Yes, our pet deffinalty effeted my relationship, she was the first thing we were responsible for together. Meaning we had to work our schedules and make sure that someone was home, or got home in time to take care her! Plus, she took care of us. I think she knows us better than we know eachother!

We just took on another dog. We now have 2 dogs living with us, one is 1 1/2 and the other is 2. It's a lot of fun. I can already tell a difference in our marriage. It seems like we have so much to do and it keeps us both so busy. It's great. I love our life together! :) I always did, but I think the dogs really helped.

I definitely think that having a pet improved our relationship. We responsible for this furbaby and we had to make sure Jack (our black lab) was and is taken care of and isn't just left alone all the time. He is like our child and when Shawn and I argue it effects Jack big time. HE will starts to bark a little more or go into his crate until we are done. It makes us realize that if we don't communicate about everything the right way it effects not just us but our furbaby too! I think all couples needs a pet of some sort!

When my fiance and I got together I already had a dog, so at first it was like he had to get along with my furbaby or there was no future for us, but now he loves Teddy just as much as I do. Last year we decided to get a puppy together since we had been living together for more than a year. We got Lily when she was only 4 months old and it was just like having a baby at home. We had doctor appointments and had to make sure that she had everything that a puppy needs for chewing and playing. It's been great for us and for Teddy. We all love her and my fiance is so attached to her I even get a little jealous sometimes! We have our very own family! It is very fulfilling and they always make the day better.

We have a house bunny, Miss Juliette, who we adopted from a family who had no time for her when we'd been living together for half a year or so. She has enabled us to be responsible for a living being together and has truly enriched our loves. Coming home to her makes our apartment feel like home :)

Unfortunately I have to disagree with this article. I believe that this is true for most couples, but the two dogs my husband had when I married him have caused me more stress than anything else in our marriage so far (we've only been married for four months, lol). I have known him since before he had any pets and supported both him when he adopted them a few months apart. We were not living together or even engaged at the time so I was not thinking about how involved I would eventually become with them. I have never been a pet person, partially stemming from a nasty dog attack at a young age, but I didn't realize how much it would annoy me until after I moved in. I can handle interacting with large dogs, but it is a whole different ball game to share an apartment with them. Now the presence (and CONSTANT shedding) of the dogs frays on my last nerve almost every day. Everything is covered in fur and they bark like crazy at every squirrel that happens to venture into our muddy lawn. My husband sees my frustration and offers to get rid of them, but he only says it out of frustration and i'm afraid that he would resent me for driving them out of the house. I am working very hard to keep things clean and stay relaxed, and I know they won't live forever, but it causes me more stress than anything else in our relationship. Anyway, I guess I just want to point out that a "furbaby" might be a great addition in a situation where both partners are enthusiastic about it, but if you (or your spouse) are not really in the market for the added responsibility of a pet don't jump into it too quickly! Good luck!!

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