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Get a Dog, Meet a Man
Get a dog; get a date; learns Kristine Kern.
by Kristine Kern
Wood’s book is full of interesting little tidbits. For instance, I loved finding out about the top three date-bait breeds:
1. Golden retriever.
2. Any scruffy terrier mix.
3. Collie.
(The three least useful: pit bull, rottweiler, and any sort of yapping little dog.)
Even though Puccini isn’t a top-three breed, my problem changed very quickly from how to meet a guy to how to keep a guy. Some of you will know what I’m talking about. The rest will catch on when I tell you that I sleep with my dog. In my defense, I will say only this: I have never met an Italian greyhound owner who doesn’t. I’m not saying it’s right, or admirable, but the fact remains: Puccini shares my bed.
Not surprisingly, many guys don’t get it. And even those who don’t make it to that point can have trouble with the role Puccini plays in my life. I’ll never forget the first time I made out with a guy in my apartment. From behind the doggie gate in the kitchen, the pooch went bonkers. He howled and yowled and made sounds I’d never heard before. You can imagine what it did for the mood.
Eventually, Puccini learned to live with such male impositions. Truth be told, he loves men. OK, he loves everyone, but he’s shown a real affection for some of my dates. It’s not always been reciprocated, though. One Friday night, a guy I’d been seeing came over. He walked into the apartment with a rather long face, went into my bedroom, slumped on the floor against the bed, and said, “I’ve got to tell you something.” The possibilities whizzed through my head: He’s dying of cancer; he doesn’t want to see me anymore; he’s got herpes. He finally let it out: “I really don’t think I like your dog.”
It’s funny, sure. But it’s also problematic. I’ve learned since then to “position” the dog—set expectations low. I immediately tell a new guy that he’ll hate my dog. I cop to the fact that Puccini is hyper and spoiled. The guys always laugh. And then, when they meet him, he’s not that bad. Some of them even end up liking him. (He is adorable, after all!)
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1 BOINKOLOGY | Boinkable Links // Apr 2, 2008 at 1:30 pm
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3 Chris // Mar 31, 2007 at 12:04 pm
I personally love dogs, but do not want a dog sleeping in my bed. I have lost a grilfriend or two because of this. A dog goes outside and brings in dirt, ticks, fleas, all kinds of pests, plus, all dogs smell. NO WAY are they getting in my bed!! and I question a girl’s cleanliness if she allows this.
4 P.D // Mar 18, 2007 at 8:46 pm
A big shout out to Kristin! My dog sleeps with me, as did his predecessor. However, I can understand that a canine bedmate is not always welcome. So I got my dog a bed, which he actually likes and curls up in quite often, even when my boyfriend is not over.
And an FYI, my dog is a pit bull mix, and he is renowned in my neighborhood for his friendliness.
5 Anonymous // Oct 13, 2006 at 10:35 am
I found this article of interest, but I am a guy who is not into sleeping with pets. I have lived with a few cats, I have a good relationship with my Sister’s dog, you feed them a big chunk of ham, a dog will love you forever. But, I was not raised with critters in bed, I like clean sheets and I find dogs tend to stink a bit too often. I would rather use the time caring for another being in caring for kids. Dogs need as much care as kids to be properly trained, cleaned, and fed. And they never really grow up. My Sister does care for her dog and her kids, and does a really good job with both. You can tell the dog to do something and she understands and makes an effort to do the right thing. The kids are good teenagers, but… I do understand that in my search for a life partner I do have a bias against sleeping with pets.
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