The Puppy Denial

My wife loves dogs. She has been brought up around dogs and will not go through her life without owning a man's best friend. I could take it or leave it but for her, it is a key part of her journey to ensure that a dog inhabits our family connection at some point.

We have been together for more than six years, are married and are looking at starting a family in the near future. We both agree on this and all that will change is the time. Does it 'happen' instantly or will it take time and we need to look at alternative options? Who knows but we know that we want to start a family.

The puppy will then be slotted around all of the other priorities that come along with starting a family such as a house, car and work. It is something that I know is inevitable and as much as I complain and will get frustrated, there are plenty of other considerations to get more worked up about.

The world is going through a short, sharp shift away from common sense and towards self-annihilation (to put it in a calming manner) and my aversion to a dog should pail in comparison and it does. I prefer cats but a key part of any relationship is compromise and I can't say no to the pampered pooch and then choose to get a cat myself, this would not be fair.

Yes. Life is not fair but my wife is everything to me and so as such I need to be flexible. This is key to every part of life and should be how we look at the world but too often we become beholden to ideas that when challenged cause us to lash out. This is not how life is and we should be supported in these endeavours.

No matter how much I joke around or choose to say that we will never get a dog, I know that this is not the case as my wife wants a dog and I want to ensure that she gets that dog as it would make her so happy and my family is my number two consideration in my life (after my health).

My wife is top of that list and therefore receives a level of priority that many others do not have access to. Having a puppy is something that I never considered part of my life but then again I never thought I would achieve anything and I proved that version of myself wrong. Not because I was miserable but because my confidence was low and if I can prove myself wrong then I am sure that I can find room for a dog in my life.

At this point in our lives, we have a puppy lead, bed and more dog toys that you can shake your tail at, yet the final plunge has not been taken...yet. I may deny the fact that I don't want a dog but a part of me is curious. Intrigued to see what being a dog owner would be like and how beneficial it would be for our future children.

It will be difficult, I know that but everything in life is a challenge and that is why we continue to live it as it offers us an alternative push each day. We can never stay still as the world continues to revolve and if we are not on top of the challenges of the day then they could swallow us.