Love
Me Love
My Dog
“I hate my girlfriends little dog. I told her
not to get it from the beginning. It's going to break us up.""We've
been together for 9 months. She got the dog 2 months ago. I told her
she shouldn't get it. Not only because I didn't want to deal with the
dog but, we're both in school full time, we both work full time. This
alone leaves little time for each other.”
Don’t let
this happen to your relationship. Your
pet deserves a better attitude than this. Imagine being the pet in
these two situations. There is a good chance these pets may become the
target of someone’s anger.
Getting involved
with someone who has a dog in their
life is much like getting involved with someone who has children.
Although children cannot be disposed of if they don’t like
you or
are rude and disrespectful, but the Humane Societies are full of
abandoned dogs who were no longer cute and cuddly, or who had been
replaced by a mate who was allergic or was just intolerant.
Dog lovers cannot
afford to get involved in
relationships where mates become jealous of your pet dog and its
habits, forcing a decision to abandon or else dissolve the human
relationship.
So how do we avoid
misunderstandings, anger and hard
feelings? It’s called communication, just like you would if
there
were children involved. Right up front, disclose your pet dog. Talk
about your dog. Find out if that person has an allergy to dogs, what
their likes or dislikes are.
You might casually
ask, “How do you feel about
dogs living in a house or apartment?” Let that be your
opening
question. Check for reaction. Your dog is important to you; he or she
has been a part of your life for a long time so any relationship you
consider needs to take your dog into consideration.
Share about your
duties and responsibilities related to
your dog, including monthly grooming and the medical needs; including
your dog’s personality, habits, etc., anything that might
affect
that person if they choose to be a part of your life.
After all, you are
considering bringing that person into
your dog’s world so why waste time getting involved in a
relationship that may ultimately be affected by their ability to cope
with your dog.
What to look for
when you invite that potential someone
into your doggie’s world; reluctance to pet or show
affection,
even with their best clothes on; your dog’s reaction to the
invited guest; how relaxed is your dog around that person; how does
that person react to the dog’s gestures of friendliness, like
licking hands or face, etc.
Your dog is part of
your life and any relationships you
entertain should include your dog. If you are thinking of getting into
a more serious relationship, one where you are planning to live
together, or get married, your mate might need to go through some basic
training.
Here are some of
the things basic training should
consist of:
Feeding and
bathroom habits, grooming needs, signs of
illness, first aid, treats, etc. Treat your new mate like they are a
dog owner for the first time. That means give them time to adjust to
having a pet around without pressure.
Just because you
are a dog lover for life, doesn’t
mean you have to have a life without a human partner but choosing the
right partner to share you and your doggie’s world can make
the
transition easier and grow in a lasting fulfilling relationship.
“We
all have some areas in our lives where we
fall short. God allows things to happen to teach us the right way, to
help us to make right choices. Don’t try to force a pet on
your
mate.”
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Love My Dog to Relationship Articles
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