When my husband asked me to marry him I told him without a doubt I would always have dogs and horses that would live in as close proximity as I could manage. When he met me I was living on my aunt’s horse farm, earning my keep by tending her boarding stable while working full time and attending school at night. He already knew any of my extra money went to my dog and horse – an adopted old race horse that had literally been abandoned by it’s owner. I pretty much lived paycheck to paycheck in order to support that horse. (I am not recommending this to you young folk!) The reason I warned him of the dog/horse thing was because he was raised in a very clean household, no pets. On our first date I noticed how very white and unblemished his hightop sneakers were and how spotless his car was when he picked me up.
Uh-oh.
So I felt I had to warn him.. that living with me wouldn’t be quite what it was with his mother, not that there’s anything wrong with that! – or what his first few years in his own home (squeeky clean! -) had been….not that there’s anything wrong with that either!
Now.. I am not a slob… This Old House, and the homes we’ve lived in before it… have always been what most people would consider pretty clean and organized. It has taken many years for our two worlds to blend with somewhat of an ease… if I dare use that word. Would he like things alittle neater? Cleaner? … more organized? Absolutely. Does the occasional destruction that inevitably happens with animals in the house drive him nutz? Without a doubt. Have I paid more attention to the need to vacuum doghair almost daily so we’re not using it as a condiment with dinner? You betcha.
Years ago, no way in a frozen hell EVER and before or even way after the cows came home under a blue moon would he allow any of the dogs to sleep on or around our bed.
The dane has his own queen sized mattress in my office, and Rudy the pisspot is in his crate at night because he’ll pee on everything five inches off the ground if I don’t contain him. … it’s a dachsund thing, so I’m told.
Bailey and Frasier, however… are a different story altogether.
We’ve come a long way, baby.
Love conquers all! You are so much like my youngest daughter Amy… honest as the day is long. LOL warning him in advance of your weaknesses/strengths! In reality, it's probably the things he most loved about you, at least until he'd lived with you awhile and then there were MANY things to love!
Big Ben i dont think would fit in the bedroom bed haha. Frazier looks like hes in heaven! Have a great day! !
Awww, sweet post. I was the same way. In college I rescued an abused horse and put every penny into feet trims and shots and such. I worked at a little barn in exchange for his board. It was worth every single penny. I still have him today and he's come so far from the trembling, scarred 3 year old I rescued.
Wow, y'all are complete opposite. What we will do for love. Forever I never wanted a dog in my house. I always had cats and any dogs I grew up with were outside. Now I have Bailey and no cats and couldn't be happier. Your babies are so cute in the bedroom.
Awwww, it's true that good things come eventually. So cute!
My husbands mom was the same way! She use to catch the dust in the sun rays!!! Can you say OCD!! Like you, we have blended and managed too!
Love the pups!
It's amazing how we adjust to our partners and their way of living. Compromise is the key. My husband grew up with a nanny as he lost his mother at a young age. Sometimes he confuses me with her…I have set him straight many times. Likewise, I come from a large, noisy family and he often has to tell me to pipe down!! 🙂
XO,
Jane
OMG if you could only hear how loud I am laughing at this post. I owned a pristine white sofa when David and I met… long gone.. way lloooong gone. Dog hairs are totally a condiment at our house now, crappy looking dirt ridden kitchen tile and two gigantic dog beds in the master bedroom that I trip on to get in and out of our bed. Dogs are either a part of the family or not. We choose YES. They are family. :-))
I always love your doggie posts!
Did we, by any chance, marry the same man? Totally similar upbringings … spotless house, no pets, and no concept of what it is to have pets.
After a year of marriage, we got a cat. It would have been sooner, except that we lived in a no-pets apartment at the time … had a hamster while we lived there. One cat soon became three cats.
The dogs started arriving after 10 years of marriage, when we were in a place with child-bearing/rearing that allowed me time to learn to care for a dog (never having had one while growing up in an Army family.)
My husband understands that dogs and cats (both plural) will always be a part of our family, and that there are housekeeping concessions to be made. The dogs don't sleep in the bedroom with us (yet), but I'm working on it. The cats sleep whereever they want … which is usually on me. 🙂
SO cute!
Oh- I am giggling right out loud now. love when heart out trumps the need for perfection! That happened to me when I had kids!!! xo Diana
We do try to keep the dog off the bed…because that is cat territory!
We pet people are so very alike! The vacumn and I are best friends! For years I have had the same daily routine of cleaning and changing the bed sheets-daily. It is just second nature now!
I dated many guys over the years who were not animal lovers. I always knew after a few dates..it wasn't going to happen! My second date with J, he brought cat treats. He was a keeper 🙂
Have a great day, Karen!
xo, misha
Amazing isn't it? How we end up blending into one. It's true love I tell ya! I started out our marriage a very messy girl, then became OCD, now I'm finding a nice balance in it all. I would however hide in a closet if someone came knocking on the door presently. : -) LOVE the new blog header!
The things we do for love!!!
Forgot to tell you that you inspired a blog today… you and my Sock Monkey are my bff's!
OMG too funny! I married a semi-slob who never notices whether things are picked up or not…We try to contain his mess to certain areas…book, papers sliding onto the floor, etc. By comparison the animals are neat, tho I've finally gotten two dogs that don't really shed. The cats are a different story!
You certainly have! It's so nice when you can train them, (husbands)or re-train them right. Makes life so much easier!
When I first met Bill, he said he would NEVER sleep with a dog in the bed…….now he calls to him to COME TO BED.
Yeah, ok.
Oh, my stinking heck. Ha!!!!
I don't think I could sleep without Ben sprawled across our feet all night!
S
xo
I'd rather vacuum dog hair than anything else. I can't tell you how many times I have had to wash my coverlet on our bed. Black labs leave lots of hair. Sometimes I catch Bella sleeping with her head on our pillows.
Your dogs are the luckiest doggies on the earth!
And my crush on your husband grows! 🙂
Sorry Karen!
I always said pet hair was a food group. I sleep with a 65 lb. golden and two cats on a queen size bed. Wouldn't have it any other way.
Bridgemor
I couldn't agree more Karen! My girlz have more room on the bed than we do!
Love the condament line
SOUNDS VERY FAMILIAR
My husband had dogs, but not in the house, so I also had to break him in. Maggie is a golden retriever, she sheds all the time…I dust mop daily. And vaccuum rugs twice a week. But I too warned my husband that there will never be a time without me having a dog…joke at my house is when he dies, I become a Golden Retriever Rescue…love my four legged children, but believe it or not, I think they love me more!