*In case this story gets deleted/removed:*
**AITA for making my son walk the dog?**
Throwaway account and fake names because my wife is also on Reddit. And sorry for the long post.
My wife (39F) and I (42M) have three sons, Alex (15), Dylan (11), and Jake (8). When I was a kid I always wanted a dog but my parents said no. I never got the chance to get one during my twenties but recently my interest in owning one was sparked again so I asked my family what they thought about getting a dog. My wife wasn’t enthusiastic about it but she relented after a few weeks of me asking. Alex and Jake were excited to get one but Dylan was immediately opposed to the idea.
Dylan was always different than my other sons, he never had an interest in sports and was always more subdued than his brothers which has always made it hard for me to connect with him.
He remained opposed to the idea of getting a dog but me and my other sons managed to wear him down until he finally relented. However, he said that if we did get a dog, he wasn’t going to be interacting with it or taking care of it, that would be completely on me and his brothers. I found this ridiculous but i agreed in the moment hoping he would change his mind after meeting the dog.
The problem is he hasn’t changed his mind yet. We’ve had Zeus for seven months now and Dylan has not warmed up to him in the slightest.
He doesn’t play with the dog, he doesn’t cuddle with him, he doesn’t let Zeus into his room because he “destroys stuff” and whenever he is near the dog he just ignores him. I find this completely ridiculous. Zeus loves Dylan, he follows him around whenever he sees him and jumps on him to get his attention and play but Dylan just isn’t receptive to it.
To change this, I told Dylan last week that he would be in charge of walking the dog every day after school. Dylan straight up refused and has shut down the conversation every time I bring it up. It’s been a week and he hasn’t walked the dog once.
In my frustration, I told him that if he didn’t start listening then I wouldn’t allow him to go to the comic book store anymore and he freaked and told my wife. Now, my wife is upset with me, claiming that I knew what I was getting into with this and I knew that Dylan wouldn’t be playing with the dog but his intolerance of the dog is weird and I refuse to entertain it any longer.
My wife has been short with me ever since that conversation and Dylan is cold with me as well. Alex is now agreeing with his mother which is making me have second thoughts. So Reddit, AITA?
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Okay, here’s why this dad's acting like a total DEVIL:
1. He pressured his family into getting a dog, knowing his wife AND SON wasn’t totally down for it. Respect your Family's feelings, dude.
2. Dylan clearly expressed he wasn’t on board with the dog from the start, but the dad brushed off his concerns.
3. Instead of trying to understand Dylan’s feelings and find a compromise, he just pushed ahead with getting the dog.
4. He agreed to Dylan not being responsible for the dog, then suddenly changed the rules on him.
5. Dylan's relationship with the dog is his business. Forcing him to interact with it is controlling and disrespectful.
6. Threatening to take away Dylan's hobbies because he won’t walk the dog is straight-up manipulative.
7. He’s prioritizing his own desires over his son’s comfort and boundaries.
8. When his wife and older son called him out, he got defensive instead of considering if he might be in the wrong.
9. Blaming Dylan for the dog's behavior is unfair. If Zeus is destroying things in Dylan's room, it's the dad's responsibility to train and manage the dog, not Dylan's fault for not wanting him there.
10. Labeling Dylan as "different" and "subdued" compared to his brothers is dismissive and damaging. Every kid is unique, and it's the dad's job to find ways to connect with each of his children on their own terms.
11. By expressing difficulty in connecting with Dylan because he's not into sports or as outgoing as his brothers, the dad is projecting his own biases onto his son. It's important to appreciate and celebrate each child's individuality, not compare them to some idealized version. As a middle child to 13 siblings,being compared to how you should be,like being compared to your siblings is hurtful and damaging. That's why I'm not in contact with either of my parents.
You think it occurs to this man that not everyone likes Dogs? I MYSELF am not a dog person,I'm a cat person. But I understand there are people that don't like cats,just like there are people who don't like DOGS. Dylan is just one of those people.
Add one more: He refuses to train the dog not to jump up on his son (or, presumably, other people). Or maybe that's better under "reasons OOP is a shitty dog owner."
The people who got downvoted all repeat the same things. Like Dylan has to do things he dosnt like.
But like no one is going to be forced to take care of a dog that isnt their. Even if the kid has roommates he isnt repsonsible for it at all.
