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This week, Cathy and I had a blast chatting with James Jacobson of the Dog Podcast Network. Having a man on the show allowed us to ask questions about pet parenting from a different point of view and we covered dating with dogs, how dogs allow men to express emotions, and James is on my side when it comes to “No, you can't flippin' pet my dogs!”
Are Dogs Chick Magnets?
I can only speak from my experience, but when I see a man with a dog, I don't melt into a puddle of goo and start planning our wedding. I will admit that I always get excited when I see a dog, but the most you'll see from me is a smile. If I'm close to the dog and don't have my dogs, I may ask to pet the dog. But that's it. It's probably because I'm a member of an older generation and I've been in a relationship for over 16 years.
I don't doubt that certain dogs attract more attention than others. Personally, most dogs grab my attention, but the breeds that tempt me to scream like a girl and race over to the dog for love are:
- Husky
- Golden Retriever
- Malamute
- German Shepherd
- Belgian Malinose
- Blue Heeler
- Border Collie
- Australian Shepherd
- Great Dane
- Mastiff
- Great Pyrenese
To be honest, it would be easier to make a list of dogs that don't make me want to squeel in glee.
Why are Dog Mom's More Celebrated?
I can go anywhere and find Dog Mom shirts, hoodies, hats, bags, mugs, and more. Although there are a few Dog Dad items, it doesn't come close to what is on the market for women. Why is that? I think it has to do with who's making the purchasing choices for the pets. Historically, it's women. Pay attention to the commercials – they're mostly of women caring for pets. Head over to a pet themed conference or tradeshow – the men to women ratio leans heavily towards the ladies.
I also think women get a kick out of celebrating our love of dogs. Men may not need to advertise their allegiance – the dog is standing right next to him.
Do Dogs Give Men License to Show their Soft Side?
Johan and I have had dogs for close to twelve years and he's allowed me to take the reigns when it comes to making choices on training, diet, veterinarian, and more. And I appreciate it because I've become a crazy dog mom where our pack in concerned and I don't think he'd get anywhere if he tried to come in and regulate.
I laugh just thinking about it.
I share this to say that although these are OUR dogs, I'm the one who cares for them. Johan didn't start getting involved until Blue joined our family. He immediately connected with Blue (we both did) and when Blue died, it hit Johan hard. I was stunned.
Losing Blue changed Johan. He went from a man who lived with dogs to a Dog Dad. Now, it's fun watching him cuddling with the dogs, listening to the extended ‘good night' he gives to Scout (his favorite), and he asks questions when the dogs go to the vet and wanted to be kept in the know about Scout's cancer treatments.
It's been amazing and I know that I would never have seen this change were it not for Blue. By the way, he's laying on the floor with Scout as I type.
Listen to Girls with Dogs – Podcast Episode 6
Thanks for listening to Girls with Dogs!
Listen to Past Podcast Episodes
- Girls with Dogs Podcast Ep 9 – Does CBD Oil Work for Dogs?
- Girls with Dogs Podcast Ep 8 – Can Dogs Eat Cicadas?
- Girls with Dogs Podcast Ep 7 – What's in a Dog's Name
- Girls with Dogs Podcast Ep 6 – Are Dogs Chick Magnets?
- Girls with Dogs Podcast Ep 5 – Rainbow Bridge, Agility, Daycare Dropout
