Pets and single people. [Archive]

Vince

05-24-2006, 08:47 PM

Pets are wonderful to have. I like dogs and most cats. Fish can be interesting and birds can fill a room with song. Some people keep horses and other farm animals and I know how much they mean to the owners.

Kids love to have a dog and cat and that is part of growing up. I mean, who here never had a pet when they were young?

If you have a lifestyle and you stay in one place and aren't concerned about finding a partner then you can keep pets. They sure fill a void and give and receive affection. No matter what your mood is they wag their tails or purr against your leg. Pets become close to us and we have to look after them. The vets are rich because pet owners care so much for their health.

I just wish that pets were not such a responsibility. You cannot go away for long without worrying about them and you have to feed them once a day. So if you go away overnight and no one is there to look after them it becomes a problem. Most of us have family or friends that we can leave our pets with. If you love animals so much that you cannot say no to strays or pets that others do not want then you soon have a big job providing and caring for them. That is fine. If you love animals then do what you have to do.

I have discovered that single women often keep pets. A cat is sort of independent and most do not intrude on what is going on. Some are curious and are around their owners all the time. We know a Tiger who is like that! Great cat he is, too. If you have 2 cats then that is okay, too. The cats have a mate and don't get so bored. If you have 3 or more cats then you have a large family. If you have 10 or more you have a community!

Dogs are different and they bark and know when people arrive. I have met women who have 2 dogs. They either bark at strangers or they jump up on you. Again, going away is a big problem because you have to get someone to feed them and play with them. For some reason many pet owners keep their dogs in the house. I have seen dogs rub their butts on the carpet. I have seen carpet and furniture chewed to pieces. If you let your dogs share your bed then I can assure you single guys will not be impressed. I understand that we all get close to our pets and don't mind them near us. Some pets even demand to be on the bed!

Just saying, that if you gals are single and have pets then it is not always an advantage if you want to meet guys and eventually have them visit you. If you have your pets trained and they stay away from bedrooms then that is probably okay. Heck, this is just stuff that I would have preferred not to have to deal with. You can do whatever you like. I am just pointing some things out that I have noticed. The plain truth is a guy has to accept the pets you have if he wants a relationship. If those pets are a nuisance then that is a negative and I doubt we need to have handicaps when dating. I can just hear some of you saying, "Thank goodness he feels that way about pets because he won't be coming near me!"

ripley

05-24-2006, 09:40 PM

I have a dog, a beautiful collie. I love her very much.

Yeah, dogs can do gross things. But I grew up with three brothers and believe me, men are capable of being a lot grosser than dogs. Granted, men often do not rub their butts on the carpet, but my dog never does that either, so.... In fact, she's smart, well-behaved, and loves everyone. More than I can say for a lot of men. ;)

It's interesting that you state that women having pets could be a detriment to dating. To me, it's men that don't like pets that have the black mark against them! If a man doesn't like dogs that's a major point against him in my book. He doesn't have to love my dog as much as I do, but if he acts all prissy around her then "Bye bye!" I mean, if he can't take a dog, how would he act with a baby? Babies poop anywhere they take a notion too, they spit up, they will put absolutely anything in their mouths...nope, a guy that fastidious isn't for me.

Tina

05-24-2006, 09:49 PM

I've noticed a lot of males of all ages driving around here with dogs in their cars and trucks. Are they all single? I doubt it, but I'll bet some are. Lots of men like dogs, too. I think it's a mindset, male or female. I have a friend who won't have plants or pets because she doesn't want to be tied down by taking care of them. To each their own. I love aminals, though I don't have any of my own presently. :)

Fuzzy

05-24-2006, 09:51 PM

I have a dog, a beautiful collie. I love her very much.

