AMITK for Ending Things Over My Dog?

Hi Reddit, I (29F, Bangalore) need a reality check. In November, I met this guy on Hinge, and we hit it off pretty quickly. Over the past few months, we’ve gone on at least seven dates, and I thought we were heading in a good direction—until this week happened.

For some background: I live alone, and during COVID, I adopted a dog who’s been my absolute rock. She’s amazing, but she also has severe separation anxiety because, well, I was a clueless first-time pet owner back then and didn’t train her well enough to understand the concept of “me time.” While I have friends and family who occasionally help by watching her, it’s a favor I don’t like asking for too often.

When we first connected, this guy seemed genuinely excited about my dog. However, he suggested we meet outside initially, which I totally got. My dog tends to get overly excited about new people (belly rubs are non-negotiable), so I understood how that could be overwhelming.

But as the months passed, I started hinting at switching things up. After the fifth date, I brought up the idea of meeting at each other’s places or doing something low-key, like booking a pet-friendly hotel, because I couldn’t keep leaning on my friends and family for help every time we met. He agreed, but he also kept dodging the idea of meeting at my place or around my dog.

Finally, earlier this week, I asked him about our next date. He said, “Whenever you have a dog sitter.” At that point, I decided to be upfront and asked why he seemed to avoid my dog altogether. That’s when he admitted he doesn’t like dogs.

Not just my dog. Any dog.

He wasn’t scared or allergic—he simply hates them. When I asked if it was about hygiene or something, he said no. He just thinks it’s “weird” that people adopt pets and “serve” them. In his words, it’s abnormal to dedicate so much time and effort to an animal.

I was stunned. So I asked, “What did you think was going to happen here? I’m not giving up my dog.” He said he thought I’d eventually figure out a way to “phase her out” of my life—like giving her to someone else or getting a flatmate to take care of her.

At that moment, I realized there was no future here. I told him, kindly but firmly, that this wasn’t going to work. I wished him the best and left it at that. I wasn’t rude, just honest.

Then I went to bed.

The next morning, I woke up to multiple missed calls and messages from him. He was livid, accusing me of “choosing a dog over a human being.” He insisted, “I won’t be dumped over a dog,” and called me selfish for ending things.

Now I’m second-guessing myself. Did I overreact? Should I have tried harder to make it work? I love my dog—she’s been my constant through thick and thin—but I also feel guilty for ending what seemed like a promising relationship over this.

AMITK?