Readers of this column know that I’m big on astrology. I always notify you when Mercury — the travel and communication planet — goes retrograde, because of how this affects dog lovers.
But my specialty in the zodiac department is how people’s star signs are revealed in their lifestyle choices. I write a monthly column, “Star Style,” on astrology and design (or desynastry, as I like to call it) for Traditional Home magazine.
Living with dogs is a lifestyle choice, so I’m fascinated by what draws certain zodiac signs to certain types of dog. Right now through September 22 is Virgo’s time of year, a.k.a. Virgo Season, so let’s consider those born under the sign of the virgin.
Virgos make wonderful dog owners. Any dog lucky enough to be adopted by a Virgo will experience a life of pure love and loyalty to the very end. Just ask a Cairn terrier named Macduff, aka The Wee Scotsman, whose Virgo companion, talented actor and headshot photographer Daniel Reichert, takes pictures that clearly reveal how besotted he is with his sweet Scots pup.
An Earth sign, Virgo is most at home in the company of animals and close to nature. This naturally means that any dog lucky enough to live with a Virgo will enjoy long, leisurely walks and plenty of quality time enjoying the great outdoors, Virgo’s element. The Virgo’s innate sense of cleanliness and respect for the environment – not to mention attention to detail – will make him diligent about picking up after his dog, most likely with a biodegradable bag, so as to leave behind the smallest possible carbon paw-print.
Virgos are very likely to show compassion toward dogs less fortunate than their own, especially shelter dogs. Like Virgo Cesar Millan, who advocates on behalf of pit bulls and other misunderstood breeds, they will be aware of and help raise others’ awareness of dogs in need. They will support animal welfare groups with donations of time and/or money, and volunteer on behalf of worthy pet causes.
Virgos are also very likely to become actively involved in animal rescue, either by taking in homeless dogs found astray, or helping shelter dogs find happiness by fostering them until a permanent home is found. Petfinder is likely to be a Virgo’s favorite online destination – after Dogster, of course!
Virgos are wonderful caregivers – whenever a loved one falls ill or requires hospitalization, Virgo is the first to offer comfort and care, because they place a premium on friends and family. Dogs are both friends and family, so Virgo may be counted on to go above and beyond when caring for a sick or injured K9.
The Virgo dog owner will be gentle and patient with his pet, using positive training methods rather than punishment. Virgos have a special soft spot for elderly animals, which means that any senior K9 belonging to a Virgo is a lucky dog indeed. The Virgo dog lover will stop at nothing to make his senior pet’s life easier and more comfortable, from cushioning Spot’s tired joints with a comfy dog bed, to arranging for stem cell regeneration therapy, to carrying him when he can no longer make it up the stairs.
The Virgo dog owner will even select pet food based on how easy it is for an old dog to digest, carefully examining the ingredients with that famous Virgo attention to detail, to be sure there’s nothing that might cause Spot gastric discomfort. More than anyone else, the Virgo knows to avoid diets that could put his senior dog at risk for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease; this dog lover seeks out low glycemic, low-carbohydrate, grain-free food formulas.
Virgos are very likely to spike a dog’s diet with supplements and healing herbs, taking care to protect a senior dog’s eyes with milk thistle, her heart with hawthorn, her joints with FlexPet, and her mitochondria with Vigorate. This is a highly health- and detail-oriented star sign, so Virgo will really make the effort to ensure maximum longevity and quality of life for beloved dogs.
And if emergency strikes and a dog requires hospitalization or expensive surgery, the Virgo dog lover will make it happen for the sake of his beloved pet. During a dog’s convalescence, the Virgo owner will lavish his precious patient with TLC, even preparing home-cooked meals, and won’t complain even if there’s a long and complicated list of medications to administer.
Speaking of dogs and medicine, Virgos make highly compassionate, impressively detail-oriented veterinarians, so if you’re in the market for a new vet and you happen to find one who’s a Virgo, pounce!
Virgos enjoy eating healthy foods, and that taste will influence the type of food they select for their best friends. You can bet the pet foods that make it in to the discerning Virgo’s shopping cart will be free of artificial flavors, preservatives, and colors, and full of wholesome ingredients selected to promote a long and healthy life (and they’ll probably be organic, too).
What’s more, fastidious Virgos appreciate cleanliness – they are often teased for their neatnik ways – so their dogs can enjoy spotless digs, with bowls and bedding that are washed regularly. For the Virgo pet lover, cleanliness is next to dogliness, so even the K9 toys will get a good scrubdown from time to time!
Of course, this also means more frequent baths and brushing, which Spot might not be crazy about. But this is a small price to pay for all those other perks the Virgo’s dog has coming his way! Besides, when bathed by a loving Virgo, with a gentle and chemical-free pet shampoo, preferably one containing neem oil, a dog will truly feel bonded to and pampered by his human.
I don’t know about you, but if I were a dog, a Virgo is precisely the sort of person I’d be looking for in a life companion. (In fact, here’s TMI for you: I happen to be smitten with one, even though he hasn’t got a dog.) Helpful hint from the battlefield for those in search of a great dog lover: The signs that are most compatible with Virgo are Capricorn and Taurus. Here’s a caveat if serious commitment is your goal: Virgos are not virgins in the technical sense, but many of them do tend to avoid tying the knot as long as humanly possible (a virgin, after all, is someone who’s not married, so it makes sense).
Virgo Dogsters and friends of Virgo Dogsters, we’d like to hear zodiac wisdom straight from the virgin’s mouth, so please share your thoughts in the comments!
