The perfect date is furry

MANILA, Philippines – The past few years have been very trying ones for me. 

I have passed through stages of being lonely and wishing that I had someone to share this life with, to other stages where I felt that this is the life and being single is the best way to go.

“You are better off where you are,” said an older friend to me. “Mas mahirap ata ang may asawa. (It might be more difficult to be married.)”

There are other people who are still waiting for the day that I will tie the knot. To them I always say that I grew up with really strict parents but that at 51, I have been given the permission to marry — finally.

And then there is the issue of the perfect date. Does such a thing really exist? When you reach my age, all the men are either taken or gay; at least that is what I have been told.

But hey, there is nothing wrong with going out on a few dates here and there, right?

I have come to believe that the perfect date, other than my best friends who willingly accept all my menopausal mood swings, are my doggies.

My loyal doggie companions, all 5 of them, love me to bits — that is how they make me feel each time I see them. Whether this be in the morning when they lick me awake or after I come home from wherever it is I have been, they are always so excited to see me.

Why I’d Rather Date my Dog by Nancy Furstinger is the perfect book for “savvy singles.”

“Dogs don’t gossip. They wag their tails rather than their tongues.”  With an opening line like that, how could I not read on?

Furstinger discusses why a dog is really the perfect date with many interesting one or two liners that any pet lover will easily identify with. The book is a “collection of wry observations, clever quips and sly jokes,” writes Furstinger of her book.

Vodka the Bichon could not have come at a better time in my life.  She loves to me to bits, sleeps beside me, and snuggles close when I am busy reading a book or playing a game on the iPad. When the day has been a bitch, she is also the first to lie beside me and listen to my silence.

“Dogs joyfully express their affection anywhere and anytime. They are constantly thrilled to see you and smother you with kisses.”

When I come home to this kind of loving, why would I want to go out on a date with a human? I guess it’s because of the way my dogs and I live that I can never fully understand a person who does not like pets. And, mind you, I know quite a few folks who don’t.

Yet, the best part about the book is that Furstinger is an advocate of pet adoption.

“Consider that each time you adopt a dog you will save two lives — the life of your new pet and the life of another rescue animal that will take over the space formerly owned by your pet

“If you can’t make a lifetime commitment to a pet, consider opening up your heart and home to a foster pet as he awaits his forever home.

“Love on a leash is waiting to nuzzle its way into your heart.”

I must confess I have not yet adopted a dog. But I have rescued a few strays here in the village where I live. I have come to realize that the love that a pet gives, whether cats in their own aloof ways, or dogs in their tail-wagging and face-licking ways, are treasures that cannot be replaced by any other kind of love.

“Remember, puppy love lasts forever with a dog,” adds Furstinger in her book.

Cats will always love us, even if they are experts at behaving like they don’t care. – Rappler.com

What is the face of a guilty dog? Find out in this cute video when Denver’s owner finds out he hit the kitty treat: