Forget broody, I’m cooing over dog collars
FORGET the husband and the babies… now that I’m an adult, can I get a dog to call my own?
Unless you’re one of those people who hates anything with four legs and a tail (just excuse yourself now, this column isn’t for you) you may have considered if you have the money, stamina and time to dedicate to a furry friend.
It’s a question doing the rounds in the office; male and female, single or attached, we’re all wondering if we have room in our flats for one more, be it Chihuahua or Great Dane.
I grew up with dogs. My first pet, Bruce, was in the family long before me. His pup days were far behind him but he had no problem playing with this wee nuisance.
Known as the “scratchy dog” (because a wee boy once described him as such outside the supermarket), he was the ugliest of mutts. But I, his girl, was devastated when he had to be put down aged 17.
Next came Goldie, the dog we smuggled home after my Dad told us for the umpteenth time that we weren’t getting another one.
He fell in love the hardest, I should add (they always do), and memories of my school days are punctuated by dog walks – the perfect excuse to get out and see my pals with Goldie plodding alongside.
Fresh out of uni and back home to scrounge off my parents, I adopted a crazy mongrel named Mac. I loved him even more whenever someone shouted his name through gritted teeth because he’d made light work of their dinner/shoes/couch.
His death just a few years later hit me hardest but I still smile when I think of him jumping to attention if a can of tuna was opened in a five-mile radius.
I’ve since spent a decade dog-sitting for four unruly nephews and nieces (who happen to be Yorkshire terriers) and now, settling down with a husband-to-be, that gnawing feeling is setting in.
Forget broodiness, I’m picking out names like Fritz and Fido, cooing over dog collars and calculating the cost of a daily dog walker.
So many of us are caught in the career/ house/marriage/babies timeline and working out the order in which they’ll come. But the dog question is up there too, waiting to be ticked off.
Do you wait until you’ve bought your first house? Or until you have someone to share that home – and all those vet bills – with?
Do you even need a significant other with a waggy tail waiting to welcome you home?
I won’t answer that last one in case it lands me in the doghouse – but with so many options available for pet owners nowadays, there’s no right answer to the question of when.
As with every dog I’ve known and loved, the only question is: Can you give this animal the care and attention it needs? After years of practice, I’m game.
You may hear the patter of tiny paws over at my house soon – and anyone still debating getting their own is welcome round for a cuddle.
Unless you’re a cat person. There’s no hope for you lot anyway.