Misadventures in Atlanta Blog is on the Move!
Attention Readers! We have moved! The Misadventures in Atlanta Blog can be found here. The new technology will improve our blog and commenting experience. Update your bookmarks and RSS feeds!
AJC.com > Living > Blog > Archives > 2008 > October > 30
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Dating like cats and dogs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Any pet lover knows that when it comes to dating, a new love makes three. And as we all know, three can be a crowd.
A couple case studies to consider:
A good friend of mine (a man) has a dog named Oscar who battles allergies and a finicky stomach; despite regular visits to the vet, the dog can be a handful of health problems. But Oscar has been my friend’s companion for nearly a decade, his buddy and family when he was going through rough times. (I resisted typing “ruff” times.) Last spring, my friend called me in distress. Just weeks before his girlfriend was scheduled to move into his home, she suggested to him that 1) the dog might be better off in the country where he’d have more space to run or 2) she wanted a contract detailing her role in caring for Oscar. (Keep in mind that option 1 didn’t mean they’d get a country estate. She wanted the dog gone.)
I don’t care much for this girl, so I hoped this would be the end of their already rocky relationship. Instead, they “worked it out” without having to give up Oscar or signing a contract. I think after he told her (again) how important the dog was, she relented.
Q: What would you have done in his shoes? Do you think she was justified in wanting a written description of her dog duties?
Another story: Another friend of mine (he can be “Jake”) stopped seeing his girlfriend because she insisted that her four dogs sleep in the bed with them. That’s how she slept as a single woman, and refused to have them elsewhere when he stayed over. Jake admits he really likes the girl, but sleeping with 16 furry legs is out of the question.
Q: Does Jake sound picky, or does she seem weird? How many of you keep Fluffy or Muffy by your side, but would you move them for an overnight guest?
Final tale: A reader wrote to me with another “tail” of dog-induced relationship demise. He had been seeing a woman for eight months, quite seriously he thought. The only problem? When they cuddled on the couch, the pooch would bark and snarl his way. He admits he’s not a dog lover, but said when he finally asked her to “correct the behavior,” an argument escalated into a break-up. They’ve begun to reconcile, but she gave our reader (let’s call him DoggieDave) an ultimatum: act lovingly toward her dog or get lost.
His words: I feel like all I can do is respect how you feel about your pet and you can not demand I become a dog lover when I am not… I in no way am trying to replace the dog as the center of her world. I am a very secure person. But this makes me wonder if she loves the dog so much that she does not have “room” to really love a man.
Question: Have any of you dated someone you felt loved their pet more than they were capable of loving you? Is that bond easy to understand or hard to respect? Has someone’s pet ever been the cause of your break-up, or what about times our furry friends brought you together?
Passionate about pets? Visit ajcpets
Permalink | Comments (229) | Post your comment | Categories: Dating