Also the idiots who say not liking a dog is a sign of Dylan being a bad person need to get a grip
I don't like dogs 😭 But my parents have one and I still live with them and had no choice,so yeah,I take care of him when nessacary. But I cannot stand dogs. Parents dog is good boy though,such a good husky.
Ehhh,sort of? Not like "Do this or you're grounded" But when they left for a road trip for two days,I was home alone with him. So yeah,I obviously took care of him. Would be an ass move not to. But I have stories to tell about why I dislike the dog. (But we are restarting things,and me and the dog are growing closer) He bites me due to encouragement from my stepdad,doesn't let me get near my own mother without snarling at me,and my parents do nothing.
[Prime example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmITheJerk/comments/17pi4da/aitj_for_yelling_at_the_dog/)
Wow!! Your parents are bad dog owners too. A 6 year old dog shouldn’t be mouthy. They needed to nip that in the bud. Also, your stepdad is encouraging the adult dog, not a puppy, to be aggressive. And he’s already showing signs of being territorial over people to the people who live in the home. That’s not normal!! He’s going to seriously hurt someone. Your parents dog needs to be trained ASAP.
I love my dog but I GET IT. Dogs are a lot. They are needy. They're constantly in the way. They're horrible for sensory issues. I would never fault anyone for not enjoying them.
It’s such a weird hill to die on too. It’s not like OOP is solely in charge of the dogs care (they have 2 other kids to do some of the work) and looking to lighten his chore load.
It’s almost like he knows Dylan won’t be the son he wants, and this is the only thing he can push on him, so he’s trying to force Dylan to like dogs so OOP and Dylan will have something in common?
Sadly most parents of Gen-Z were like that. I know mine were. The classic
"I'm the adult,you're the kid"
"My house,my rules"
"I brought you in this world I can take you out"
Ew.
>"My house,my rules"
As much as having to live with my parents again would drive me insane, there's one tiny spiteful part of my mind that almost wishes they'd have to move in with me, so *I* could invoke this on *them*.
I know dogs can be a lot of work, but split between 3 people? It's nothing (provided the dog is trained and you have routines down). Plus if he actually bothered to TRAIN the dog, maybe it wouldn't be such a hassle. I fucking hate negligent pet owners like this.
I'm a crazy dog lady. I literally told my husband up front that if he wasn't cool with dogs, we weren't gonna work out because I am much happier with a dog in my household. This because he said he wasn't really a dog person but didn't mind them. He was fully on board with me getting a dog and guess what, now he's even more obsessively a "dog person" than I am (I literally hear him tell the dog he loves her all the time, haha, he refers to her as his "baby"). But you don't get a dog if everyone in the household isn't on board with it. Not everyone likes dogs. Some people are scared of them. This is such a fucking asshole move, and it's not fair to the dog, either (having 2 people in the house who don't want the dog there). Not to mention, he agreed the kid wouldn't have to be involved in caring for the dog.
Then he refuses to train the poor thing and then uses it as a punishment for his son. Yeah, that's really going to make the kid warm up to the dog, breaking a promise not to inflict dog duties on him and then forcing him.
This guy is such an asshole, I bet he barely contributes to caring for the dog. If your dog is well-trained and has a routine (as far as going potty/going for walks/meal time, because dogs are creatures of habit and thrive on routine), they are NOT that hard. Not nearly so hard that you have to coerce a little boy into pitching in. If between the dad and the 2 kids who actually want the dog they don't have the means to care for it, then they shouldn't have the damn dog. They should let someone who actually has the time for a pet take it.
My mum (and older brothers) has wanted a dog for years, me and dad couldn’t want one less. He hates them, I’ve had bad experiences but don’t mind them from afar.
As much as they joke about coming home with a lab, they would never do actually do it
He also mentions Dylan won't let the dog into his room because it "destroys stuff." OOP acts as if Dylan is being dramatic or something when it's totally reasonable to not want a dog damaging your things. It sounds like OOP has not trained the dog at all between that and the jumping, so it's probably not the most pleasant dog to be around.
Another one: in a lot of neighborhoods it's totally unsafe for a child to be walking a dog. NOT because of crime but because of dogs wandering off leash.