I have to ask... is her name.. Lassie? And do you call her that anyway? ;)

ScreamingChicken

05-24-2006, 09:53 PM

Nothing wrong when your dog sleeps with you. My wife and I didn't mind a bit when our perrier spitzer (1/4 poodle, 1/4 terrier, 1/2 spitz and all of 14 pounds) sacked out in our bed or slept in the nursery under our son's crib. We tossed her out in to the backyard on a full time basis only when we found out that both kids were allergic to dogs.

Also in Texas and the Southeastern U.S., a number of single men keep dogs for hunting. Any woman who has a problem with the dog, could be construed as having a problem with hunting and for a lot of these old boys, well...that dog dont hunt.:rolleyes:

missaf

05-24-2006, 09:59 PM

I REALLY miss having a dog. I grew up with 7 birds, 4 dogs, a cat and a lizard. I didn't much like the birds, but the cat and the dogs were my best friends growing up.

My first dog, Holly, was a deaf australian shepherd with one blue eye. She couldn't hear us at all, but she could recognize when we stomped on the floor in a pattern to call her. Through thick and thin she was there with me when I got in trouble and always managed to keep me from burning the house down. My last dog, Bear, was Holly's son. He was so dumb, he was loveable. He always greeted me with a wagging tongue and loved to sleep next to me.

My first cat, Doo-dah, was all black with yellow eyes. His mommy died in a car accident, but he tried to mother her kittens and tried to nurse them. He tried so hard, but they ended up dying despite our hand feedings. He seriously acted like he understood life and death and illness, because every time I was sick or had surgery as a child, he was right there with me. He lived to be 20 years old. My last cat, Onyx, was the same way with my son. He had BAD asthma problems and was almost hospitalized twice. Every time he had an asthma attack or screamed, Onyx was there with him, curled up behind him or in his lap. Even when he was a premie at home, and my son's dad made the baby cry, Onyx would bite my Ex - rofl.

I can't wait to get a place where we can have animals again. Seeing the joy in my son's eyes when he gets to play with a friend's dog lights me up inside.

Ryan

05-24-2006, 10:12 PM

I love cats and I would want to own one (or have one own me, in some cases) regardless of my marital status. In fact, I wouldn't live with a woman who couldn't at least tolerate cats.

Fuzzy

05-24-2006, 10:13 PM

I had a dog when I was a kid. My Dad called him a cow dog. I never saw another dog like him until I watched a show about cattlemen, and driving the cattle herd using horses and dogs... and there was my dog. A cow dog. ;)

I named my dog Firecracker, since we bought him on the 4th of July, 1976. He loved to dig and escape the backyard. We'd put him on a chain, but I'd forget to reattach the chain and he'd escape.

He got out for the last time, a month before we moved away. Never saw him again.

Never owned a dog since.

Tina

05-24-2006, 10:15 PM

Oh, Fuzzy, I'm sorry. Sounds like you felt terribly guilty, but you were just a kid, though, eh? Have you never wanted another dog?

ripley

05-24-2006, 10:20 PM

My first collie was named Holly, Missa! She was the best dog ever; she died almost five years ago. By the by, did you know that in some cases blue eyes (white coats, too) genetically predispose a dog to deafness in some breeds?

And SexyCuteFuzzy...was it an Australian Cattle Dog? The longest lived dog on record was a 20-some year old Cattle dog. Do you ever think of getting a dog now?

Fuzzy

05-24-2006, 10:20 PM

Oh, Fuzzy, I'm sorry. Sounds like you felt terribly guilty, but you were just a kid, though, eh? Have you never wanted another dog?

It does sound like a broken hearted story. ;) I travel alot. Until getting married, owning and caring for a dog was out of the question.. but now I just have to convince my feline loving sweetie that a dog might be okay.

rainyday

05-24-2006, 10:23 PM

Fuzzy, find her some pictures online of kitties and puppies snuggling together. The awwwwwww factor should help. ;)

ScreamingChicken

05-24-2006, 10:26 PM

We had a border collie mix when I was a kid (she literally appeared on our doorstep during a thunderstorm.) Nickie was an awesome dog, smart, maternal, loving. It wasn't unusual for her to grab my little brother by the diaper when he was in to mischief or to stick her cold nose in my mom's face to wake her up when my sisters needed feeding or a diaper change. It nearly killed me to ride with my mom to take Nickie to the vet to put her down. Seventeen years later she is still my gold standard for dogs.

