Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Is It Harder to Find a Good Man or a Good Home for a Pit Bull?

When I met a guy last summer, I took it as a good sign he made me laugh. I took it as a bad sign he lets his dog wander around the neighborhood unattended. He bragged that his dog hides behind bushes when animal control, summoned by an irritated neighbor, arrives.


Not exactly a good candidate to help manage the two pitties. Apparently the guy agreed: he's disappeared, which is fine. I knew he wasn't the man for me. So who is?

Well, Tommy is the gold standard. He's handsome, smart, funny, and he adores me.


It'd be a good start if a man possessed Tommy's exemplary qualities, but that's not easy to find, especially at my age. In less than a year, I'll turn the same age as Sally O'Malley.



It's not easy to find a good home for a pittie either, even one as beautiful and sweet as Louise.

So what do you think? Will it be harder for me to find a good man or a good home for Louise? Because the search for each continues. (Of course it's possible I won't find either, but I'm going to try to be positive here.)

68 comments:

  1. Oh, I have such a soft spot for Tommy. In a big way.

    If you asked me, which I guess you did, I'd say stop looking. I mean it. When I gave up on the search (and I grieved it, too), I found what I wanted.

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  2. Just stopped by PDP...

    Tommy is irresistible, isn't he?

    Yes, I did ask you and I like your advice. I mean it, too.

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  3. Someday I'll tell you all about it. It was kind of an amazing story. It least it was to me.

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    1. I would love to hear that story, Petrea. Someday soon, I hope.

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  4. Send your searches out to the Universe with a prayer and go on about your daily business...worked for me...(and TheChief)!

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    1. That put a smile on my face, Chieftess. You and The Chief make a great pair.

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  5. A good man

    Stop on by for a visit
    Kari
    http://dogisgodinreverse.com

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    1. Kari, even harder to find a good man while I have two pitties.

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  6. Both you and Lou will find what you're looking for. Not a doubt in my mind.

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    1. Thank you, Hiker. I'm touched by your certainty.

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  7. Much wisdom already shared here, Susan. Just keep loving your life and being Susan, relax and the Universe will move all manner of things to sprinkle you with magic. [Mind you, Tommy sets a pretty high bar to measure up to. ;) ]

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    1. Shell, thanks for always sprinkling your magic around here.

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  8. I'll get you a questing goddess, which you can use for both!

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    1. You'll never find me turning down an offer for a goddess. Thank you, Margaret!

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  9. Can't provide the fireworks but I can get you a date.

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    1. btw: that concrete fellow looks a little young for a 50 year old broad

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    2. Does he like pit bulls? And cats? If the answer is yes and yes, sure. Hook me up.

      That concrete fellow is cute though, isn't he?

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  10. Sue,
    Tommy is a king among kings, but you are a high priestess. Deserving of only the best! I agree with everyone else, be yourself always, stop looking, and enjoy your life and everything that is meant to be will be!!! I love you, lynnie xoxo

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    1. Thanks, Lynnie. A high priestess. I like the sound of that.

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  11. All good advice, above, sweet Susan! Things happen when we least expect it, right? You met Tommy that way!

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    1. That's true, Liz. I did meet Tommy, the love of my life, most unexpectedly.

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  12. Hi Sue:

    Oh thank goodness LIfe With Tommy is back!

    Well girl like all things in life you - you have to draw in your man like a magnet. I believe you brought Tommy and Louise to yourself for a reason.

    Affirmations affirmations affirmations (thank you Jackie Navarro Conte) will bring you the perfect man just like Tommy and Louise found you - the perfect mommy.

    Our thoughts and actions can definitely have an impact on our reality, don't you agree?

    I am just so happy that Life WIth Tommy is back in action. Keep it coming beautiful lady - the world is yours, hands down!

    Love you til the cows come home.

    Kristen

    PS I know pitbulls are not easy, but even the best men are a big chore. Sorry guys, Get Over It.

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    1. Absolutely, Kristen. I do believe our thoughts and actions have an impact on reality. All great advice, as always. I need to Get Over Myself, don't I?

      And your PS. Well, you never fail to make me laugh out loud. But there's truth in your humor, too. You are the guru.

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  13. P.S. Hilarious Sally O'Malley video! You do a lot more than kick it, girl!

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    1. Oh, what a sweetheart. I have a lump in my throat after watching that.

