Girlfriend loves her dog more than she loves me

Yes, I'm jealous of my girlfriend's dog. We are dating for a little over a year already, and she got the dog a few months later. She said having a dog has always been her dream, and know she finally got one I can understand her excitement, but it's been months already.

One thing I always feel lacking from her is attention, and when I'm at her home it's worse. Sometimes I stay at her place for the night. She acts the same when I'm there like when I'm not, so I often feel like a "spectator". She always wants to be in the living room where the whole rest of her family is, watching TV, and then if I try to be closer to her she won't stand it for long. But the damn dog gets all her attention, she rolls on the floor with it, the dog goes all over her, she talks to him... I just stand there watching TV or waiting some for some residual attention. I understand she may not like getting too close to me when she's around her family, but whenever we have some time alone at her house - which is usually at sleep time when we go to sleep on her bed - she just says she's sleepy and tired, kisses me and hugs me a little, then rolls over. Or worse yet, we start to get passionate, in a sexual mood, and again remarks she's tired and sleepy and that we'll do it tomorrow and again rolls over. And it's more frustrating when we haven't seen each other in a while.

Then usually next day she wakes up early (she and her family always wake up very early), tells me she's going downstairs and that I can keep sleeping. She usually then goes walk the dog and stays at the living room. If I ask her to stay, she either stays there a little more with a "can I go already?" mood or just says she doesn't want to. I then feel sad and frustrated and I'm bad at hiding it, and she probably gets the cause because then she suddenly just turns out more affective and attentive towards me. Today was the worse, because we woke up and a few minutes later the friggin dog rushed into our room and literally took her away from me. And worse yet, he came to wake me up sometime later by going all over in bed with his breath on my face, with her just laughing there.

I never told her about the dog thing. I get the feeling I'm going to sound silly, so I'm a little afraid to address her. We spoke about the affect and attention things a couple times before, but she either just insists I'm overreacting, that she does give me attention, or with a lightly upset mood acknowledges the fact and says she's sorry.

Yesterday, after I got to her home and the whole thing again started, I jokingly said to her "Oh, I'm starting to think you like him more than me!" while she was sitting next to me playing with the dog. Almost then she starts to lean toward me and cuddle a little, and I got the impression she got what I meant and (maybe) felt guilty.

Well... What do you recommend I do now?

I would say be less clingy and don't compete with a dog. The dog's got you beat. It's always going to be happy to see her, no-matter what she does. It's always going to be excited to go out and do whatever she wants to do. It's always going to having a great day. Appreciate the dog for what it is, a dog. They make great pets for a reason. Make peace with the animal if you can.

Its easy to love a pet, I wouldn't take it so personally. For example its easy for me to love my cat but not so easy for me to be around people. I can understand why it makes you feel bad, I wouldn't really blame the dog, id tell her that I want some attention too, blaming the dog would just make her angry? I would think. You gotta understand too that you might just be lucky just to have her as a girlfriend and be happy about it rather than dwell on her being happy to have a pet. You should just tell her how you feel, and let her know to listen and not laugh before you say it.

How old are you guys?

So, I was in casual conversation with my girlfriend of one year now and she was saying how much she loves me etc. but then mentions how she loves her dog more. I was a little surprised and then she carried on acting like it was a given.

I'm an animal lover but I've never owned a dog so maybe I'm missing something but when she says she cares more about her dog than me I do find it very hurtful and it regularly bugs me as I love her more than anything. She also mentioned that it would be harder for her if her dog died than if I did, before realising what she said.

I can see the unconditional side of loving your dog and how she relates it to being like a baby but it still seems very extreme and makes me feel devalued.

Any advice/opinions???

Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Perhaps your gf may be testing you, to see if you accept her dog and her unconditional love for the pet, as a means to see if you really are partner and parent material.

I have to say that I am the same, when my partner plays with the cats I'm fine, when he gives them attention and cuddles, I start to feel myself rise up in anger like 'WHY NOT ME?!?!?!?!'

I have to breath and just think 'he is petting a cat, YOU do it too, it has nothing to do with his affection for you'

How is the rest of your relationship?