Fuzzy

05-24-2006, 10:32 PM

missaf

05-24-2006, 10:32 PM

My Mom's dog was named Noah-- he arrived during a thunderstorm that washed out their front yard! LOL

missaf

05-24-2006, 10:36 PM

My first collie was named Holly, Missa! She was the best dog ever; she died almost five years ago. By the by, did you know that in some cases blue eyes (white coats, too) genetically predispose a dog to deafness in some breeds?

I love that name, Holly :wubu:
Someone did tell me that blue eyes and her white coat were signs of her deafness, but it didn't matter to me, she was the sweetest friend I could have wished for as a kid :)

A friend of mine at work had a dog deaf in one ear, but her neighbor's brought in a little rat dog that would hop their fence and start trouble, and the neighbor's were threatening to have HER dog put down. I couldn't believe it. So they took her to a shelter. It turns out that a family came through to adpot a friend for their blind dog -- and the two of them are fast friends and play together all day long! What a story, to see your pet find a wonderful home :0

ScreamingChicken

05-24-2006, 10:39 PM

I have no pictures of my dog. I just surfed images.google.com and found this close approx to mine:

Border Collie
http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t058/T058574A.jpg

Only mine was mostlyfuzzy..er mostly black, with a white spot on the muzzle, and a white chest.
Looks just like Nickie. I am determined to get another border collie as my next pet. Scarlett is 8 and being a small breed, she'll be around for a while.

sunandshadow

05-24-2006, 11:11 PM

Being allergic to fur and feathers, I have a slight problem dating people who have pets...

Miss Vickie

05-24-2006, 11:39 PM

The plain truth is a guy has to accept the pets you have if he wants a relationship. If those pets are a nuisance then that is a negative and I doubt we need to have handicaps when dating. I can just hear some of you saying, "Thank goodness he feels that way about pets because he won't be coming near me!"

What about men who have pets, and when they meet single women that they want to date? I know several single guys -- including my brother in law -- who have many animals. Is it a handicap for a guy if he has pets? Or is it only a handcap because women tend to like animals more than men.

As for our pets, fortunately Burtimus was very accepting of the animals we had, and continues to support me in adopting more animals as the years have gone by. Even though he doesn't love them as much as I do -- although he does love our dog -- because he loves me, he's willing to deal with the inconvenience of having animals. As long as I don't ask him to do the litter boxes. :) And I wouldn't have it any other way.

This was Choe at the beach today, having a fabulous time getting all kinds of dirty.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/Vickums/IMG_0673.jpg

ripley

05-25-2006, 12:27 AM

My baby:
(and yes, I am one of those irritating people that does the whole "dog mama" thing.)

ScreamingChicken

05-25-2006, 12:31 AM

When my dog is banging her dish, my wife usually asks"have you fed your daughter?" A proud dog daddy here. She predates my son by two years. He hates it when I call Scarlett my oldest child. Still doesn't get the humor sometimes.

Tina

05-25-2006, 02:12 AM

It's kind of sad that all I have to post are pictures of our pets that are gone now. This is Patch. He died of stomach cancer about six years back. He had the softest fur. We adopted him when our neighbor had to move and couldn't take him. He was used to being an outside cat, and while he liked to come in, look around and have a pat, he was ready to go back outside before long. He was King Kitty of the hill. The two doberman pincers up the hill (we lived in one of four houses on 4.5 acres outside of town) were scared of him, and one day he kicked a badger's ass. Very impressive cat he was. He was bad and he knew it -- you could tell by his strut. :)
http://www.tcdesign.net/Misc/patch.jpg