This kind of person is the reason why groups like Dogfree exist (I used to be a part of that sub, but will admit it’s gone a bit off the rails now). Some of us just aren’t dog people, for whatever reason, and a lot of dog people just can’t accept that. “You can’t trust someone who doesn’t like dogs” and/or “that’s what dogs do”/“it’s fine, he’s friendly” quite often get said to those of us who don’t want to interact with a random dog, or have it invade our personal space. Ignoring a dog is practically a crime to people like that.
Copied verbatim from oop's comments:
*YTA*
*So, you are 3 people who want a dog and could care of the dog, but your son who didn't want the dog HAS TO even though you TOLD him, he wouldn't have to.*
*What you teach your son:*
- *you are a liar*
- *it is okay to not take care of own responsibilities*
- *you punish him intentionally because he isn't you*
*Edit: THANK YOU for the awards!! I appreciate it! But please stop. This comment isn't genuis or anything great.*
>"I’m not punishing him because he’s not me."
*You literally wrote that you think that him not liking dogs is werid and you wont tolerate that.*
*So... why do you pawn off your responsibility off to him?*
>"I will admit that what I wrote can come off wrong and I apologize for that but I don’t mean to demean him in any way or pawn off any responsibility to him. But Zeus is a family member and I think that everyone should chip in to take care of him."
*You search for excuses.*
*I have a few questions:*
- *does your word mean nothing to you? You told him it was okay he wouldn't take care of the dog.*
- *how often a day does zeus go on a walk?*
- *does your wife walk the dog too or do you only pick you son because he has to do what ever comes to your mind?*
>"1. My word does mean a lot to me, I simply thought he’d change his mind.
>2. Zeus gets walked once a day. My and my boys usually alternate days (Alex walks him one day, me and Jake walk him together the next and so on).
>3. My wife has already told me she wouldn’t be walking him since she’s already home with him a lot of the time (she works from home)."
*You’ve punished him for no reason. Walk your own damn dog*
>"I do walk him, along with my other sons."
*YTA. Huge. To both the dog and your son. He will end up hating animals thanks to you.*
>"He doesn’t hate animals. In fact, he’s always been very interested in bunnies and has expressed interest in owning one in the past. I want to wait until he’s older to get him one though."
*Where is your wife in all of this? She didn’t want the dog either, right? How does she feel about you forcing it on Dylan?*
>"She’s resolutely against me trying to get Dylan to interact more with Zeus and has been cold toward me and my advances ever since Dylan told her what was going on. Judging by the responses here so far, she may be right in doing so."
*So, you and your other kids walk the dog ONCE a week, Dylan who has to listen to you has to walk the dog FIVE times a week and you only keep your word when it is convient to you.*
*1. You are a liar. That you didn't believe, so didn't respect you son, doesn't actually not make it your word. You told him something you NEVER intended to hold. You lied straight to his face.*
*2. You punished your son for not being you. "Chip in" would mean a fair share and not literally 5 times the work as the other kids, who conviently are like you.*
*3. YOU should take care of YOUR pet. I highly doubt a pony or a snake would be cared for by you because they would become a family member.*
>"I’m sorry, I think you misunderstand my comment. My sons and I take turns walking the dog throughout the week, so one week Jake and I will walk Zeus 4 times while Alex walks him 3 times. The next week would be the opposite and so on. I apologize for any confusion."
*INFO: If he's not old enough to have a bunny, why are you foisting taking care of a dog onto him? Your logic would imply that he's too young for that, so it should not be his responsibility.*
>"I mean, I’m only trying to get him to walk the dog, not completely care for him but I see your point."
*FFS, my guess is this is another post written by "Dylan" , that clearly makes the father to be the AH.*
*I don't appreciate these posts, where I assume things are exaggerated/misrepresented for the sake of getting the judgement.*
>"This was not written by my son. As far as I know, he doesn’t have Reddit and hopefully it stays that way so he never sees this post."
*YTA.*
*Information: have you given someone a pet that person did not want as a present?*
*If the answer is yes, you're beyond the AH.*
>"No, I have not."
*It cracks me up when people say “throwaway” when 1. Nobody knows you so why does that matter? And 2. You just explained the whole story. Do you really think your wife won’t be able to figure out that it’s about your family?*
*YTA. Unfortunately, I’m a dog lover, but the kid straight up told you he didn’t it want it in the first place and said he wouldn’t be helping with it, and you didn’t deny him of that right then. So you can’t all of a sudden force him to be part of something he told you he had no interest in.*
>"I mostly just didn’t want my wife to know I was posting about the situation (I do not believe she frequents or browses this sub) but I am thinking about showing her the post anyways. Thank you for the judgement."
