The Happiest Couples In The World Are Mid-lifers And Their Dogs
Try proving me wrong. Go ahead...I'll wait.
I don’t believe happiness can be definitively measured or seen with the naked eye but the fact that I can experience mild euphoria just by watching my dog sleep is proof that I’m one of happiest people on earth. No wedding ring required.
My human best friend, Jennifer and I have always had dogs but our various dogs over the years have not always been best friends. Back when we were roommates, the day I moved into her house our dogs scrapped it out in the living room within the first hour. After that, they never acknowledged each other again.
Years later, our next dogs weren’t exactly ‘dog dogs’ so we never got together for outings with them.
Then came mid-life.
Jennifer and I are now empty-nesting, mid-fiftying, and no longer actively single-parenting. Nor are we dating because…peace and quiet. Needless to say we have a ton of free time at this stage in life.
Earlier this year she adopted a new rescue dog. The day she texted me this photo of Roxy, my heart stopped.
I may have been slightly more excited than Jennifer at the prospect of adding a new dog to our friendship. I knew for certain that Dezi would love Roxy because Dezi is a certified ‘dog dog.’ There’s no mutt she doesn’t like.
And the rest is history, as they say.
Our dogs have become almost codependent besties and the only thing standing in the way of their companionship is our human jobs. We can’t just stand outside in a field all day…there’s no money in it. 😂
Now that Jennifer and I are mid-lifers with no obligations aside from earning money to buy dog treats and poop bags, we see each other faithfully, several times a week. Before these two mutts, we got together once a month at best.
Mid-lifers at the dog park.
Since adopting Dezi I’ve been visiting offleash parks every single day since 2020 and one distinct thing I’ve noticed is the age group of other humans at dog parks in my city.
It’s rarely young families or Gen Z-ers. Nearly everyone appears to be 45+ and on their own with a dog.
I’ve learned through conversations that a few are indeed married but some women I’ve chatted with on walks have come right out and said they love their dogs more than their husbands 😂
When I consider where I was in my 20s and 30s, it’s no wonder I wasn’t at the dog park. I was at parent-teacher interviews, hockey practices, and corporate offices from 8-5 every day.
I certainly wasn’t a mindful dog mom even though I always had a dog.
Mid-lifers have more time to devote to leisure with dogs.
We also have less desire for the f**kery of life, such as Tindering, partying, and hangovers. Who needs Tinder when we can swipe right at the Humane Society and match with a PERFECT partner almost guaranteed?
I’ve met mid-life men at the dog park who show up in converted vans and talk about how they tour the country with their dogs.
I’ve met mid-lifers who have been through some life sh!t and now they’re partnered up with their emotional support dogs for peace and comfort (Raises hand 🤚)
I’ve met mid-lifers who were not outdoorsy AT ALL before becoming dog parents and now they’re out camping or cabining every weekend with their mutts.
You name it, I’ve met “that” mid-lifer who is now devoting their life and time to a dog.
A dog partner = a lifetime of happiness.
Since my best friend adopted my dog’s best friend, I can’t even count the number of times we have stood around watching them be utterly ridiculous together and said, “I swear, this is the best part of my day.”
When was the last time you stood in front of a person and said the same thing?
If I had to share a home with a partner I’m not sure I could find those exact words on a daily basis. And I sure as hell wouldn’t feel euphoric watching a man sleep and listening to him snore while he hogs the bed.
But then…there's dogs.
Mine doesn’t hog my bed but she hogs half the floor while simultaneously hogging her own bed. And most of the time she hogs my yoga mat because surely if it’s on the floor it must be fair game 😁
Since I have started writing Dog Snobs, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with many of you who are also mid-lifing or even later-lifing with dogs. Some have human partners but certainly not the majority.
has written a whole book about how she adopted her FIRST dog as a later-lifer and it’s a beautiful story. The title of her book is: Starter Dog: My Path to Joy, Belonging and Loving This World.If that one sentence doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what does.
admits to trolling dog adoption sites as if they were dating apps…even with disapproval from her husband. This is the kind of behavior I can get behind. 😂And
has formally inducted dog hair as a new food group in her life:“This is pre-Christmas at my house- opening up the butter (and finding dog hair), pouring cream in my coffee (and finding dog hair) putting cream on my face (and finding dog hair)……….”
You can talk all you want about husbands and wives and Rocky Road ice cream but I already know that love starts with a wet nose and ends with a tail.
That is all.
Are you mid-lifing or later-lifing with a dog? I would LOVE to hear about it!
Kristi, thanks for the shoutout. This piece reminds me a little of the late Cynthia Heimel’s hilarious writing on why dogs are better than men (available online until a while ago and now who knows where). That’s a compliment.
When Frank, my "bonus" dog, showed up in my life, I was living in a duplex, respectfully giving our duplex neighbor "space". Said neighbor adopted Frank, and although he lived with her, he said "fuck space" and made it very clear we needed to blend our spaces for him. A few months later my corgi Tosha came into our lives, and Frank became her boyfriend and protector. Frank's human and I started walking the dogs together every morning, becoming BFFs as humans. Frank knew.
Even after we moved out of the duplex into our own home, our walks continue, and Frank now comes to stay at our house M-F 8am-4pm...whenever his human is at work.
We are all mid-lifers. And Frank and Tosha know that they hit to doggie jackpot when they picked us as their humans.