Would you date someone your dog doesn't like? And is sharing custody of a pet with an ex a relationship red flag?

PETA's Ashley Byrne is back on The Iconic Midlife with host Roxy Manning for a hilarious round of Dealbreaker or I'll Allow It?—a dating game where love, relationships, and our four-legged companions collide.

After tackling some of the most pressing animal-welfare issues in her full interview, Ashley is showing us her lighter side as Roxy puts her on the spot with a series of dating scenarios involving pets, partners, and some potentially questionable relationship habits.

From dogs sleeping in the bed to dating someone who isn't an animal lover, Ashley has to decide: Is it a dealbreaker, or will she allow it?

In This Game Episode:

• Dating someone who loves animals but doesn't want pets
• Dogs in the bedroom—and possibly between you and your partner
• When your dog doesn't approve of your date
• Sharing custody of a pet with an ex
• Dating someone who doesn't share your views on animal welfare
• The relationship habits that might make an animal lover think twice

It's a playful look at dating, compatibility, and just how much our relationships with animals influence our relationships with people.

And don't miss Ashley's full episode of The Iconic Midlife, where we discuss animal cruelty on L.A.'s Skid Row, New York City's carriage horses, overcrowded animal shelters, and what we can all do to help protect animals.

Connect With Us

Ashley Byrne / PETA: https://www.peta.org

The Iconic Midlife: @theiconicmidlife

Roxy Manning: @redcarpetroxy

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Download the episode, leave a rating and review, and share it with your favorite animal lover.

Subscribe to The Iconic Midlife on YouTube for the full video episodes, games, and more candid conversations about life, relationships, and everything in between.

And tell us: Would you date someone your dog didn't like?

This one's called deal Breaker or I'll allow it.

Ooh.

Okay, so I will read some situations to you, and you tell me if it's a deal breaker or if you will allow it.

Bring it on.

He loves animals but doesn't want pets in his house.

Deal breaker.

He's lucky I'm letting him in his house.

My dog's gonna sleep on your pillow.

His dog sleeps in the bed between the two of you.

I'll allow it.

It's like a good body pillow, too.

Oh, absolutely.

He orders steak on your first date.

I'll allow it.

Because that's just a vegan waiting to happen.

I used to be ordering the, like, raw, bloody, rare steak, and look at me now.

He talks to his dog in a baby voice.

Oh, I'll allow it.

More of that.

Pour that, please.

Yes, absolutely.

That's hot.

Well, before you leave, I'd love to end on a fun game.

Yes.

Okay.

Love a game.

All right.

This one's called Deal Breaker or I'll allow it.

Ooh.

Okay, so I will read some situations to you, and you tell me if it's a deal breaker or if you will allow it.

Bring it on.

Okay.

This might have a little something to do with dating, too.

Oh, fine.

Are you single?

I'm basically at the moment.

Okay, okay, okay.

More or less.

You can answer these for sure.

Okay.

He loves animals but doesn't want pets in his house.

Deal breaker.

Do I even need to ask you that?

Deal breaker.

He's lucky I'm letting him in his house.

Like, totally.

My dog's going to sleep on your pillow?

Like, yeah.

He has three cats.

Ooh.

I'll allow it.

Okay.

Yes.

Is there a limit on cats, number of cats, or.

No.

I mean, basically, it just has to be, you know, manageable.

You know, it has to be a situation where everybody's getting the love, attention, like, care they deserve.

Yes, good point.

Good point.

His dog sleeps in his bed every night.

Oh, I'll allow it.

I won't allow.

I won't allow it not to happen.

We see that.

We're like, the dogs have to sleep.

In the bed, you know?

Yeah, like, where else would they sleep?

His dog sleeps in the bed between the two of you.

I'll allow it.

I know.

Me too.

That's what I do.

Yes, of course.

Of course.

You know, it's like a good body pillow, too.

Oh, oh, absolutely.

He orders steak on your first date.

You know, I'll allow it.

Because I think that that's just a vegan waiting to happen.

Because you know what?

I used to love steak.

Oh.

I used to be.

I used to be the one ordering the, like, raw, bloody rare steak.

And.

And look at me now.

So to me, I'm like, well, that.

That's just someone who doesn't have the facts yet.