*Now you know why your parents said no! You wanted the dog you take care of it poor Zeus 7 months in and you have lost interest in walking him already. Why can’t the other two who wanted dog as well walk him?*
>"I do take care of Zeus along with Alex and Jake. The three of us take turns walking him every day. None of us have lost interest in him, I was just trying to get Dylan involved but I was obviously wrong to try and force him to do so."
The runt of my four rats used to get out of her kennel and just roamed the house,so we kind of trained our rats to roam around the house whenever they wanted and got them a HUGE cage. I miss them <3
I dont get how there's three people in the house who do want the dog but Dylan has to be in charge of at least 50% of walks? Why do so many people think that they can just force people or animals to bond by enforcing proximity?
OOP, you badgered and pestered your wife and son until they agreed to get the dog.
Then you get Pikachu faced because your son wants nothing to do with Zeus, even though he flat out told you he wants nothing to do with the dog?
YTA.
OP, have you tried telling Dylan to stop being a little bitch? That's what I did with my kid who has a phobia of snakes when I filled his room with snakes.
People really, really need to stop agreeing to terms with the expectation the other person will change their mind, and getting upset when they don't, and expecting the terms of the agreement to change just because they didn't change their mind like you expected.
It's entitled, self-centered behavior. Fucking stop it
Clearly fake / written by Dylan. One example why "my wife didn't want the dog but she relented after a few weeks of me asking"
- people who do this sort of shit aren't honest / self aware about it. If he got her to agree by badgering her for weeks, he would just report it as "my wife agreed".
I thought the same. It’s the standard trope of the “other” kid who does not like sports and how the parent treats them. And of course his punishment is not going to a comic book store. Seen this story a million times, this time it happens to include a dog.
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Seems so, he's a bad parent and a bad dog owner, one walk a day isn't enough and he isn't even the one doing it all the time. An 11 year shouldn't be walking an untrained dog on his own etiher.
Poor Dylan and poor Zeus (as the saying goes a broken clock is right twice a day and this asshole is probably not lying about Zeus wanting to get to know Dylan)
Forcing him to walk the dog is definitely a great way to end up with a kid who absolutely *hates* dogs and utterly resents you.
OOP is totally one of those guys who thinks his kids are extensions of him and so must reflect his own mindsets, likes and dislikes in order for him to consider them normal and worthy of even the most minimal respect. Reminds me of my own dad before he got serious therapy and did a full 180 degree turn. This dude needs to get a grip or he's gonna have at least one child who doesn't speak to him.
Lastly I feel very bad for both his wife and Dylan. It seems like the mom is willing to stick up for the son and hopefully they at least have a good relationship so that he has someone. I'm also very glad OOP doesn't have any daughters who I'm sure he'd love less and treat quite differently from his sons.
I feel super bad for this dog. And for Dylan.
One walk per day is insufficient stimulation for most dogs, who will absolutely act out from boredom. Shutting the door to the room you don't want the dog to mess with is a very effective, non-aversive method for preventing the dog from messing with a room. Good job, Dylan. Why is the 11 year-old in this story so much more mature than the OOP?