This is Joe. He was dumb but sweet, and was a great dog for my son, as Joe would wrestle with the boys and not only give as good as he got, but never bit or got violent, which surprised people, as most think that pit bulls are violent dogs. Just like any other breed, it's all in how you raise them. It used to crack us up that here we were, two very fat people and we had the body builder of dogs: very lean and muscular. When the property we lived on was sold and we had to move, there were no places that would allow pets and so we had to give Joe up. My son still hasn't gotten over it, he loved that dog so much.
http://www.tcdesign.net/Misc/Joe.jpg

This is my all-time favorite pet, Gandalf. We adopted him, and he adopted us. He was part coyote part golden retriever and he had the sweetest, most gentle spirit. Not sure why Gandalf died, but it floored all of us. I still love him very much, and miss him all the time. Gandalf is my gold standard for a dog, but I don't expect to find another one just like him, as aminal personalities are just as unique as human personalities.
http://www.tcdesign.net/Misc/gandalf.jpg

Thanks for starting this thread, Vince, it's a good one. :D

CurvyEm

05-25-2006, 02:43 AM

I don't think I'd ever have a dog. I don't really like them very much. I'm cats all the way. I want another one, but my mum won't let me :(

Michelle

05-25-2006, 03:33 AM

I have owned dogs, cats and various other critters. Now I'm the leader of a flock. Here are my two current boys. They're affectionate, sweet and probably the funniest pets I've ever owned. Not only that, they keep me company, don't abandon me when I'm down, and are loyal to a fault. What more can one ask?

Nigel and Ian.........................................Nigel flirting with himself
http://home.comcast.net/~michelllle/birdcollage.jpg
..........................................Ian being Ian

dan

05-25-2006, 04:14 AM

moonvine

05-25-2006, 05:05 AM

I love Animals,,Had to euthanize my dog last year.Very hard to do.. She was 16yo..Now I have a male cat, and he is a typical male..Comes home to eat and sleep, then goes out on dates all night.. What a life.

If you really love animals, you'll have him neutered. He's out producing more cats that die outside, get euthanized, or people like me take in. I just took in 4 more bottle babies..ugh.

Sorry, but it is the soapbox section, and that's mine.

bigsexy920

05-25-2006, 05:12 AM

HOw can you not love this little guy. I think you are right it may limit me when it comes to dating BUT it also helps weeds out men I wouldnt want to date anyway.

TraciJo67

05-25-2006, 05:47 AM

Vince, if your aim was to get an underhanded dig in at the single ladies with pets, you failed miserably. We should be thanking you for starting this thread; I really enjoyed seeing everyone's pets & hearing their stories.

I have a cocker/sheltie mix, a little black & white guy we named Tux. We've had him for nearly 8 years, and we both adore him. He sleeps with us, he vacations with us, we fuss over him as if he were our child (and in a way, he is). Lately, I've been seeing little signs that he is aging ... he's not as agile as he once was, he's reluctant to go for long walks sometimes, etc. Little troubling reminders that he's aging, and one day I'm going to have to say good-bye to him :( I can't even imagine how much that is going to hurt. He's an ingrained part of our lives, he brings us so much happiness & simple joy, and I love him fiercely.

If I were single, I'd have a room full of dogs. I'd be the crazy single dog lady. And I'd be just fine without a 'Vince' in my life :D

PrettyFatGirl4U

05-25-2006, 05:48 AM

I couldn't imagine a life without pets or being involved with a man who didn't feel the same way!

There are so many benefits to pet ownership including lower blood pressure, less depression even longer life spans!

The benefit of having a pet FAR outweighs any inconvenience, perhaps you should try it Vince, it might be a life changing experience!

PS- Having a pet prawn doesn't count, hapless or otherwise :D :D :D

Here's my sweet boy:http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/59/5127/1024/pic043.jpg

Jes

05-25-2006, 05:57 AM

I have to ask... is her name.. Lassie? And do you call her that anyway? ;)
ANd do you fall down a well a lot? Like pretty much every week?

