When Your Dog is Your Plus-One --- Single's Guide to Dog Ownership

Single dog owners face some peculiar issues. For instance, what do you do when you're getting intimate with a new love interest and your dog --- who's accustomed to having you all to herself --- is sitting there staring at you? Or worse, whining and trying to get in between the two of you?

"That's the topic of most interest to everyone," laughs Betsy Rosenfeld, the author of "The Complete Single's Guide to Being a Dog Owner: Choose the Right Breed, Train Your New Pup, Balance Dating and Dog Duties, Find Doggy Daycare and Travel With Your Dog." (Published by Adams Media and to be released May 18, 2009).

Her advice? Distract your dog with a treat, such as a bully stick or Kong filled with peanut butter, and shut the door. Even then, "some dogs will literally stand outside the door and cry," says Rosenfeld. She cautions single dog owners to "set the level of spoiling that you're going to keep up with," otherwise, you run the risk of a doggy meltdown when your pooch has to share your affections with a new (human) sweetheart.

Rosenfeld's book is for singles, but it's not a singles' guide. You won't find a chapter on the best pickup places for single dog owners (though there are entertaining anecdotes about dating with dogs.) Instead, you'll find information on everything from picking the most suitable breed to the perils of dog park dating.

"There's a heightened connection when it's just your dog and you. It's more intense," says Rosenfeld, who is in her thirties. "I had to figure out everything -- from budgeting for dog food to the dog park hours to how to not have my dog destroy the rental apartment -- all on my own. There wasn't anyone else to share the cost with or to run her to the groomer. There was just me."

Rosenfeld urges prospective dog owners to choose qualities that are right for them. "People don't get the right dog for their lifestyle," says Rosenfeld, citing it as a top reason singletons give up their dogs. "If I can help one dog not end up in the shelter because somebody read this book, that's what I want," says Rosenfeld, who is donating part of the proceeds from book sales to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Another important takeaway? Think long-term when selecting a dog because you may not always stay single. Rosenfeld, who went on a self-imposed "dating hiatus" to write the how-to guide, now has a boyfriend (whom she met just after turning in the book to her publisher, natch!).

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Tags: betsy-rosenfeld, books, complete-singles-guide-to-being-a-dog-owner, dog-training, dogs