Do not want this dog

Having a moan, new puppy is healthy and pretty etc but I did not want to get him, my OH did. We missed the old dog who was put to sleep in November, I told OH that was the end of the dogs but he said " I can't live if I haven't got a dog" so puppy arrived last week. OH is out of the house Mon-Fri 6.00am-6.00pm, Sat 6.0am-12noon so I have been lumbered with this puppy. He comes in from work and plays with the puppy, doesn't feed him or tidy up his little puddles, cuddles the puppy and sleeps downstairs on the sofa in the lounge with the dog bed next to him. He gets me up at 6.00am to look after the pup. I am house training the pup and doing everything for him. I am totally
p***** off with the whole thing. I have started to train puppy with a 'clicker' and he has been quite a good boy but I need some encouragement to keep going.

The puppy sounds adorable. Remember that dogs are experts at picking up on our moods, and it's not the pup's fault that your OH insisted on getting a dog when you were not on board totally with the idea.

You need to sit down with your OH and be honest about how you're feeling.

At the end of the day, if you're going to definitely keep this dog, you BOTH need to be on board - totally. Otherwise it's not fair on the pup. You need to actively ENJOY the dog, rather than feeling you are "lumbered" (your word) with him....

If you don't envisage things improving in terms of how you feel towards the dog, then in all honesty I can't help thinking maybe the dog is better off somewhere else where everyone really wants him?

Is it possible that you are still grieving for your previous dog - and that this is why you haven't fallen for your lovely new pup just yet.....?

Oh I'm so sorry you've found yourself in this predicament. Puppies can be quite hard work even when you want one more than anything in the world. It sounds as though the decision to bring this little one into your family was pretty one-sided.
It's still early days, because you are the main carer I hope a bond soon develops. Try to stick with it, you might just find this little pupster turns out to be the best 4 legged friend you ever had.

Good point, Tabitha. At this stage any reputable breeder would take the pup back in a heartbeat.

I struggled to bond with Kiki when my family brought her home, having had my dog euthanised a few months before. We had all missed having a dog, we purposely went for one that wasn't too similar to the previous dog, but it also meant we ended up with a dog that wasn't the typical looks or personality I would go for - so there wasn't an instant "click". Walks seemed like a chore, training didn't seem very fun, but with time a bond grew and now I adore her - with my mum and stepdad having downsized houses, I ended up taking her on fulltime and she's definately my dog now. It may be that with time, you will learn to love this pup, but I would have a serious think about it because if you don't think your feelings will change, it may be better to return/rehome pup while it is still young enough to adapt.

I sympathise... Kismet was not my pup, not my choice of pup or breed.. and then 1 year after getting her and just as she was developing some very scary and naughty traits, my OH left me... It took me some time to forgive her for not being 'my' dog and decide to keep her and adopt her as my own.

Put aside your feelings about your OH and what he did and your old dog... If someone had come and dumped your puppy in a cardboard box at your door, would you have taken him in? could you leave him? Look into his little face and imagine taking him to a kennels and driving away, not knowing his fate... Will he get another home? will he get a home that abuses him? will he be euthanised?

Dogs come into our lives in all sorts of ways and for all sorts of reasons. Maybe you should list his good points and assets, think of a future with him in it... Competing in obedience... what about film and TV work if her is biddable and trainable...

You have all the time with him...

Steal him

Make him yours

Completely agree with this.

I'm guessing you must have agreed to the pup initially or did your OH just bring the puppy home one day?

You are going to have this dog in your lives for the next 12 years or so, so it is either a case of making do and accepting it or rehoming the pup if you do not wish to make this commitment.

I think you need to have a sit down, and a long chat with your OH. If the pup is making you this stressed/upset then you need to take action now

The little pup deserves to be loved by the person who is the main carer . If you really don't want the pup you should take him back to the breeder now before he gets any older .

The puppy didn't ask to end up with you either so fake it until you make it, the more effort you put in now the quicker he'll be house trained and the sooner he'll stop leaving you puddles to mop. Put aside feeling disgruntled with the OH there's little he can do about the hours he spends at work so just put the effort in with the pup to turn him into your dream dog and before you know it that's what he'll be.