Get the dog for the responsibility. Having custody of an animal changes your life – it binds you to a routine: feed morning and night, walk when needed, pay attention when they are around. A pet is more effective than a pet rock, because you get the immediate feedback (dogs) or feedback (cats) or just reassurance they continue to exist under your care (plants, fish, birds). OK, cockatiels and parakeets and parrots and macaws and Myna birds interact, too. Snakes? Think about the lady with the 13 foot python, a broken neck, and a note from Hubby “Give snake it’s medicine”. Nuff said.

You can cuddle a dog, bathe it, schedule vet visits. Buy food, chew toys, and discipline the dog – indoor messes of the chewing or “do that outside!” kind have to be taught, and enforced all the time.

You interact with a dog or cat to check it’s attitude – to assess whether you need training time for attitude. Disrespect always gets worse until someone gets hurt.

Do plan on obedience class. Most dog obedience classes focus on the person being disciplined. With discipline and communication – both ways – you can achieve any training and problem solving you need. Note this is a *life* skill – not something that make your dog poo outside, but something we all benefit from in all our work and personal and intimate relationships. Learn how your dog reflects your own respect and discipline – and watch yourself improve!

You can do about the same training a young horse – only the reward there is not getting your head kicked in or stomped. And all too often the ‘trainer’ is a training book or three.

If you really want a ‘quick fix’ to meet guys, check out how well that worked in the movies “Must Love Dogs” and “The Truth About Cats And Dogs”. Maybe you can be in a romantic comedy, too. Otherwise, get the pet for healing, to keep something living in your life, to distract you from despair, and to remind you of simple pleasures.

Brian Williams on his Daily Nightly blog pointed to a video going around – that points out India has more Honors students than the US has students, and in the 4 minutes, 30 second video there would be 67 babies born in the US, 290 in China, and 395 in India. Also 1 in 8 couples married in the last year met online.

I would network a solution. Find a bunch of happily married women, and check where they met their husbands (only the current husbands, you already know about the ones that don’t work out!). Let them know you are interested in settling down. If any online sites get mentioned, check them out. I am sure there is gaming and risk on all sites, but if you can narrow the lists to one that has worked for *someone* better than just an overnight hookup, that has to be a good start.

Luck!

I agree to scartch the places where she’s met the diappointing men.

Does that include the internet ??? Cause I’ve hated it every time I’ve tried it (3 in the last 4 years) but some people think it’s great and I’m trying to keep an open mind.