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Last year I considered writing a column about the effect that owning a dog or cat has on one's "social marketability" or "dating quotient." But then other topics caught my attention, and I placed the subject on the back burner.
Recently though, two events reminded me how beloved a dog or cat is to its owner. First, my 10-year-old cocker spaniel, Abby, had to undergo surgery to have gall stones removed. The vet had assured me that it was a relatively minor operation, but my family and I still breathed huge sighs of relief when the surgery was a success and Abby came home happy and healthy.
The second event, of course, was the recent pet food scare and the resulting panic by dog and cat lovers throughout the country.
While practically all pet owners are very attached to their animals, most single men and women view their dog or cat as far more than just a pet. In many cases their pet is also a best friend. Back when I was single, there were many nights when I returned home from a long day at work feeling tired and a bit lonely. And the one sure thing I could count on was that my then best friend, a wire haired fox terrier named Charley, was always there to greet me enthusiastically.
Even though I have owned a dog during most of my adult life, I neglected to take pets into account when I first started my dating service more than two decades ago. When designing our interview questionnaire, I did not bother asking a prospective member whether or he or she had a pet. I also did not bother to ask people whether or not they were allergic to dogs or cats (actually one's allergy is to dog or cat "dander.")
It was not long before I realized the importance that pets played in determining a person's DQ. Many single pet owners made it crystal clear that any man or woman with whom they might consider a long-term relationship would have to be accepting of their furry friends.
I recall one guy who insisted on meeting women in outdoor cafes, so that he could bring his dog with him on the date. If the woman disliked the idea of meeting the dog on their first date, well then she wasn't the woman for him anyway.
When people would report that they had strong allergies to dogs or cats, we would ask them if they would still be willing to meet a pet owner.
Unfortunately if they answered "absolutely not," their DQ would drop dramatically. Likewise, if we asked pet owners if they would be willing to get rid of their pet if they were to become involved with someone with strong allergies, they would almost always vehemently respond "of course not."
People's attachment to their pets is demonstrated by a recent study reported by the Humane Society. In this study of adults who had strong allergies to their own pets and were subsequently advised by physicians to give them up, more than 80 percent risked their own health and chose to keep their dog or cat.
I am suggesting that a single person suffering from pet allergies should schedule an appointment with an allergist. After all, there are a variety of medications, as well as practical adaptations to one's household, that can lower the amount of pet dander in the air. These include ridding a household of wall-to-wall carpeting, buying filtered air cleaners and using special hypo allergenic bedding.
If the above sounds silly, try placing a personal ad stating that because of your allergies, nobody with pets should bother to respond. Unfortunately, the odds are you won't be receiving very many responses, no matter how attractive, successful or personable you are.
One reason is that dog ownership among singles has increased over the years. Back in the 1980s I interviewed relatively few women who had a canine. If a woman did own a pet, it usually was a cat. But as single women became more independent, started to earn more money, and began purchasing their own homes, more and more women told me they had "adopted" a dog, both for companionship and for security reasons.
This "boom" in singles owning pets is also seen by the growing number of dating services, such as datemypet.com, animalattraction.com, and mustlovepets.com that have popped up on the Internet.
Finally, let me suggest another reason for a single person to own a dog. If you are reluctant to join a dating service, go out and adopt (or even borrow) a four-legged friend and head for the nearest park or beach.
In a recent episode of HBO's popular show "Entourage," two of the show's horny guys took their dog Arnold to a "dog park" specifically to meet ladies. Supposedly Los Angles Magazine had listed this park and strategy as the best way to meet a member of the opposite sex. Of course, Turtle and Drama did hook up with two attractive women.
But that was fiction. From personal experience, I can attest that such a ploy works. When I was single and living in Boston, on those weekends when I did not have a date (which unfortunately was far more frequently than I would have liked), I would bring Charley down by the Charles River and let her run loose.
On more than one occasion, with her help, I did meet someone. Sometimes it was a woman who was sunning herself and left scraps of food nearby. Like most dogs, Charley was not shy and was always hungry.
On other occasions, Charley would just chase after another dog whose owner happened to be single. (No, I did not train her to spot single women.) After all, there is no easier way to break the ice with a member of the opposite sex than to have your respective canines sniffing each other!
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