Mr. Burgerman and I started spending more and more time together. At first it was mostly out and about town, trying new restaurants, etc. Then we began spending more time at his house. I'm a very much a leap-into-anything-head-first kind of person, so I can say that our relationship moved really quickly in a very short time. That is until I realized that the dog ruled the roost. I am an animal lover. I've had pets my entire life. I love my cat. I even love the six chickens we had back in Asheville.
Fido was the alpha male in the house. He would constantly pester us during meals. He did not like my being around, which to an extent, I could understand. Pets often take time to warm up to new people. But like children, giving in to attention-seeking behavior only re-enforces the behavior. So instead of telling him to go lay down as he would parade around the dinner table with toys, he would get up and entertain him. And more than once during us laying on the couch together watching television, I would find him missing only to discover that he was laying with the dog on the dog bed. (Folks, I wish I could make this shit up. I don't know what can kick your self-esteem in the ass faster, being ignored by your partner or finding that he prefers the warmth of his pet?)
On top of that, I made several invites to different activities like lunch (we both work downtown and have flexible schedules). Nope. Fido gets walked three times a day for at least an hour, which Mr. Burgerman records on an app on his phone, for what reason, I don't even want to know. I can put up with all manners of behavior (I mean have you read any of the other entries here? I haven't even gotten into some of the long-term courtship disasters yet!). But I cannot and will not compete with a canine.
It came to a point that Mr. Burgerman just did not have time to interact with me because of his self-imposed obligations to his dog. I finally drew the line when our dinner plans were postponed until a ridiculous hour and when I showed up I found Mr. Burgerman not at home. Fido was being anxious and he just had to walk him. He just couldn't wait ten minutes for me to arrive. He didn't have a pet, he had a spoiled child that he indulged at every whim.
If I couldn't sustain his attention in the honeymoon of our relationship, what would it be like six months from now? I also realized that any hopes of having cute coupley trips would be marred by the beast. You know he does not go anywhere without the dog. As my mind inserted the dog in every scenario (and I mean every scenario), I knew I just couldn't do it. Besides, it seemed they had a very good thing going, and who was I to interfere?
I guess I'm more of a cat person anyway.
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