Did it work?

In six years the dog has never had to spend a night in kennels. My parents have been able to make trips to Latin America. We’ve had holidays.

I love the dog, but I also love being dog free. I miss her terribly for about a week when she leaves. You just notice when the dog isn’t there, nose at every door and under your feet. But I get over it, and then I enjoy the liberation. I normally put her stuff away out of sight, so it feels like I don’t have a dog, rather than that I’ve just lost one.

My kids love the dog, maybe all the more, because of this arrangement. They’re always so pleased to have her back. And then, just when their attention is waning, she’s away again, and they’re pining for her.

We all love the dog - and the arrangement has always worked pretty smoothly. We’ve mostly kept to a two month - two month rhythm. But we’ve flexed that on occasions. I estimate we’ve each had dog custody for at least 15 intervals by now. It’s completely routine for us all. Most importantly, it’s utterly unremarkable routine for the dog.

If this has inspired you to do the same, good luck!