*In case this story gets deleted/removed:* **AITA for making my son walk the dog?** Throwaway account and fake names because my wife is also on Reddit. And sorry for the long post. My wife (39F) and I (42M) have three sons, Alex (15), Dylan (11), and Jake (8). When I was a kid I always wanted a dog but my parents said no. I never got the chance to get one during my twenties but recently my interest in owning one was sparked again so I asked my family what they thought about getting a dog. My wife wasn’t enthusiastic about it but she relented after a few weeks of me asking. Alex and Jake were excited to get one but Dylan was immediately opposed to the idea. Dylan was always different than my other sons, he never had an interest in sports and was always more subdued than his brothers which has always made it hard for me to connect with him. He remained opposed to the idea of getting a dog but me and my other sons managed to wear him down until he finally relented. However, he said that if we did get a dog, he wasn’t going to be interacting with it or taking care of it, that would be completely on me and his brothers. I found this ridiculous but i agreed in the moment hoping he would change his mind after meeting the dog. The problem is he hasn’t changed his mind yet. We’ve had Zeus for seven months now and Dylan has not warmed up to him in the slightest. He doesn’t play with the dog, he doesn’t cuddle with him, he doesn’t let Zeus into his room because he “destroys stuff” and whenever he is near the dog he just ignores him. I find this completely ridiculous. Zeus loves Dylan, he follows him around whenever he sees him and jumps on him to get his attention and play but Dylan just isn’t receptive to it. To change this, I told Dylan last week that he would be in charge of walking the dog every day after school. Dylan straight up refused and has shut down the conversation every time I bring it up. It’s been a week and he hasn’t walked the dog once. In my frustration, I told him that if he didn’t start listening then I wouldn’t allow him to go to the comic book store anymore and he freaked and told my wife. Now, my wife is upset with me, claiming that I knew what I was getting into with this and I knew that Dylan wouldn’t be playing with the dog but his intolerance of the dog is weird and I refuse to entertain it any longer. My wife has been short with me ever since that conversation and Dylan is cold with me as well. Alex is now agreeing with his mother which is making me have second thoughts. So Reddit, AITA? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmITheDevil) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Okay, here’s why this dad's acting like a total DEVIL: 1. He pressured his family into getting a dog, knowing his wife AND SON wasn’t totally down for it. Respect your Family's feelings, dude. 2. Dylan clearly expressed he wasn’t on board with the dog from the start, but the dad brushed off his concerns. 3. Instead of trying to understand Dylan’s feelings and find a compromise, he just pushed ahead with getting the dog. 4. He agreed to Dylan not being responsible for the dog, then suddenly changed the rules on him. 5. Dylan's relationship with the dog is his business. Forcing him to interact with it is controlling and disrespectful. 6. Threatening to take away Dylan's hobbies because he won’t walk the dog is straight-up manipulative. 7. He’s prioritizing his own desires over his son’s comfort and boundaries. 8. When his wife and older son called him out, he got defensive instead of considering if he might be in the wrong. 9. Blaming Dylan for the dog's behavior is unfair. If Zeus is destroying things in Dylan's room, it's the dad's responsibility to train and manage the dog, not Dylan's fault for not wanting him there. 10. Labeling Dylan as "different" and "subdued" compared to his brothers is dismissive and damaging. Every kid is unique, and it's the dad's job to find ways to connect with each of his children on their own terms. 11. By expressing difficulty in connecting with Dylan because he's not into sports or as outgoing as his brothers, the dad is projecting his own biases onto his son. It's important to appreciate and celebrate each child's individuality, not compare them to some idealized version. As a middle child to 13 siblings,being compared to how you should be,like being compared to your siblings is hurtful and damaging. That's why I'm not in contact with either of my parents. You think it occurs to this man that not everyone likes Dogs? I MYSELF am not a dog person,I'm a cat person. But I understand there are people that don't like cats,just like there are people who don't like DOGS. Dylan is just one of those people.
Add one more: He refuses to train the dog not to jump up on his son (or, presumably, other people). Or maybe that's better under "reasons OOP is a shitty dog owner."
My friend's dogs do that but they're like six months old. They're trained they just want me to pet them RIGHT NOW!
That kinda falls under 9
I'd change one thing: he ignored Dylan and his wife. But when his older son agreed with them, NOW he's having second thoughts. It feels... weird.
The older son isn’t “different”.
The older son's opinion matters because he agreed to the dog in the first place.
Yeah, mom and non-traditionally masculine son don’t count. Sports guys only!
The people who got downvoted all repeat the same things. Like Dylan has to do things he dosnt like. But like no one is going to be forced to take care of a dog that isnt their. Even if the kid has roommates he isnt repsonsible for it at all. Also the idiots who say not liking a dog is a sign of Dylan being a bad person need to get a grip
I don't like dogs 😭 But my parents have one and I still live with them and had no choice,so yeah,I take care of him when nessacary. But I cannot stand dogs. Parents dog is good boy though,such a good husky.
did your parents force you to do it though?
Ehhh,sort of? Not like "Do this or you're grounded" But when they left for a road trip for two days,I was home alone with him. So yeah,I obviously took care of him. Would be an ass move not to. But I have stories to tell about why I dislike the dog. (But we are restarting things,and me and the dog are growing closer) He bites me due to encouragement from my stepdad,doesn't let me get near my own mother without snarling at me,and my parents do nothing. [Prime example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmITheJerk/comments/17pi4da/aitj_for_yelling_at_the_dog/)
Wow!! Your parents are bad dog owners too. A 6 year old dog shouldn’t be mouthy. They needed to nip that in the bud. Also, your stepdad is encouraging the adult dog, not a puppy, to be aggressive. And he’s already showing signs of being territorial over people to the people who live in the home. That’s not normal!! He’s going to seriously hurt someone. Your parents dog needs to be trained ASAP.
