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From: buchbind@agrigene.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Another Social Phenomena: Puppy Dogism
Message-ID: <141@agrigene.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Jun-85 18:45:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: agrigene.141
Posted: Wed Jun 19 18:45:36 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Jun-85 12:27:44 EDT
References: <258@azure.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Agrigenetics Madison,Wi.
Lines: 51

Chris Andersen writes in <258@azure.UUCP>:
> Anyway, because of this (and other social
> factors which results in a larger number of males as opposed to females 
> studying the field of engineering) the ratio of males to females is somewhere
> in the are of 5:1.  Now "The Ratio", as it is called, is one of the most
> prevalent aspects of social life at my school.
> 
> ... an interesting phenomena ... aptly termed 'Puppy Dogism'.
> 
> It goes something like this:  Have you ever been walking around and come
> across a lonely puppy dog?  Have you ever felt the irresistable urge to
> pet that puppy dog?  Have you actually petted?  Have you then found that
> when you try to leave, the puppy dog starts following you around and you
> find it very difficult to lose it without taking drastict measures?
> Well, replace the petter with a woman, and the puppy with the average
> male at my school (or a male from any social enviroment with a lack for women)
> and you will have an idea of what Puppy Dogism is.
> 
> Since I have heard about Puppy Dogism, I have trained (bad pun) myself to
> catch myself whenever I start acting in this manner.  I'm wondering if 
> anyone else out there has ever experienced this phenomena, whether it was
> a personal experience (either giving or receiving) or not.
> 
    Being a cured male puppy dog (I'm still male), and having some experience
with female puppy dogs, I don't think the sex-ratio has much to do with the
phenomena.  (We can speculate on whether academic institutions/subjects attract
puppy-dogs, and if so, why?)  What follows is the explanation for my former
behavior; other puppy-dogs may have other explanations.
    Puppy-dogging is a behavior learned in childhood, most likely in the family.
The behavior solves the problem of "How do I get Mom (or Dad (or any grownup))
to give me what I want, to take care of me, etc.?".  Behavior that works for Mom
will drive a same-aged MOTAS crazy.  It also causes trouble in nonrelationship
settings, e.g. professional, social, etc.  
    Having now experienced puppy-dogging from several women, I don't know how
some of my girlfriends put up with me so long.  Perhaps they enjoyed being on
the receiving end of the behavior (an obscene pun was successfully avoided)
or else they tolerated it because of other aspects they found to be satisfying.
As bad as the being-followed-around is the longing look in the eyes and the
I'll-do-any-thing-you-say-as-long-as-you-let-me-keep-doing-this-with-you
agreeableness/attitude.
    As Chris said, one is not doomed to a life of slobbering over other people.
Therapy can also be useful in to change this behavior.  (Try group therapy
with an M.S.W.;  one does not need to see an M.D.)
-- 

	Barry Buchbinder
	Agrigenetics Corp.
	5649 E. Buckeye Rd.
	Madison, WI  53716  USA
	(608)221-5000
	{seismo,ihnp4,harpo}!uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!agrigene!buchbind