Re posting from wrong section.... 'Next Steps'

GayDog3333

GayDog3333

Tourist
OK. .. Grown up mature bloke. Settled in life with a routine and range of activities nurtured over the course of a life. Suddenly I make the decision to stop ignoring the zoo feelings I had as a kid and accept this part of me after just denying and pushing it away since then. As a gay man I am not unused to similar issues and so wasn't anticipating feeling like such a novice.... AGAIN! It's been many years since I felt like I was starting from scratch and with zoo stuff it's not like I can pop over to the local drop in support Centre and join up with a few groups and social networks.
Finding this site has been awesome! So much material and views that I guess I'll be reading for quite a while. Lol. That's all well and good - I have a lot to learn having only had a few very snatched experiences with dog buddies as a kid/teenager. The threads and videos on hear are certainly helping me suss where some of my interests may lie. There's a whole load of links scattered around that will take the journey off into places as yet unknown.
I guess I am just getting somewhat overwhelmed a bit and don't want that to push me back to that closet of pretence and ignoring something that had clearly been part of me since birth.
I'm imagining that many of you will have been in this place more than once so if you have any pointers or wisdom to share I'd really appreciate it. Have messaged a couple or three members whose posts have resonated with me to ask similar questions but thought it might be a good thing to just throw it out there.
Hope this is the right place to post. Apologies if not - still orienting
Thanks and take care
GD
 
Hey
Hi there. How are you doing there today?
Found a link to this site and signed up. More resources are stuff to read. Lol. Prob should slow down a bit 😂😂:gsd_laughing::gsd_laughing:
 
GayDog3333 said:
Hey
Hi there. How are you doing there today?
Found a link to this site and signed up. More resources are stuff to read. Lol. Prob should slow down a bit 😂😂:gsd_laughing::gsd_laughing:
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I'm doing fine thank you, feel free to PM me if you need to know anything I might be able to help with. :gsd_happysmile:
 
HugDoggy said:
I'm doing fine thank you, feel free to PM me if you need to know anything I might be able to help with. :gsd_happysmile:
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I am keeping your offer in mind thanks. I don't want to start bombarding you with a load of questions all the time. Getting a sense of things from reading and stuff. Need to work out some way of being around dogs I think. Been avoiding them for so many years. Want to move towards having one in my life but think I need to get some simple day to day familiarity. Wondering about volunteering at a shelter or dog walking place for a bit... Any thoughts.?
 
Shelters and the like can always do with more willing hands, and it would certainly help you get used to being around canines again. The only thing is do they have a no kill policy at shelters in your area. I think it would be really sad if you were getting to know a dog and it's time at the shelter ran out and it got put down. More and more places around the world are going non-kill though so hopefully that is the case where you are. As such though they might need foster homes for dogs waiting to go to there new forever home. Which might let you spend some time with a dog out side of work at the shelter and find out what it's like to have a dog in your life and what it takes to take good care of them. Of course there is also the risk you might get attached to the dog and decide you want to keep them permanently. :gsd_grin: But in short yes I think it's a good idea to think about volunteer work at such places.
 
HugDoggy said:
Shelters and the like can always do with more willing hands, and it would certainly help you get used to being around canines again. The only thing is do they have a no kill policy at shelters in your area. I think it would be really sad if you were getting to know a dog and it's time at the shelter ran out and it got put down. More and more places around the world are going non-kill though so hopefully that is the case where you are. As such though they might need foster homes for dogs waiting to go to there new forever home. Which might let you spend some time with a dog out side of work at the shelter and find out what it's like to have a dog in your life and what it takes to take good care of them. Of course there is also the risk you might get attached to the dog and decide you want to keep them permanently. :gsd_grin: But in short yes I think it's a good idea to think about volunteer work at such places.
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Thanks. Really helpful
 
When you have any time tell me about your current dog companions. Interested in your experience of particular breeds 😊
 
I have been with a great many dogs from purely platonic relationships to full on tied with them panting in my ear; in the last 44 odd years since I first investigated that fuzzy sock thing under a dog on my grand parents farm, but there have only been a handful I would not trade for anything.
At this precise time I do not have a dog companion. I am ready now to love again, but standing on the wrong side of the rainbow bridge left a deep wound for a number of years.
Here are some stories about my GSD a very gentle soul, whom I was honoured to call my love.
https://www.zoovilleforum.net/threads/late-night-walks-with-my-mate-fleek.35997/ (no sexual content slice of life story)
https://www.zoovilleforum.net/threads/if-only-i-could-live-in-dreams.35995/ (our love forever)
https://www.zoovilleforum.net/threads/living-with-a-horny-dog.35996/ (setting bounds for a happy healthy life.)

and just for completeness here is my zoo ethics discussion paper.
 
I'm sorry to hear how much you have been impacted by the loss you have experienced over the years. It's tough to love again after that - I know. Hope you find another to connect with. Thanks for all the links. Will read through them with great interest
 
I've sent you a PM, because post here are public and accessible even without an account to the site.
 
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