Vince

05-25-2006, 06:10 AM

BigSexy said: HOw can you not love this little guy. I think you are right it may limit me when it comes to dating BUT it also helps weed out men I wouldnt want to date anyway.

What a cute little dog!

FitChick

05-25-2006, 06:25 AM

I have no pictures of my dog. I just surfed images.google.com and found this close approx to mine:

Border Collie
http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t058/T058574A.jpg

Only mine was mostlyfuzzy..er mostly black, with a white spot on the muzzle, and a white chest.

Fuzzy, That pic made my heart jump! It looks just like Socks, who was the border collie I grew up with. He died when I was 10, he was 16 years old.

FitChick

05-25-2006, 06:27 AM

MissToodles

05-25-2006, 06:29 AM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/MissToodles/mahtuisasucka.jpg

Kimberleigh

05-25-2006, 06:48 AM

My baby:
(and yes, I am one of those irritating people that does the whole "dog mama" thing.)

OMG, she is gorgeous. How old? Does she hide her nose under things to nap?
This is Molly.

missaf

05-25-2006, 09:51 AM

What breed of cat has that Garfield face?

TheSadeianLinguist

05-25-2006, 10:02 AM

I love everyone's pet pictures! I'm an animal lover, refuse to get entangled with anyone who can't respect my cat.

Tina

05-25-2006, 10:54 AM

Oh, I love shelties! Adorable dog, Molly. When I was a teen our family had one named Goliath. :)

Michelle, I adore your boys. I hear so many stories of how cockatiels are so intelligent and funny -- and often mischevious! I'm really glad you all have each other.

This is a great thread. Vince, I'm repping you for starting the thread.

JoyJoy

05-25-2006, 11:01 AM

We currently have two dogs and five cats (three inside and two outside). One cat is my son's and is only with me temporarily, but we're a nice little family. This has never kept a man from wanting to date me or spend time with me...and if it did, I wouldn't be interested in him, anyway. It's pretty shallow to think otherwise, imo.

Chihuly is my dog, and is the best animal I've ever owned. She's smart, obedient, funny and extremely loyal. I've never had a dog who adored me so much...and I have saucy to thank for her. She gave her to me for my birthday in 2001...got her from the humane society. She's 1/2 Shar-pei (mother was dropped off at the shelter with her pups) and we don't know her father's breed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v671/JoyMC/Chu2.jpg

This is my boy, Captain Happy. He's quite a character, and I don't think I've loved any cat more.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v671/JoyMC/CptHppy.jpg

fatgirlflyin

05-25-2006, 11:40 AM

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1035407/bound20001.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1035407/bound0001.JPG

Here's our little guy, totally a daddy's boy!!

GWARrior

05-25-2006, 12:52 PM

My dog is amazing and I love her so much! She's a black lab/golden/ches. bay retriever mix and shes OCD with sticks, balls and water. Her name is Bonnie Jean (yea, from Brigadoon :p ) and shes about 9 years old. Shes completely in love with my dad and follows him around everywhere. She even sleeps on my parents bed.

Im gonna miss her sooooo much when I move next month.:(

I grew up with animals (cats, dogs, a horse, goats, rabbits, chickens and fish) and I can't even imagine living without them! Im so lucky to be working with dogs and cats at my current job and my biggest worry about moving is the fact that I might not work with animals!

My (future) dogs will ALWAYS be a top priority , even if Im married.

Wagimawr

05-25-2006, 01:15 PM

Cats rule. This is Elvis:
http://photos-959.facebook.com/ip007/v16/4/0/59701548/n59701548_30030959_9870.jpg
Our other kitty (Onyx) is also black, with a spot of white on her chest.

PrettyFatGirl4U

05-25-2006, 02:03 PM

What breed of cat has that Garfield face?
I assume you mean my sweet boy who is MUCH handsomer than Garfield! :)

Pumpkin is an Exotic Shorthair which is like a Persian (flat face, stocky build) but bred to have dense short non-matting hair.

