I Let Our Dog Sleep Next To Our Toddler—And Now My Partner Won’t Speak To Me

Okay, before anyone jumps down my throat, let me explain.

We’ve had Miso—our sweet, cuddly Amstaff—for nearly three years. She’s never shown aggression. The other night, our toddler Levi wouldn’t settle, and my partner Salome was exhausted after a double shift. I didn’t want to wake her, so I brought Miso into Levi’s room, hoping she’d help calm him. Levi lit up and quickly fell asleep next to her. It was the calmest night in weeks.

But the next morning, Salome saw the baby monitor footage and was furious—but quietly. She said I was reckless for letting a dog sleep in the crib with a baby. She left with Levi to stay at her sister’s.

I kept texting her, trying to explain. After days of silence, I went to her sister’s. Her sister said, “You broke a deal you didn’t even know you made.”

Later, Salome told me that when she was five, her family’s dog bit her cousin—and her parents covered it up. She still remembers how that felt. So my decision triggered something deep and painful.

We eventually met at the park. I apologized—not just for the dog thing, but for not understanding why it hurt her so much. I admitted I try to fix things quickly to avoid discomfort. She said she needed to trust I’d protect Levi like she would.

We’re not fully back to normal, but we’re trying. Miso now sleeps outside Levi’s room. Salome still gets nervous, but she’s working through it. And I’m learning that real love means listening—especially when someone says, “This scares me.”