I'm part of a trend. Not the one for super-stretchy big knickers, the one for having an only child and getting your other one from the Kennel Club. Now I have two boys - one is taller than me, the other is covered in mud and hurls tennis balls at my head when I'm trying to read. Which I find adorable, of course, because I find everything Scruffy does adorable.
It's not just me in this dog-meet-dog world. Midlife Dogzillas are everywhere. We aren't boring you with baby photos - we're trapping you in front of endless phone pics of our surrogate child, choosing to ignore the glazed look in your eyes. You might not welcome a full rundown of the fur baby's funny little ways either, but we don't let that stop us.
A proper pet
It started, as so many of these things do, with a frank exchange of views with my husband when our son was little.
'I want a dog,' I said evenly.
'But they're so tying!' he wailed.
'Our only child needs a proper pet,' I said, wheeling out the guilt gun. 'A dog, not the boring guinea pig.'
Esta historia es de la edición January 2024 de Woman & Home UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición January 2024 de Woman & Home UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Sporting SENSATIONS
Olympian Tessa Sanderson CBE reflects on winning gold and shines a spotlight on some of Team GB's outstanding women
The ROYAL REPORT
One of the many privileges of working alongside the royal family is to see them up close and unvarnished.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF Dame Denise Lewis
The Olympian and BBC pundit, 51, lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband Steve. She has four children.
BRIGHT & breezy
Diana and Andy Irving set out to recreate American East Coast living at their Merseyside home, with spectacular results
Why a slim body MIGHT NOT BE A HEALTHY ONE
This month, our expert Annie Deadman reveals why eating well is essential, no matter what size your clothing labels say
My mother's GIFTS
When Genevieve Kingston's mother learnt she was dying, she found a poignant way to mark her children's milestones
IT'S GOOD to talk
The last six months have seen unprecedented candour from the Royal Family. Emily Andrews asks, is this the end for 'never complain, never explain'?
Sultry southern CHARM
Stretched along Italy's heel, Puglia offers a slice of the Italian good life, with peaceful hotels, indulgent meals and low-key glamour, says Lucy Thackray
FRUITY PUDDINGS
Easy crowd-pleasing desserts that can be made ahead of time
Are weddings OUT OF CONTROL?
You can’t put a price on love, but marriages these days can be eye-wateringly costly, as Christabel Smith discovers