DEAR ABBY: I am dating a guy (seriously) who is fantastic. "Kyle" is smart, trustworthy, kind -- and incredibly gorgeous. The problem is, he has two Boston terriers who drive me crazy -- one in particular whose breathing is so loud all the time that we can't even hear a TV program or each other speak. That dog is super hyper and has destroyed numerous things in my house. Kyle's house reeks of doggy odor, and the dogs also have horrible gas and vomit often.
If we are staying over at my place, his dogs come with him. I hate it! It is the weirdest thing, but I notice my anxiety level rises when the dogs are here, running around and snorting uncontrollably. There are other issues, but I don't want to write a novel.
I am trying to live in the moment and not let it bother me. But in this moment, it is intrusive and annoying. What can I do? -- BRYAN IN CHICAGO
DEAR BRYAN: Kyle may be gorgeous, but he doesn't appear to be a very responsible pet owner. He should have asked his veterinarian to check his dogs when he realized they were having repeated gastrointestinal upsets. As to the poor animals' breathing, it may be because short-faced dogs are prone to breathing problems.
It's possible that Kyle is so used to the doggy odor in his house that he no longer smells it. That's why it couldn't hurt to tell him YOU have noticed it, that it's overwhelming, and it's time to get a professional cleaning crew in there.