You’re barking up the wrong tree if you get a dog for Christmas

It’s a regular complaint in our house. “You’re much better off being a dog than a husband here,” my spouse will grumble at least once a week, writes Alison O’Connor.

It’s a regular complaint in our house. “You’re much better off being a dog than a husband here,” my spouse will grumble at least once a week. The children’s take is slightly different, but along similar lines: “You know, he’s only a dog, Mum.”

The truth is that we all adore our dog Max. It’s just that I adore him the most and he returns that adoration in spades. As I type he is dozing on his bed in my home office keeping me company.