And he's a darling!

Donna

05-25-2006, 02:03 PM

Pets are not only good for the soul, they are good for your health as well. Click HERE (http://www.thirdage.com/healthgate/files/29228.html) to view the full article this quote is taken from:
Studies have shown that those who own pets can have significantly lower systolic blood pressure, triglyceride values, and cholesterol levels than those who do not own pets—even after accounting for additional exercise and other differences that might be present.

That being said, here are my two darlings.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h122/donnab1966/special.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h122/donnab1966/catnip.jpg

Tiger's_Lily

05-25-2006, 02:18 PM

I couldn't imagine a life without pets or being involved with a man who didn't feel the same way!
There are so many benefits to pet ownership including lower blood pressure, less depression even longer life spans!
The benefit of having a pet FAR outweighs any inconvenience, perhaps you should try it Vince, it might be a life changing experience!

Excellent post!!! I TOTALLY agree with all you've said. Thanks! :D

ps.......Vince, I'll be sure to let Tiger know you're feelings towards him sleeping on mumma's bed. Although, I don't think he'll take any notice, just as his mumma won't be! :rolleyes:

ripley

05-25-2006, 03:37 PM

OMG, she is gorgeous. How old? Does she hide her nose under things to nap?
This is Molly.

What a doll!!

No, she doesn't hide her nose, but ever since the day we brought her home she MUST sleep in the curve of Haley's (my sister's golden retriever) belly. That was okay when she was a little puppy, but now she's two inches taller than Haley! Poor Haley...90 degrees out and she's got a thick coated collie snuggled right in there, lol.

And Michelle...love your cockatiels! I had two in the past...Vlad (the Impaler) who I rehabbed after some people gave him away because he was too mean (hence the name, lol) and Bump, the girlfriend I got him. I've also had parakeets and finches.

And rabbits...I would have had a cat too but my sister and I live together and she's allergic. :(

Joy...Chihuly for the artist?

And I second the "Thanks, Vince!" for starting this thread. It's quite the "feel good" thread of the year!

JoyJoy

05-25-2006, 03:41 PM

Joy...Chihuly for the artist?

And I second the "Thanks, Vince!" for starting this thread. It's quite the "feel good" thread of the year!

Yes....Dale Chihuly is one of my very favorite artists! Cin and I saw an exhibition of his back in ...2001? and I was awestruck.

Oh yes....and thank you from me too, Vince. This really has turned into a great thread.

Michelle

05-25-2006, 04:21 PM

And Michelle...love your cockatiels! I had two in the past...Vlad (the Impaler) who I rehabbed after some people gave him away because he was too mean (hence the name, lol) and Bump, the girlfriend I got him. I've also had parakeets and finches.

I've also had parakeets, Rip, plus when I was growing up, we always had collies. Wonderful dogs, except they're really high maintenance with all that hair.

swamptoad

05-25-2006, 10:43 PM

I love aminals, though I don't have any of my own presently. :)

I love aminals too. :p

As for me, I tend to like cats more than dogs and my wife tends to like dogs more than cats. Right now, we just got an apartment that doesn't allow any pets. :(

But one day my wife wants to get a dog and I am cool with that. We both have discussed the kinds of dogs that we both like. Personally, I would like to get a dog that also gets along well with cats.

p.s.

My Granny had a cockatiel when I was a kid. She named the cockatiel Jasper. Then one day the cockatiel layed some eggs. I remember her telling My sister and I over the telephone that she had to rename the bird Jasmine. We just cracked up.

grey1969

05-26-2006, 05:20 AM

And I second the "Thanks, Vince!" for starting this thread. It's quite the "feel good" thread of the year!