Yeah.

I love it.

You're like, work in progress, Right, Exactly.

He bought his dog from a breeder.

So kind of the same thing where if he sort of understands that.

Why that was a mistake or is willing to understand why that was a mistake and would never do it again.

Okay.

But if he's kind of doubling down and saying, sure, yeah, and I would do it again and I'm gonna breed her, just you can go.

You're like, give me that dog, too, right?

Yeah, exactly.

Like, I'll date you until I get your dog fixed, and then I'm.

Yeah.

His dog.

Or no, sorry, his dog doesn't like you.

Again, to me, that's just a work in progress thing, you know?

Yeah.

So I'll allow it if he is handling it in a loving, constructive way.

And we're saying, how do we fix this?

How do we work around this?

Yes.

But I've never met a dog who doesn't like me.

But, you know, theoretically, we can.

You know, it's something you could work on, but it really never happens.

Right, Exactly.

What about this?

Your dog doesn't like him.

Ooh.

Ooh.

Okay, well, I'm.

It's obvious I'm going to be suspicious if my dog doesn't like you for sure.

I think the question is always, like, okay, is this just, like, a little initial trepidation, you know, jealousy?

Like, this is my mom.

Mind your business.

I would say it's all in how he deals with it.

Because if his approach is, your dog was here first.

Now let me win him over.

Okay, great.

If he gets, like, petty and jealous about it.

Yeah.

Then.

Then forget it.

Yeah, absolutely.

He talks to his dog in a baby voice.

Oh, I'll allow it.

More of that.

More of that, please.

Absolutely.

That's hot.

Yeah.

His dog's face is his phone screen.

Oh, my go.

It better be.

Yes, right.

Like, we're gonna make it happen if it isn't.

Yes, right, Exactly.

You're gonna wake up tomorrow and it'll be.

That's the only reason I want to, like, go through your phone so I can, like, change your.

Your phone screen to your dog's face.

Totally, Totally.

Yeah.

He refers to himself as his dog's daddy.

Oh, cute.

I'll allow it.

Yes.

Right.

He has an ex, and they share custody of the dog.

I'll allow it because, you know, I think that is a healthy, responsible thing to understand that your dog, you know, didn't choose for you to break up and loves you both and, you know, to maintain that.

So.

Respect.

Yeah, okay.

Okay.

He won't go on vacation unless the dog can come.

Oh, cute.

I'll allow it.

Absolutely.

Wear some great dog friendly vacation spots.

Oh, you know what?

That is a great question.

Right.

Well, you know, I have to say, so many hotels now have become extremely dog friendly that I would say, like, you know, you'll find like dog friendly vacation spots all over if you're going to the right hotel.

I mean, I know the W Hotel, the Plaza, like, just to name a couple, are like extremely accommodating of dogs.

So I would say more than anything, it's just you want to be sure that your dog's going to enjoy whatever you have in mind.

You know, you don't want to take them somewhere where they're going to just kind of be like stuck in the room all the time or like on a long plane journey that if, you know, if they're not going to enjoy that and then the stay is going to be very short, I would say.

But you know, there, there are so many cities.

I think a lot of places are actually kind more dog friendly than the US And I think we're kind of catching up.

So whether you're talking about here or abroad, I mean, I think if it's appropriate, you'll find all kinds of dog friendly options.

You just kind of have to gauge it by your dog.

Because, I mean, like we were talking earlier about the fact that my, you know, most recent dog who passed away, he used to fly from New York to LA with me.

And he, he was, he was great.

He saw me getting the, you know, my suitcase out and he ran towards his little bag and he was like, let's go, Mom.

You know, and just to be clear,.

He sat with you in the seat, right?

Oh, my God, yes, yes.

I would never put a dog in cargo because we just hear about tragedies all the time.

But yes, he sat with me.

But you know what, There are some dogs who don't want that.

Where that is their, you know, that's just gonna be their worst nightmare.

Maybe they have anxiety.

Maybe they don't like crowds or people.

So, you know, they're individuals just like us.

Yeah.

And so I think we have to just kind of tailor that to them.

Well, that is actually a good point.

So holidays coming up.

Maybe find a fun little place where your dog can go, too.

Exactly.

Really cool.

Yeah, totally.