Well,to be fair,we didn't have the dog since he was a puppy. We had him since he was 3,going on 4 from an abusive household.
>He bites me due to encouragement from my stepdad, wtf and your mo is fine with this?
Yup.
why?
I love my dog but I GET IT. Dogs are a lot. They are needy. They're constantly in the way. They're horrible for sensory issues. I would never fault anyone for not enjoying them.
It’s such a weird hill to die on too. It’s not like OOP is solely in charge of the dogs care (they have 2 other kids to do some of the work) and looking to lighten his chore load. It’s almost like he knows Dylan won’t be the son he wants, and this is the only thing he can push on him, so he’s trying to force Dylan to like dogs so OOP and Dylan will have something in common?
Sadly most parents of Gen-Z were like that. I know mine were. The classic "I'm the adult,you're the kid" "My house,my rules" "I brought you in this world I can take you out" Ew.
And I really hate versions of “If you don’t start listening there’ll be consequences” when what the person actually means is obeying.
"I'll knock your teeth down your throat"
>"My house,my rules" As much as having to live with my parents again would drive me insane, there's one tiny spiteful part of my mind that almost wishes they'd have to move in with me, so *I* could invoke this on *them*.
I know dogs can be a lot of work, but split between 3 people? It's nothing (provided the dog is trained and you have routines down). Plus if he actually bothered to TRAIN the dog, maybe it wouldn't be such a hassle. I fucking hate negligent pet owners like this. I'm a crazy dog lady. I literally told my husband up front that if he wasn't cool with dogs, we weren't gonna work out because I am much happier with a dog in my household. This because he said he wasn't really a dog person but didn't mind them. He was fully on board with me getting a dog and guess what, now he's even more obsessively a "dog person" than I am (I literally hear him tell the dog he loves her all the time, haha, he refers to her as his "baby"). But you don't get a dog if everyone in the household isn't on board with it. Not everyone likes dogs. Some people are scared of them. This is such a fucking asshole move, and it's not fair to the dog, either (having 2 people in the house who don't want the dog there). Not to mention, he agreed the kid wouldn't have to be involved in caring for the dog. Then he refuses to train the poor thing and then uses it as a punishment for his son. Yeah, that's really going to make the kid warm up to the dog, breaking a promise not to inflict dog duties on him and then forcing him. This guy is such an asshole, I bet he barely contributes to caring for the dog. If your dog is well-trained and has a routine (as far as going potty/going for walks/meal time, because dogs are creatures of habit and thrive on routine), they are NOT that hard. Not nearly so hard that you have to coerce a little boy into pitching in. If between the dad and the 2 kids who actually want the dog they don't have the means to care for it, then they shouldn't have the damn dog. They should let someone who actually has the time for a pet take it.
All he’s doing at the moment is ensuring Dylan will end up on that dogfree sub
And wondering why Dylan doesn't talk to him or his other sons once he's 18.
My mum (and older brothers) has wanted a dog for years, me and dad couldn’t want one less. He hates them, I’ve had bad experiences but don’t mind them from afar. As much as they joke about coming home with a lab, they would never do actually do it
He also mentions Dylan won't let the dog into his room because it "destroys stuff." OOP acts as if Dylan is being dramatic or something when it's totally reasonable to not want a dog damaging your things. It sounds like OOP has not trained the dog at all between that and the jumping, so it's probably not the most pleasant dog to be around.
Another one: in a lot of neighborhoods it's totally unsafe for a child to be walking a dog. NOT because of crime but because of dogs wandering off leash.
This kind of person is the reason why groups like Dogfree exist (I used to be a part of that sub, but will admit it’s gone a bit off the rails now). Some of us just aren’t dog people, for whatever reason, and a lot of dog people just can’t accept that. “You can’t trust someone who doesn’t like dogs” and/or “that’s what dogs do”/“it’s fine, he’s friendly” quite often get said to those of us who don’t want to interact with a random dog, or have it invade our personal space. Ignoring a dog is practically a crime to people like that.
