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Contributor
Posts: 22
Registered: ‎12-07-2017
Okay, I know this is going to be a very unpopular statement. Sorry for all you dog lovers out there oh, but this is just my opinion. I just don't understand how Dan can be a germaphobe, and have four dogs inside his house.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,295
Registered: ‎03-27-2010

Your first sentence is correct.  Our dogs (and other pets) are family and overrides many considerations.  Family comes first for many of us.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,346
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

That's a reasonable comment. My neighbor has OCD (cleanliness &  perfection), yet has 3 inside dogs. She manages, but has to clean house every night when she gets home.

Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@Teamdean67 -

You know, I might not have understood it either until I got to have the 3 loves of my life-my granddogs! (of course my children are tooSmiley Happy

When they came bounding into our lives, to me I never minded cleaning up anything they had-mud, thowing up that latest grass lunch or chunk of couch or dresser,

well anything! Just like you love your kids so much, you take care of everything they need.

Then after cleaning up, you give them a great big hug! (or in the case of the couch or dresser, you might try to redirect whatever that was all about!)

And yet, they had to wipe their paws just like we asked any humans to, or even remove their shoes! I know, strange to some.

That's about how it goesSmiley HappyHeart

 

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"
Contributor
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Registered: ‎12-07-2017
I understand that, but do you claim to be a germaphobe or have OCD? That is my confusion.
Valued Contributor
Posts: 794
Registered: ‎05-25-2016

This is a good question. It’s a complicated thing to understand unless you have OCD or certain phobias. Germaphobes usually focus on certain bacteria or viruses but not so much on others. 

 

I have OCD for which I see a shrink for occasionally. We have two cats right now, and we’ve always had pets in our home.  My house is extremely clean, and I go way overboard washing my hands. My pets carry bacteria of course, but I don’t eat off my floor or any surfaces they come in contact with. My handwashing goes a long way in helping me cope with pets. Plus my pets don’t carry the type of bacteria on which I focus. 

 

Some people have types of OCD which does prevent them from having pets. Fortunately for me, I can cope with them. 

 

I hope this helps. OCD is very hard to understand for people who don’t have it. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,109
Registered: ‎04-14-2013

The whole world is germy.  It would cease to exist (at least as we know it) without them.

 

Not all germs are disease carriers, and in fact many are beneficial.

 

"Germophobe", to me, is a colloquialism and in that framework I don't see dogs as a problem.  But again, we all live with germs.  We all carry germs.  Seeds "germinate".  I had the "germ" of an idea when I wrote this.

 

To each their own.  As you may see, I love dogs and welcome them into my home.  The benefits, as I see them, far outweigh the "germ" factor.

Cogito ergo sum
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Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@Teamdean67 wrote:
I understand that, but do you claim to be a germaphobe or have OCD? That is my confusion.

@Teamdean67 -

Well, some people may call it OCD or being a germaphobe; my kids and I laugh that we call it "normal."Woman LOL

and of course how everyone should beSmiley Happy, or using plain old common sense.

I think others may think it is "over the top" cleanliness.

I guess everyone has a different level of clean, or no germs; how to have their happy place.

 

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,295
Registered: ‎03-27-2010

@Ruby Laine   You were perfectly clear.  Your family comes first and you have found a way to deal with your concerns by washing your hands.  Your kitties are lucky to having such a loving mom.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 794
Registered: ‎05-25-2016

I want to add that some people with OCD don’t have a germ problem at all. Some have all sorts of issues. Remember the movie “Sleeping with the Enemy”?  That moment toward the end when Julia Roberts opens a cupboard door!  She realizes her husband has been there when she sees those cans in perfect order. That could be my cupboards. It drives DH nuts, but he just laughs anymore. He had to learn patience, believe me!