Pets and Dating

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

13 Mar 2009 02:37 PM

Did you see that movie -- Must Love Dogs? A lot of pet parents get concerned when they enter the dating scene: will my special someone accept my pets? Will my pets like the person I'm dating?

Winning over your special someone's pets may or may not be easy -- but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. I'm a "love me, love my pets" sort of person. If my dogs Moose and Lally aren't appealing or at least tolerable, you're going to have to find someone else to date. There's no chance I'm going to abandon my dogs (who've been with me longer than my longest relationship) for the person I'm dating.

Even if pets aren't your thing, it doesn't hurt to at least try to be friends. You don't have to be best buddies, but you can at least set a truce.

• Let the pets get used to you on their terms. Greet your date, then let their dog sniff your hand. Don't force things -- picking up your date's cat for an unwanted cuddle probably isn't going to win you any points.
• Bring a little gift. It won't cost you much (probably less than some bouquets of flowers) and will get you lots of points from your date AND your date's pets. A little toy goes a long way with pets.
• Don't get the pets into trouble. If your date doesn't allow pets on the couch, don't invite them up. If your date doesn't share table scraps, don't give handouts from your own plate. When in doubt, ask!
• Learn (and respect) the rules of the house. Ask your date how to get the dog to get off the couch or get his nose out of your plate -- don't just push or start issuing commands. The pet's owner may have a specific command they like to use.

I'm the type of person who's more likely to bring a gift for my date's pets than the date himself... but that's just me. It's a nice gesture -- a way to say "I care about the things you care about" without going too over the top or spending too much money. And it's just so easy to spoil pets!

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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