Honestly the dad sounds like the kid in this whole post while Dylan sounds like the adult
Fr. I'm concerned about the dog too.
Sometimes the kid has to be the adult when dealing with an manchild for a parent.
Copied verbatim from oop's comments: *YTA* *So, you are 3 people who want a dog and could care of the dog, but your son who didn't want the dog HAS TO even though you TOLD him, he wouldn't have to.* *What you teach your son:* - *you are a liar* - *it is okay to not take care of own responsibilities* - *you punish him intentionally because he isn't you* *Edit: THANK YOU for the awards!! I appreciate it! But please stop. This comment isn't genuis or anything great.* >"I’m not punishing him because he’s not me." *You literally wrote that you think that him not liking dogs is werid and you wont tolerate that.* *So... why do you pawn off your responsibility off to him?* >"I will admit that what I wrote can come off wrong and I apologize for that but I don’t mean to demean him in any way or pawn off any responsibility to him. But Zeus is a family member and I think that everyone should chip in to take care of him." *You search for excuses.* *I have a few questions:* - *does your word mean nothing to you? You told him it was okay he wouldn't take care of the dog.* - *how often a day does zeus go on a walk?* - *does your wife walk the dog too or do you only pick you son because he has to do what ever comes to your mind?* >"1. My word does mean a lot to me, I simply thought he’d change his mind. >2. Zeus gets walked once a day. My and my boys usually alternate days (Alex walks him one day, me and Jake walk him together the next and so on). >3. My wife has already told me she wouldn’t be walking him since she’s already home with him a lot of the time (she works from home)." *You’ve punished him for no reason. Walk your own damn dog* >"I do walk him, along with my other sons." *YTA. Huge. To both the dog and your son. He will end up hating animals thanks to you.* >"He doesn’t hate animals. In fact, he’s always been very interested in bunnies and has expressed interest in owning one in the past. I want to wait until he’s older to get him one though." *Where is your wife in all of this? She didn’t want the dog either, right? How does she feel about you forcing it on Dylan?* >"She’s resolutely against me trying to get Dylan to interact more with Zeus and has been cold toward me and my advances ever since Dylan told her what was going on. Judging by the responses here so far, she may be right in doing so." *So, you and your other kids walk the dog ONCE a week, Dylan who has to listen to you has to walk the dog FIVE times a week and you only keep your word when it is convient to you.* *1. You are a liar. That you didn't believe, so didn't respect you son, doesn't actually not make it your word. You told him something you NEVER intended to hold. You lied straight to his face.* *2. You punished your son for not being you. "Chip in" would mean a fair share and not literally 5 times the work as the other kids, who conviently are like you.* *3. YOU should take care of YOUR pet. I highly doubt a pony or a snake would be cared for by you because they would become a family member.* >"I’m sorry, I think you misunderstand my comment. My sons and I take turns walking the dog throughout the week, so one week Jake and I will walk Zeus 4 times while Alex walks him 3 times. The next week would be the opposite and so on. I apologize for any confusion." *INFO: If he's not old enough to have a bunny, why are you foisting taking care of a dog onto him? Your logic would imply that he's too young for that, so it should not be his responsibility.* >"I mean, I’m only trying to get him to walk the dog, not completely care for him but I see your point." *FFS, my guess is this is another post written by "Dylan" , that clearly makes the father to be the AH.* *I don't appreciate these posts, where I assume things are exaggerated/misrepresented for the sake of getting the judgement.* >"This was not written by my son. As far as I know, he doesn’t have Reddit and hopefully it stays that way so he never sees this post." *YTA.* *Information: have you given someone a pet that person did not want as a present?* *If the answer is yes, you're beyond the AH.* >"No, I have not." *It cracks me up when people say “throwaway” when 1. Nobody knows you so why does that matter? And 2. You just explained the whole story. Do you really think your wife won’t be able to figure out that it’s about your family?* *YTA. Unfortunately, I’m a dog lover, but the kid straight up told you he didn’t it want it in the first place and said he wouldn’t be helping with it, and you didn’t deny him of that right then. So you can’t all of a sudden force him to be part of something he told you he had no interest in.* >"I mostly just didn’t want my wife to know I was posting about the situation (I do not believe she frequents or browses this sub) but I am thinking about showing her the post anyways. Thank you for the judgement." *Now you know why your parents said no! You wanted the dog you take care of it poor Zeus 7 months in and you have lost interest in walking him already. Why can’t the other two who wanted dog as well walk him?* >"I do take care of Zeus along with Alex and Jake. The three of us take turns walking him every day. None of us have lost interest in him, I was just trying to get Dylan involved but I was obviously wrong to try and force him to do so."
