Have been toying with the idea of dog ownership ever since I settled in a new country 4 years ago.
I grew up with dogs, spent a lot of my 20s working on farms around the world, and recently moved into a rental, alone, in a pretty rural area in Spain. Now feels like it might be 'the time'.
If I go ahead with getting a pooch, I want it to be an adoption - and I'm not bothered about having a 'cute puppy'. Perfectly happy to skip that (and the teenager stage, and the chewing, and the toilet training, etc.) and just focus on settling an adult dog into their new home and building a relationship.
And now I've seen an old fellow. He's 10, but in good health. Chilled, well-behaved, gets on with other animals, happy in cars, walks well on a leash, great recall... and he looks like he probably drinks whisky, plays a mean game of cards and has some stories to tell.
Not going to lie, he seems too good to be true.
I've sent the refuge a message to find out more, but taking a step back for a second, am I being ridiculous here?
Am I setting myself up to fall madly in love with a hound I'm probably going to lose within a few years?
What are the sensible questions I should be asking myself before I let the love-mist set in completely?
I would of course get pet insurance and make sure vet bills etc. were covered, but what else should I consider before I think about committing to an OAP?