let me explain just a little more about my x.....when i said i only knew how to interact with him as an active alcoholic, i meant that the insanity, chaos, confusion, abuse was all i knew...therefore, that was the only way i knew how to interact with him....on the same level of insanity.
when he got sober and was a new person, i was all confused. we had a wonderful 8 weeks one time.
anyway, we were like strangers. he was sober, and i was like a whipped pup, cowering, waiting for the next shoe to drop. waiting for him to pick up and use again. he was so awesome....so "normal" during that time.....and he was foreign to me.
i understand about the dog, too.....my dog is part of my family and i love him so much.....like mallow said....unconditional love from them.
trust me, if you have lived with the effects of alcoholism, you have been affected and hurt. i wanted to believe i was a normie, too, but i wasn't.....i had been deeply, profoundly hurt and needed the help that al-anon offered me.
best to you