A recent post on the Am I The A**hole subreddit saw a dad asking if he was in the wrong for prioritizing his son’s dog over his wife’s pregnancy.
A Sad Start
This guy is a devoted father, and he’s had it tough. His wife suddenly passed away after his son turned eight, leaving them both alone. To help his son with his grief, this man got him a dog – a Great Dane mix.
His Son Needed That Dog
His son imprinted on their dog, as any child would after losing a loved one.
A Very Responsible Pet Owner
Now his son is 14 and loves the dog unconditionally. Minus vet visits, his son is responsible for everything dog related and is an incredibly devoted dog owner. This dog is his best friend.
A Joyful Occurrence
This man remarried, and his new wife is currently 12 weeks pregnant.
Pregnancy Pains
However, since they confirmed the pregnancy, she’s been acting weird around the dog she previously loved. She avoids him when possible, puts her hands over her stomach when he is around, and is constantly on edge.
They Start To Argue
This was when the conflict between the two began: she told her husband she wanted to rehome the dog, as she’s been getting anxious, thinking he might jump on her.
Big Dogs Need Discipline
Her husband thought this was utterly unreasonable; because the dog is half Great Dane, they specifically trained him from a puppy not to jump or run into people.
He Understood the Importance of Training
The husband took dog training very seriously because he felt it was important for a dog that may eventually grow to such a large size to be well trained.
Unfounded Fears
This man told his wife that there was no reason for her to think the dog would jump on her, but she replied that there was no way to know that the dog won’t.
His Wife’s Anxiety
She told him that if he did jump on her, it could hurt their baby and that even if it didn’t jump on her, the anxiety about it was bad for her and her baby’s health.
She Needs The Dog Gone!
She insisted that she needed the dog elsewhere for her safety and her baby’s.
Man’s Best Friend
The man explained to her there was no chance they were rehoming the Great Dane, as the dog meant the world to his son and helped him cope with the death of his mother. Sometimes he thinks his son “loves the dog more than me!”
The Dog Is Peaceful
His son’s dog had never so much growled at her, and he couldn’t bear to put his son through another loss, especially when the dog didn’t do anything.
Accusations Are Thrown
His wife accused him of prioritizing the dog over her pregnancy, but he knows the dog isn’t a threat to her. If this were any other request, he would do it because she is pregnant, but he can’t break his son’s heart over a groundless fear.
He ends the post by asking, “am I being an a**hole?”
Reddit Responds
Papa_pockets gave the top-rated comment, with over 14,000 upvotes. Their verdict was that the dad was NTA (not the a**hole). They said, “I would micro chip the dog, if you haven’t already. Make sure info is up to date, and see if she will seek counseling/compromise. Your kid needs his dog. NTA”
Animals are Lifetime Responsibilities
MisstressLilliana agreed, and their comment got over 10,000 upvotes. They said, NTA. Animals are lifetime responsibilities. Pawning them off because she got pregnant would be a s****y thing to do.”
Due-Cause6095’s comment got over 6000 upvotes. They said the dad was “NTA. Don’t you dare give away you son’s dog. He didn’t ask for you to remarry and have a new child. Your son will never forgive you, or your new wife, if you allow her to continue to push this topic. She needs to actively work on coping with her anxiety. May I suggest therapy?”
Grown Woman
JCBashBash agreed with Due-Cause6095, saying, “This right here, she’s a grown woman who is talking about bringing a baby into this relationship. She needs to put in the work on her anxiety, not try to get rid of a family member who’s been in the family longer than her.”
Reddit users thought he was in the right, but what do you think? Should he get rid of his son’s dog?
The post After His Wife Passed Away, Their Dog Was All He And His Son Had, It Was Their Best Friend, But Now, The New Wife Wants to Get Rid of The Dog first appeared on Mama Say What?!
Source: Reddit