Why Cohabiting Couples Should Get a Dog

I wrote an article that got featured on Brazen Careerist, a growing network targeted towards Generation-Y, on my cohabiting situation. The comments section yielded a lot of great information and advice from those who had more experience cohabiting with a romantic partner.

The odds involved in Cohabitation

Over the past four decades the number of unmarried couples moving in together has steadily increased. In my College Campus, it's as if most couples have decided to move in together even though most of us are fully aware that the odds aren't for couples that move in together before the marriage.

PsychCentral says that over two thirds of married couples in the United States say that they lived together before the wedding day. In spite of this, most cohabiting relationships are assumed to last no longer than two years before turning into marriage or breaking up. They are also more likely to suffer issues with infidelity. Worse yet, women in cohabiting couples are much more likely to be abused than wives. In addition to all of this, those who are serial cohabiters (constantly moving in with their significant others) are actually much more likely to divorce later on (Civitas).

Why Generation-Y is doing it

Generation-Y is from the post-divorce era. Our parents were a part of the divorce revolution and living together is a good alternative to getting married. Today's 20-somethings are more likely to cohabit as a way of "trying out" marriage without the legal ramifications of potentially getting a divorce.

It also makes sense that, with the financial burden that's on Gen-Y, we would want to cohabit and save some money together. Faced with the rising costs of education, living and with the sudden lack of jobs during a recession two people beginning a career can help one another by living together.

No matter what the practicalities though, there are still issues with cohabitation, not the least of which was that the chances of having a successful relationship that begins with cohabitation aren't great.

A Solution

Get a dog! Or any pet. In order to work, though, the pet has to be the kind humans must constantly interact with. A pet fish, snakes, or anything that is constantly in a cage won't do. We've mostly decided that a dog, because of their social nature, is probably the best.

Andy Drish of AndyDrish.com made the following recommendation: "We got a dog. Guys - I am serious. If you are living with your girlfriend and you want to stay out of the doghouse...(http://bewareofthedoghouse.com/VideoPage.aspx) Get a puppy. It's magic because anytime my girlfriend gets upset or annoyed, I simply say, "yea... but look how cute the puppy is." You can't help but smile at a puppy."

Nicole Crimaldi from Career Girls also chimed in with "I completely agree about getting a dog. We have a lab and she is great "excuse" to take a short walk, smile or stop raising voices!".

I am currently cohabiting with my boyfriend who's soon-to propose and most of our fights end when our dog gets so distraught at the yelling or the lack of interaction that we both have to calm her down. When we sit on the couch, the puppy sits between us and cuddles. When we're yelling, she begins whining and barking until we stop, when we're lonely, there's always someone around the house that we can interact with.

Sources:

Cohabitation, issues that affect intimacy. PsychCentral.
http://psychcentral.com/lib/2008/cohabitation-issues-that-affect-intimacy/

Civitas - the Institute for Study of Civil Society
http://www.civitas.org.uk/hwu/cohabitation.php