      I think Nala would love Mr V.

      Pitster... I like that.

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    2. Eldad is a wonder, I love to watch his videos to help me get my courage up and this is one of my favorites of his rescues of which there are many, many.

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  15. Sue, Visualize it and the Universe will deliver. Send out that positive energy and feel your power. You are the best. Can't wait to see you and I'd love to meet your friends too. xoxo, Jo

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  16. Susan, I'm going also to be positive here, certainly you will find what you're looking for!

    The video of Sally O'Malley make my laugh!

    Have a good weekend!

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    1. Thank you, sonia! Glad the video made you laugh.

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  17. If she and Tommy weren't such a combustible pair, she would be mine for life. Pitstops = cockblocks. I'm afraid that could be.

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  18. Have I met Tom? I'm not sure.

    How embarrassing. I've turned my blog into a matchmaking site. I have put you all up to it. I'm sorry. And thank you.

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  19. It is hard to find homes for pits, owners like that guy, make it worse. The dog however, is a real cutie!

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    1. Pat, thanks for stopping by and "liking" Adopt Louise on FB!

      That guy would definitely fail as a pittie human.

      Isn't Tommy cute? I'm in pittie love.

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  20. I can't tell if you're joking about being almost 50. I know I'm only looking at a 2cm photo, but you look like you're about 30, if that.

    Wouldn't it be amazing if it turned out that your good man also adopted Louise? Well, but then Tommy and Louise would still have to live together, so maybe that wouldn't be such a great solution. Or maybe it would?!

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    1. Mimi, you've articulated my secret (or not-so-secret) wish: a good man who falls for me and Louise (and Tommy and the cats). Tommy and Louise are fine living together. It's the double walks that are killing me.

      About my age, believe me, the mirror doesn't lie. The 2cm photo does.

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  21. Mimi, you are correct, she does look young. The only reason I believed her when she told me her age is because she's trustworthy.

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    1. Ah, flattery. I put you all up to this too. Shameful.

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  22. Two good souls looking for love. Maybe we should both stick with pitties.

    But if you find a good man, I'd be honored to be your Maid of Honor. We can kick, scratch and stretch down the aisle. Or be pushed in our wheelchairs. Either way, it'll likely be a blast and an embarrassment.

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  23. How about you get both? A new man and a new home for Louise. Everything is possible!

    And you can visit my website when you've succeeded. It is the month of love after all........

    http://www.chicandboutiqueweddingvenues.com

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    1. Chic and Boutique, I need your positive outlook on life.

      It could be awhile before I succeed, so I checked out your website and FB page. Both look great. You have over 4000 likes! Louise has 50. I should hire you as Louise's PR agent.

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  24. Tommy definitely sets a high standard....

    And of course I hope you find both, ideally in the same person.

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  25. Thank you, Jean. That would be a lovely ending to this story. I'm just a stone's throw from Hollywood, so why not?

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  26. Susan, I absolutely agree with Mimi and Petrea, you look so young!!

    Have a pleasant week ahead!
    Big hugs!

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    1. Thank you, Sonia! Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

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  27. Susan, well you know my story... this last year my three little guys (Tigger, Einstein and Vinyll) sat down, me with large glass of wine, and they with their chew toys, agreed we did not need a man. After all we were all happy, busy, and loved each other.
    Well wouldn't you know it, as soon we made a pact with paw, hand, paw ,paw, the man of my dreams popped (not pooped) into my life. The moral of this story is: there is a reason for everything so do what YOU want to do and need. A man is NOT the answer, but he could come in handy to pick up the poops.

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  28. Terri, you are proof of my point: when you are not interested (and you mean it), men find you interesting.

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    1. Petrea, in my case, the man was always interested and visa versa but the universe was not aligned and had other plans. I am thankful I did not dwell on a needing man, and lived my life although there were many moments of doubt, frustration and overall 'what the hell am I doing'. Having faith in knowing what one needs for oneself is a great gift and I have learned this from my dogs.

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  29. Susan - great article on Dogs in the February 2012 issue of National Geographic called "What Dogs Tell Us: The ABC's of DNA" The closest to the wolf is the Shiba Inu and second (a surprise) the Chow. German Shepherds fell into the Masiff category and far from wolf as well as herders

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    1. PA, that's fascinating. Terri's Tigger is a Shiba Inu. (Terri left a couple of comments here.) Does that mean the Shiba Inu is the oldest breed? I'll have to read the article. Thanks for letting us know about it.

