I have finally mastered meditation – with the help of my tiny new puppy | Joel Snape
I’ve learned to ignore distractions and focus on one thing, even if it is ensuring the little fella doesn’t wee, or worse, on the carpet
Last week, our family got a puppy. Not for Christmas – I’m too respectful of the Dogs Trust for that – but, in some ways, because of it. I work from home, and the December slowdown is the perfect time to do what puppies demand of you, which is to spend half your waking moments paying attention to their every twitch and snuffle, in case you miss some developmental milestone that condemns you to six more weeks of accidents on the floor.
In case you have never potty-trained a small dog, here is how it (roughly) works. After they snooze, eat or play, you watch them, hawklike, for any indication that they might be about to unburden themselves. Indicator eventually noted, you hustle them outside to a specially prepared area, where you eye them, not too obviously, in the hope that they will let nature take its course. While they are in the act, you repeat whatever mini-mantra you are hoping to associate with the deed – in our case, a cheery “let’s go!” – then once they are done, you give them a cuddle and shower them with praise. Then you repeat that, five or 12 times a day, until they get the hang of it.
Continue reading...Topics
-
Worried about what to buy the man in your life for Christmas? The perfect gift may be more modest than you think | Joel Snape
If you really care, get us an upgrade of a bargain-basement product you’ve spotted us using. Our gratitude will be eternal. When I was a small boy, socks were the inverse of a Platonically ideal ...The Guardian - 1h -
My husband and I have lived in my house for 17 years. Should I finally add him to the deed?
“I have no mortgage.”MarketWatch - 1d -
'Why I spent £85k of my own money to help fix Britain's housing crisis'
Dr Jess Steele put her money into a project providing affordable homes to people in her community.BBC News - 4d -
Are there any pitfalls to having my retirement savings in two brokerage accounts? I have $900,000 in an IRA and 401(k).
“I’m 52 years old and I don’t plan on drawing from my IRA until my required minimum distribution.”MarketWatch - 4d -
‘I want to enjoy the rest of my years’: I’m 65, retired and own my home. I have $300,000 to invest. What should I do with it?
“Is the stock market reliable?”MarketWatch - 5d -
I was told I couldn't have an Afro wig after chemo - now I help others like me
Anastasia Cameron makes wigs for cancer patients after her own poor experiences.BBC News - 6d -
Will my loved ones have to pay tax on my pension when I die?
I’m worried about the new rules that mean my pension is subject to inheritance taxFinancial Times - Dec. 4 -
Tiny Love Stories: ‘I Surrendered and Played Along’
Modern Love in miniature, featuring reader-submitted stories of no more than 100 words.The New York Times - Dec. 3 -
I retired at 30 with $540,000 in the bank and 'I don't have any regrets'—3 moves that helped me get there
After feeling disappointed by her dream job, one millennial decided to retire early. She's happy with her choice: "I'm very good at doing nothing and relaxing."CNBC - Dec. 3
More from The Guardian
-
No pardons for prison torturers, says Syrian rebel leader
The Guardian - 6h -
FBI director Christopher Wray will resign before Trump takes office
The Guardian - 3h -
Trawl the sea or mine for metals? Pacific nations wrestle with how to protect oceans - and livelihoods
The Guardian - 13h -
Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv confirms Russian gains around Pokrovsk
The Guardian - 56m -
Hannah Kobayashi found safe after disappearance prompted massive search
The Guardian - 3h