I’ve met many really neat people through Lilly. There are several with whom I’d love to enjoy a more social relationship. But, here the catch. Most are too busy training and trialing to ever accept an invite. And it’s hard to be buddies with people who can’t seem to squeeze you in … ever. Or, who almost never answer their phones. So, while all this training builds canine relationships (or at least strives to), I’m beginning to think it just might hamper human relationships, except in situations where everyone is at a dog event anyway.
I used to believe that most of my friends loved dogs. These days, I’m realizing that many of the people I know might like dogs OK, but they don’t have them, or they don’t engage them in the same way I do mine. I was at a party recently and heard a friend of a friend say that she simply didn’t like dogs. She wished she did, but she doesn’t. In fact, she kinda hates them.
I about fell off my chair.
I felt like a stranger in a strange land.
Hence the desire to spend time with more handler-minded people. Except … well, they’re just too darn busy. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve planned a little get-together and thought I’d love to see so-and-so, but after checking the regional schedule of dog events, I realized they were likely already booked for whatever date I had in mind.
It’s not unusual for calls or emails to dog friends to go unanswered for several days or even a week or more. Everyone is simply over-scheduled.
Maybe I’m romanticizing the whole thing to assume the
dog commonality can become a multi-dimensional friendship, leading to
fun dog and non-dog outings. I hope not.
For now, I worry that I’m destined to be *that* person in most of my social circles — That’s Rox. Whatever you do … don’t ask about her dogs.
I’m the “crazy-obsessed dog lady” at work, and I guess with most of my not-so-close friends, too. My closer friends understand, but there are a few that aren’t dog people themselves. Oh, well. Glad to hear I’m not really alone in this…
I feel like I fall in the middle. I enjoy training and agility and earthdog, but I’m not as into it as many of the people I meet there, yet I’m “the dog lady” to my friends who think all I do with my free time is take the dogs to their activities!
Sometimes I worry people will think I’m one of those “don’t like dogs” people because I don’t like it when friends’ dogs climb on me (especially if they’re wet/drooly). It just makes me feel a little udgy-gudgy, ya know. Now, if I see a beautiful dog (GREAT DANE!) on the street, I will go out of my way to fawn over it. And I do feel a lil twinge of jealousy when I see so many people at Wiggley Field here in Chicago, their dogs all cavorting and playing and just generally going beserk (in a good way!)
Growing up, I was a major “dog person” -we had Missy, our phenomenal lab/terrier mix, for almost 20 years. Now, my husband is toying with the idea of a Puggle. I would only want a great big huge dog. Compromise is not looking hopeful.
I fit into that circle as well. The few dog friends I have are incredibly busy and as for the rest… They don’t share the same passion. It’s not the same level of understanding and whereas it’s nice and I enjoy those friends, I miss having conversations face to face with people on the same page as I am. I’d really like to meet friends willing to do doggie things and even better sometimes, be willing to help each other train.