A woman has spoken out in concern over the state of her marriage after giving her husband 'an ultimatum' over their puppy.
She wrote to MailOnline agony aunt and best-selling author Jane Green to ask for advice following 'a terrible set of circumstances' involving her, her husband and a dog.
Prepare to hug your pooch a little tighter tonight.
The woman wrote in to Green - under the name Puppy Dog Troubles - to explain a few months ago, she and her husband made the decision to get a dog after he'd been 'begging' for years.
According to the writer, her husband 'promised' he would 'shoulder a large part of the responsibility' of owning a dog because she'd expressed concern she 'didn't feel ready to take on that kind of disruption'.
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Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out like that for the trio.
The woman continues: "So the puppy arrives and is adorable. Very cute - but very, very loud, energetic, whiney, messy. Within days she'd chewed through a pair of heels, peed all over my vintage rug, and - believe it or not - cracked a mirror.
"She also howled through the night and, while my husband was attentive, there was no amount of white noise, television, or music that helped me sleep through that. After two weeks I felt like I was going insane. Our house was a mess and I was totally sleep deprived."
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Unable to take it anymore, Puppy Dog Troubles told her husband how 'unhappy' the dog made her and how she was 'struggling to ever accept the lifelong disruption'. And ultimately, she asked her husband to choose between her and the pup.
Well, thankfully - or not thankfully, depending how you want to look at it - the husband reluctantly agreed to take the dog back to the breeder.
However, with the pup gone, the woman laments their life hasn't returned to 'usual' like she thought it would.
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"Ever since she left our home, he's been miserable and, even worse, it feels like he's directing the blame for that misery at me," she explains.
Puppy Love Troubles notes her husband has also been making 'a lot of unkind comments'.
She says: "Like if I offer to do the dishes, he'll say, 'Only if it's not too much work for you'.
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"He's also replaced my photo with one of the puppy on his phone screensaver."
Oh, and the pair haven't had sex since the dog was taken back to its breeder either and even a hug or a kiss seems a lot to ask for, according to the woman.
She resolves: "I'm thrilled that I have my sanity and sleep back, but it feels to me like I've lost my husband in the process. I never wanted a dog but I don't want a divorce either.
"Am I going to be forced to endure the hell of a dog for the sake of my marriage?"
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What do you think?
Topics: Animals, Dog, Life, Real Life, Sex and Relationships
Poppy Bilderbeck