Friday, May 11, 2012

The Ultimate Date-getter

                                                                                     
For those of you who watched the talented Owen Wilson in MARLEY AND ME, you know a dog attracts women. In fact, Marley (the pup) is even borrowed to pick up women. Part of the reason is people feel less anxious about greeting a dog or a puppy.  If you’re a dog lover and you see someone walking a dog, then you know you already have something in common. You can strike up a conversation about anything dog-related. Who knows where that might go.

Dogs are often used to meet people. Really!  Walking your dog was one of the activities suggested to meet people when you move into a new city. First of all, the dog gets you outside your home where you can meet people. If it is an unusual looking dog then folks want to know what it is. Except for my real life dog who is a cross between a boxer and Rottweiler; people just want to know if the leash is strong. (He is a sweetheart despite his fierce looks.)

The upside on having a macho dog is men are interested because they’d prefer a more masculine dog. Of course, the men I met with my dog had multiple tattoos and sometimes were armed. LOL.  Approaching a man or woman with a dog allows the person to save face if they’re rebuffed.

If you see a guy with a party spaniel, you can ask about his dog without looking like you’re checking him out. Once you get closer you noticed the leash covered the wedding ring. You can make general dog comments and retreat with no major humiliation. You might even get a good lead on a vet or dog park.

In my book, PUPPY LOVE, my main character Theo would not have met the new vet in town without a dog.  The fact she has a dog allows her to encounter him again and again without being too obvious! If you’re both dog lovers then you can start a conversation without all that awkward getting to know you chatter. Shy guys and gals have a leg up (no pun intended) when talking about their pet.

 Sometimes a pet can be a romance killer. My sister relocated her Siamese cat because he took a dislike to all her dates.  Max, the cat, preferred she spend her time with him.

Other times our canine pals can be problem children. Your beau is not thrilled that your dog goes everywhere with you. He may be even less thrilled to discover that Fido sleeps with you. Then there is the issue of his dog and your dog when you decide to create a union. Often the dogs don’t like each other at first. With care, you can introduce the dogs slowly.

I eliminated that problem in PUPPY LOVE, by having Dr. Brent Knight’s dog recently die. Rather cruel of me, but it allowed Theo the chance to be sympathetic. Besides Theo already had an aging bloodhound,  and a crazed chi-weenie.

When asked what made men appear more attractive, the general comment by women was seeing them with children and dogs. I think it humanizes the tough guy exterior. If he is with children they are probably his, which probably puts him out of the dating pool. If he has a dog, he could be married too; the dog, however, does not tell Mommy that some lady in short shorts talked to Daddy, though.

In the movie, MUST LOVE DOGS, dogs were borrowed to meet dates. Got a dog? Need a date? Sounds like it is time to visit the local dog park.

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