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  30. Terri and Petrea, I failed miserably to communicate the original point I wanted to make in this post: that if I found a good man I could keep Louise, as the solo walking effort is killing me. I need a man to help with the pitties!

    But I appreciate the personal anecdotes and perspectives this version has spawned, and I'm glad each of your stories has a happy ending.

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  31. Dear Susan, thank you for your nice comments on my place! Love seeing your name on comments!
    Have a nice week ahead!

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  32. Hrmph. I'm stumped. I'd have to guess that you'll find both. And soon. It can be frustrating, but you have the smarts and the sense of humor to deal with both ;)

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  33. I can see you've read my good advice from other like-minded followers, Susan, but I'll repeat for the sake positive reinforcement: Focus on you! Shower Tommy with love. Help Louise work on becoming the kind of dog you could keep without help from a live-in partner. Make time for your friends. Do something cultural or try a new restaurant at least once every other week. The rest will fall into place.

    I'm sure you've considered this, but have you contacted any trainers about Louise? Even a session or two could give you enough ideas for working with her (and her and Tommy together) to take you through a few of months of practice and homework. If you can't find an affordable one out there, try contacting local shelters. They often offer free advice as part of heir ultimate goal of reducing owner give-ups due to manageable but irritating dog behavior. If that doesn't work, seriously put up a post with a call for help. Ask people to help you brainstorm solutions based on what they've read, seen and lived.

    I hear you about the walks, though! I can walk two of ours at a time, but not all three. (By the way, that could be you someday: a dog in each hand. I didn't think I could do it, but I've got at least 130-160 lbs. of dog with me on at least one walk each day. That's more than I weigh myself!) Chris works too many hours to help during the week, so five days each week, year round, it's on my to-do list. To help make it more manageable for me, I do three weekdays of short-ish walks and tough it out for two long walks the other two days. Weekends, Chris and I commit to long, long walks both days. But instead of a partner, maybe you could find a dog walker just for the weekends to walk with you (it's a splurge, but worth it if it reduces your stress level). Or maybe you have a friend looking to stretch her legs on the weekends. Just commit to a month at a time so your friend doesn't feel roped into a dog-walker-for-life role. You have a yard, right, so the walks are to balance your dogs out, work on manners and bond, rather than because that's the only way they can be outside?

    Most of this is just throwing ideas out there for you to think about, but the one that I really mean is: Focus on you!

    Also, thank you for checking in on me and my pack. It's so nice to start wondering what's going on in other people's lives now that our home is getting back to normal!

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  34. Hi Susan!
    Just stopping by to wishing you a good weekend.
    Big hugs,
    Sonia.

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  35. This was a really good one, SC! It deserves the many comments, and I'm glad you got them!

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  36. Sonia, ForPetsSake, Pit Bull Addict, Cafe - Sorry I've been incommunicado. I had family visiting for a few weeks and now I'm sick. I'll post again and visit your blogs as I start to feel better. In the meantime, thank you for dropping by. It's so nice to see each of you.

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  37. The family came, left, leaving you sick, SC??

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  38. Yep, more or less, that's what happened, Cafe. They didn't do it on purpose.

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  39. I have seen u on Petrea's page...Even tho this post is about a month old the subject isn't... I feel exactly like u do... seems as tho animals are more loyal than some males? lol.

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  40. Hi Kalei, welcome! I've seen you over at Petrea's place, too.

    Not only are animals more loyal than men, they're also easier to train. My dog trainer used to say that, and I wholeheartedly agree. But wait... you have a cat. Hmmm... scratch that.

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    1. NO kidding, ( on scratch that) lol.. then again, she knows who feeds her! So, I still have a one up on her!. LOL. I saved her life when she was about 2 months.. she found a drawstring bag and got a little curious... Her neck somehow got caught up in it and I found herself swaying from it.. yep, she was scared s*itless..

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  41. Still following this conversation. I'm glad you two found each other! And glad Kalei, that you found, uh, Kalei...

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  42. Kalei, that explains why you're Kalei's BF. I'm glad you found each other, too.

    I'd say it's about time for a new post. Coming soon.

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  43. I doubt either of those is harder than finding a good woman! :)

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