Man backed for thinking of dumping “kind” girlfriend after she buys a dog

A man has been backed online for thinking about breaking up with his girlfriend after she got a dog without telling him first.

Reddit user Sherzad71, a 25-year-old man, described his 23-year-old girlfriend as “funny and kind,” but explained in a now-viral post on the r/AITAH subreddit that her actions had left him very upset.

He explained in Thursday’s post that his girlfriend had secretly brought home a golden retriever, and even introduced the dog as “ours” prompting a bewildered response from the poster, who said he previously told his girlfriend that he doesn’t “like dogs and can’t be in the same room with one.”

Despite this, the man’s girlfriend insisted that living with the dog could help him overcome his phobia. However, when he came home to find the dog in the house, he was not impressed and left to stay at a hotel.

“I never asked to overcome it, and honestly, it never bothered me as long as there were no dogs in my house,” Sherzad71 explained in his Reddit post that has over 15,000 upvotes and more than 8,000 comments.

He added: “I ignored her messages and just went to sleep, as I wanted to decide what to do when my head was clearer. I don’t want to be the guy who says it’s either me or the dog. She clearly likes dogs, and I don’t, so I was thinking of just breaking up with her, even though she has been amazing throughout the year.”

Reddit Users React

After going viral on Reddit, people overwhelmingly supported the man’s desire to break up with his girlfriend over the dog.

Reddit user Visual-Lobster6625 commented: “It’s not even about the dog at this point, it’s the fact that she completely disregarded your feelings and boundaries and basically expects you to suck it up.”

While Investigator516 added: “She chose the dog. Easiest way to break it off with you. Sorry dude.”

ProtozoaPatriot wrote: “Even if you love dogs, she needed to discuss this with you before getting one.”

Meanwhile, Sherzad71, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Newsweek on Friday via email: “I didn’t expect it to go viral. I was expecting maybe 30 comments and hoping for a small, manageable amount of feedback.”

In the end, the viral response even added to the stress of the situation, but after taking a break, he did find the comments helpful.

“I read comments from both perspectives—those who thought I was NTA and those who thought I was YTA,” he added. “[I] called my girlfriend to talk about everything. However, I’d prefer to keep the details of that conversation private for now.”

Pets Become True Members of the Family

Olivia Tapper, co-founder of PetPortraits.com, told Newsweek: “For some people, pets aren’t just animals, they become true members of the family. Not respecting that close bond can cause a lot of resentment over time.”

Tapper emphasized the importance of mutual respect and communication in relationships: “The healthiest relationships thrive when both people make each other feel heard, understood and accommodated as much as possible.”

While many people would be thrilled to come home to a new canine friend, a fear of dogs is far from uncommon. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 1 in every 3 people with a phobia of animals has an overwhelming fear of dogs, also known as cynophobia.

In a later Reddit comment, Sherzad71 explained: “I don’t want her to not have a dog if she really wants one…When we started our relationship, I told her I can’t be around dogs because I know this can be a deal-breaker for some, but she said she still didn’t mind, which now makes me mad that she said that.”

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