of us know that should the unthinkable happen, she would come with me. He tried to walk her twice, he got to the end of the car park and she dug her heels in and then pulled like a tank to get home lol. But hes always popping into the pet shop on the way home to get her presents, when Im doing training with her he always askes if he can ' have a go' and she always does it for him.

I couldnt be without a dog savvy partner, having the amount of dogs staying that I do. He has his favorites and hes always on the floor playing with them, says things like ' ooh only 3 more days till my favorite labrador is coming!' and stuff like that. He helps me walk them when I need it and comes on group walks when I organise them. Keeps asking when we move can we get a lab/vizsla/GSP/Sausage dog lol

He really is brilliant

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." Immanuel Kant

I think this is very true, whilst I don't think my OH would actively own as many animal as we do without my instigation, he has such a kind heart with all animals.
He was totally against me looking after my niece's hamster, really not keen on small furries..a few days later I could hear him having long conversation with it, and referring to it as 'mate' lol.
Our two boys are the same.

I look at it another way -
my mum said you could tell a man`s true character by the way he treated animals and children.
It takes a good-natured, unselfish man to be able to love and be kind to a little animal. Would you want to stay with a different sort?

I totally agree, even if he has nearly killed us all swerving to miss the local kamikaze pheasants

I had a beautiful little border collie that I had from a pup when I met my other half , I was still at home but she was my first dog I was 'responsible' for , he had never had a dog in his life and he was fine with her but he is not what I call a doggy person. I then didnt have another dog until I had Tom then Bella , so a 20 odd year gap. He was fine with me having them but made the point they were my dogs. 2 years on I have never seen a non doggy person so caring with my hounds ! They snuggle up with him every night and that tells me all is ok !

It was actually a consideration, I'm not sure how it'd of worked out otherwise actually! OH and I have been together, off again in places , for quite a few years now and I remember way back when I first met her even before that making sure dogs were a yes. She likes them, she isn't as interested in the bigger picture of dogs as I or many on this forum, to her a dog is a dog and good for cuddles and walks in the countryside. No care about breed, heritage, different working styles etc

I initially met my OH via GSD - we both had them at the time.

He used to come to all the shows and everything doggy, less so now but we do walk them together and train them and our next pup is his choice of breed

We train together and he still competes in races with them sometimes and he enjoys Cani X.

BUT they are primarily MY dogs

My OH is allergic to lots of dogs if they have very fine hair like golden retrievers but he loves dogs. When I met him I had two dogs and four cats and he had one cat and he was allergic to all of them!! It was a priority to me then that any man I stayed with had to love dogs and want children. It must have been love as we are still together 16 years on! We went for a year without dogs when babies came along and old dogs died etc but soon felt the 'need' and wouldnt be without them now.