Are you suffering from the retirement blues? Is your life all routine and habit? Tired of the same old coffee shops and repetitive conversations with friends? Do you really need to visit your grumpy old great aunt again? Does the attic need sorting out? Has the spark gone out of your life? What is the answer – get yourself a puppy!
What sort of puppy you may ask. Now you have something different to do with your computer and the internet. It’s time for some research. How big do you want it to grow? How active will it be? What colour? Would you like a pedigree dog or a mongrel? How about a rescue dog from the RSPCA? You may fancy an -oodle, a cross with a miniature or toy poodle with the aim of a dog that doesn’t shed it’s coat. And, of course, there is the need to avoid ‘puppy farms’ which churn out puppies with little respect for the parents. There’s lots to think about.
Once your puppy has arrived there will be no time to worry about your ailments and how you are less active than last year. No time now for stressing if the house is clean and tidy enough in case someone calls. Forget about those new plants for the garden – they won’t survive. Ignore your next door neighbour’s whinging about the overhanging branches – there are more important issues to consider: what to feed it and how often? How much exercise and how much sleep? Is it allowed on the couch or the bed? How does one manage the wees and poos? When do we start obedience training? And what about its vaccinations?
But it’s not all work, there will be much fun. Puppies are full of mischief and you will spend a lot of time entertaining him/her and rescuing items removed from tables and drawers. They love to steal a toilet roll and run with it through the house. Items which you think have no importance become pretend prey to be thrown and jumped on. When you have a puppy there is no time to think about yourself and your future. There’s an exciting new life in the house and it’s demanding your attention.
Renaissance not Retirement 