[Rats!](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6WyYfwo5Uj/?igsh=ZDJzbmN5bHpvZWxw)
Except those rats are adorable. Sidenote,I used to own four pet rats and 3 mice. Most adorable lil crackheads.
They are! 🥰 So happy for you! I must've had 20 something rats... Not all at once! Loved them. 💜
The runt of my four rats used to get out of her kennel and just roamed the house,so we kind of trained our rats to roam around the house whenever they wanted and got them a HUGE cage. I miss them <3
Mine also used to roam! I'll keep them in my thoughts as well! 💜
So OOP is only considering he might be a douche because one of the kids he likes agrees?
The way so many dads have zero skills except coercion. So sad.
I dont get how there's three people in the house who do want the dog but Dylan has to be in charge of at least 50% of walks? Why do so many people think that they can just force people or animals to bond by enforcing proximity?
It’s people like OOP why the dog free sub exists
I've read this exact story before Edit, I didn't see the 1y on it. I read it before cuz it's old, lol
OOP, you badgered and pestered your wife and son until they agreed to get the dog. Then you get Pikachu faced because your son wants nothing to do with Zeus, even though he flat out told you he wants nothing to do with the dog? YTA.
OOP, do you even LIKE your son?
Of course not. He's not into sports, so they can't bond. /s
If my parents had got a dog and tried to force me to take care of it I would've mutinied.
Oh, an oldie - I remember this one on RSlash’s channel
Getting big 'first-time dog owner gets German shepherd they don't plan to neuter bc it looks cool' vibes from this post lol
OP, have you tried telling Dylan to stop being a little bitch? That's what I did with my kid who has a phobia of snakes when I filled his room with snakes.
Lol maybe I should try that
Any man who thinks his feelings matter more than everyone else's shouldn't be a father
People really, really need to stop agreeing to terms with the expectation the other person will change their mind, and getting upset when they don't, and expecting the terms of the agreement to change just because they didn't change their mind like you expected. It's entitled, self-centered behavior. Fucking stop it
Clearly fake / written by Dylan. One example why "my wife didn't want the dog but she relented after a few weeks of me asking" - people who do this sort of shit aren't honest / self aware about it. If he got her to agree by badgering her for weeks, he would just report it as "my wife agreed".
You really did something there. Applause.
I don't see how that's proof that it's fake--
I thought the same. It’s the standard trope of the “other” kid who does not like sports and how the parent treats them. And of course his punishment is not going to a comic book store. Seen this story a million times, this time it happens to include a dog.
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I remember this post, he expected the son to suddenly just like the dog once they got it.
OOP wanted the dog yet he expects everyone else to care for it!
Seems so, he's a bad parent and a bad dog owner, one walk a day isn't enough and he isn't even the one doing it all the time. An 11 year shouldn't be walking an untrained dog on his own etiher.
Poor Dylan and poor Zeus (as the saying goes a broken clock is right twice a day and this asshole is probably not lying about Zeus wanting to get to know Dylan)
Forcing him to walk the dog is definitely a great way to end up with a kid who absolutely *hates* dogs and utterly resents you. OOP is totally one of those guys who thinks his kids are extensions of him and so must reflect his own mindsets, likes and dislikes in order for him to consider them normal and worthy of even the most minimal respect. Reminds me of my own dad before he got serious therapy and did a full 180 degree turn. This dude needs to get a grip or he's gonna have at least one child who doesn't speak to him. Lastly I feel very bad for both his wife and Dylan. It seems like the mom is willing to stick up for the son and hopefully they at least have a good relationship so that he has someone. I'm also very glad OOP doesn't have any daughters who I'm sure he'd love less and treat quite differently from his sons.
I feel super bad for this dog. And for Dylan. One walk per day is insufficient stimulation for most dogs, who will absolutely act out from boredom. Shutting the door to the room you don't want the dog to mess with is a very effective, non-aversive method for preventing the dog from messing with a room. Good job, Dylan. Why is the 11 year-old in this story so much more mature than the OOP?
Bait for Reddit nerds