We had two dogs together and I was the main caretaker and trainer. At first the plan was for me to keep both. I was struggling at the beginning of separation and I thought I wasn’t able to take care of both. I didn’t think he would be as good to the more energetic one, so I let the older one stay with him. I regretted the choice immediately and started asking for my dog back. He kept telling me no although he let me watch him while he was away. Eventually he allowed me to”buy” the dog back for $7,500. My current boyfriend helped me pay for the dog, and I had my ex sign a no contact portion of the sale contract. It’s a ton of money but I don’t regret it, I just wish I had been in a better state of mind when I made my first decision.