My girlfriend and I got a dog together. I originally wanted a small dog, but she wanted a big dog, so I compromised and agreed to get the bigger dog. I’ve been the one actively training her. The dog had one accident this month (excitement peeing), which I’m addressing.
My girlfriend says the dog doesn’t fit our lifestyle and that the house smells like a dog. I feel like she doesn’t like the dog and wants her gone. I’ve grown very attached. When I said I couldn’t give the dog up and would rather move out with her if needed, she got upset.
She has a cat that I don’t love living with (litter kicked out, cat gets on the stove), but I’ve never suggested getting rid of him. When I pointed this out, she said her cat isn’t peeing in the house or eating people’s food.
This is especially difficult for me because in the past I was forced to give up a dog I loved due to living circumstances and poor credit, so being asked to rehome this dog feels like reliving that loss. My girlfriend compares this to her own experiences with dogs dying or being rehomed, but those situations involved choice, which feels different to me.
I’m trying to understand how couples usually navigate situations like this when one partner bonds strongly with a pet and the other decides they don’t want it. I’d appreciate perspectives on how to approach this conversation in a way that’s fair to both people and doesn’t involve one person feeling forced to give something up.
Everyone thinks I should just rehome the dog since I moved into her apartment even though we split everything