Feeling repulsed by my adopted dog
Hi!
Literally two days ago, a little dog came to live with me. She’s about two years old. She has clearly been through a lot in her life, and she’s very timid, although also curious.
She’s wonderful, and I had been waiting for her for a long time. But…
Completely unexpectedly, after just a day, I realized that she started irritating me. There’s no specific reason for it. What’s more, I feel very angry with myself because of it.
I’m really put off by her smell. I don’t like petting her. Her fur is coarse and sheds a lot. The smell stays on my hands.
I feel squeamish about it.
Even though I bathed her and the smell became much less noticeable, it still feels unpleasant to me.
I read stories about dogs sleeping in people’s beds with their owners, and I honestly can’t even imagine that in my case.
I understand that very little time has passed. But what if I never manage to accept her physically? For context, this is my first dog. Before this, I only had experience with cats, which I could cuddle and kiss all day long.
Please share your experiences. Is there a chance that this kind of unconditional love will come later? That she’ll stop feeling physically unpleasant to me?
I really want to give her love and care, but I’m afraid I’m letting her down.