I will preface this by saying I recognize I am OCD about dogs. My wife comes from a family of dog lovers and her mom currently has 3 at home. I think the area where the dogs live in their house and the yard is absolutely gross--even to the point that I won't go in their back yard. Before we were married she said one thing she wanted was to get an indoor dog. I has reluctant to agree but thought her happiness more important than me not wanting a dog. We have been married a few years now and we don't argue often, but, when we do it is about the dog. Also, I didn't realize I was OCD about dogs until we got her, before that I just disliked them. So I wasn't going into the marriage knowing I was OCD about them. I don't know what to do about this now...I realize I have OCD issues has anyone found anything that helps? I hate, hate, hate the dog hair in the house! I hate how expensive she, cleaning up the yard, cleaning up the house (the vacuum cleaner is full of dog hair when we are done cleaning--and yes I do help clean the house each week so it isn't just my wife doing it). I think dogs are totally nasty and make the house disgusting. I resent the money we spend and how the dog ties us down (going on break, leaving for a weekend get away, etc). The other thing is I recognize we have a good, well behaved dog and at times I warm up to her but others I can't stand her. Not out of anything she does behavior wise but due to my OCD issues. Our house has carpet in it except the dining room/kitchen which is tiled. We mainly try and keep her in there, however, I think the floor there is disgusting even though we clean it at least 2x/week. The interesting thing is kids don't bother me at all. Our son has spit up, peed, pooped etc on our floors and I could care less about it. So I don't know why I have the issue with the dog. To me it is totally not worth it to have a dog. But I can't bring myself to seriously talk about giving our dog to a friend that absolutely adores her because I would feel really bad about hurting my wife and out of guilt. If it wasn't for that I would have no problem giving her to our friend. At this point short of getting professional counseling for my OCD issues I would appreciate anyone's advice if you have had similar issues and found things that help. My wife wants me to learn to love the dog, any ideas????
I am a registered dog breeder and professional dog trainer. I have several dogs. I also obsess about cleanliness and hygiene.
For me personally, I am able to cope with the dogs being gross (even I know dogs are gross!) by grooming and bathing them frequently. I also spray their coats with something called Fresh N' Clean, which, for the most part, covers up the dog smell. I brush their teeth and clip their nails.
I put blankets and sheets on my couches so the dogs can sit on them without getting the couches dirty or shedding all over them. I have mainly hardwood floors in my house to avoid getting carpets dirty (and the rugs I do have in my house are colorful and patterned so stains don't show up easily).
Some of my dogs sleep in my bed, so I do wash my sheets and bedding fairly often. I avoid using white or light colored sheets.
I keep my house extremely clean, periodically I will do a mass clean of the entire house, vacuuming included. Obviously that doesn't stop my dogs from shedding or tracking in dirt but if I see it I clean it up.
May I ask what breed of dog you have? Some dogs, like Newfoundlands, are prone to drooling and making a mess, and are generally not very clean dogs. Molosser, Brachysephalic, and Mastiff breeds are also prone to drooling and need more frequent bathing.
My dogs are in the Shepherd and Collie families, which are known for being cleaner dogs that don't smell as bad. They shed a heck of a lot though.
If your dog is having accidents in the house and marking, would you consider looking into a professional trainer or even training classes at a local Petco or Petsmart? Dogs can be trained out of those bad behaviors. I'm currently housebreaking a puppy as well.
You may also want to look into taking your dog to a groomer regularly or learning some home grooming tips that you can share with your wife.
I would be glad to provide any advice you may need about training, grooming, or cleaning.
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