So how about it folks, lets all give old Vince some rep points for starting this wonderful uplifting thread. :D

Miss Vickie

05-26-2006, 03:21 PM

I'm loving all these pictures of our animals. It's great fun to see everybody's family members -- and yes, I think animals are, or should be, members of our families.

ripley

05-26-2006, 06:42 PM

So how about it folks, lets all give old Vince some rep points for starting this wonderful uplifting thread. :D

I would, but Vince has made no secret of his not believing in the rep system or supporting it, and I won't compromise his ideals by repping him.

Vince

05-26-2006, 06:48 PM

No worries, Ripley, others have done that and now I am forging ahead with 2 cans. I am telling everyone I am so proud. It is like doing good things when in prison. Oh, don't be afraid to give me your best shot! Coming from you it is okay. :)

OriginalCyn

05-28-2006, 03:54 PM

...I'm going with the pet. Granted, not all guys are problematic and not all cats are wonderful, but in my own experience, I've tended to get on WAY better with cats-in-general than with men-in-general. Also, I made a commitment to my cat to take care of her for life (hers or mine) when I adopted her. I've made no such commitment to any man, and any man who said, "It's me or that d****d cat!" would be shown the door. Is that unfair? What if he's allergic, thought no fault of his own? Well, I'm not the only woman in the world. I'm sure that there are many cat-free single women from which he could choose. Dumping someone goes both ways, after all!

CurvaceousBBWLover

05-28-2006, 04:11 PM

Pets are great for single people!

Friday

05-28-2006, 11:32 PM

Any person male or female, that is so selfcentered and selfish that they can't deal with the simple needs of an animal that rewards them with unconditional love is not someone who has the skills or mental health necessary to love another human being either. I can fully understand 'I'm allergic', but the other would be the ultimate red flag in dating.

Rosie

05-29-2006, 10:28 AM

Damn right a guy has to accept my dog if he wants a relationship with me. And she sleeps on the bed, too. Tho that might change if there was a man in my bed - my last dog didn't sleep on the bed when my b/f was staying over.

Any man who can't accept that my dog is an important part of my life isn't a man for me. I'd rather be single for the rest of my life than give up pets for anyone. Yes, dogs tend to tie you down, but so do kids and I'm not the type to want to go away, anyway. I'm a homebody. If an emergency were to crop up, I have friends that would take care of her if need be.

Bottom line - love me, love my dog. If you can't, then you know where the door is.

Rosie

Rosie

05-29-2006, 10:36 AM

Rosie

05-29-2006, 10:38 AM

Hi Dan, sorry about your dog. I know exactly how you feel, as I had to put mine down just over a year ago - she was 14 and I'd had her since she was six weeks old. Shortly after, I took in a dog as a foster and ended up keeping her. I can't imagine my life without a pet.

Rosie

05-29-2006, 10:43 AM

Amen, OriginalCyn! If a guy is allergic, sorry for that, but he isn't for me. Just like I'm not for a guy who has/wants kids because I do not want them.

Rosie

Tina

05-29-2006, 11:15 AM

Tina, I hope someday you find yourself in a position where you can have another pet. You'd be a great dog/kitty mom. Thanks for sharing the pics of the animals you have had. How you feel about Gandalf is how I feel about my beloved Sasha - I still miss her terribly and know I will never have that same bond again, even tho I have grown quite attached to Boots. Maybe I just need more time with her but Sasha was that one very very special dog in my life, I think.

Rosie

Hey Rosie!! :D Great to see you!! Thanks so much. I will have to have another dog one day. When you are an animal person, you cannot go too long without one, but the time has to be right so that I know I won't be put into a situation where I have to give it up, because that's just too excruciating for all involved. You know, I know that you felt the same way about Sasha, it was always so evident. Sasha was so special. Any animal who has you as a mom is very lucky, though, and while Boots isn't Sasha, I'm very glad you have each other.

I figure, like you, that I might find another wonderful dog, but there will never be another Gandalf (or as my nephew used to call him, "Grandog." :) ) People who just look at animals as something disposable, or as just 'things' without souls, miss out on so much. I'm very glad that Big loves animals, too, so we know that at the right time we will have at least one dog. (can't wait!)