Man ditches party lifestyle for his new dog – and he couldn’t be happier
dailyrecord.co.ukWhen Matt Verity’s dog-loving partner Rachel first suggested getting a puppy, he wasn’t keen. The responsibilities that come with owning a dog didn’t seem to fit with his work-hard, play-hard lifestyle. “When we lived in London, I had a fun and sociable but intense job at a digital advertising agency,” explains Matt, 41. “We worked long hours and often went out together after work to blow off some steam.
I had real FOMO, and could always be persuaded to just have one more!” As a result, the dog idea was temporarily shelved – but when the couple relocated to a house with a garden in Margate, the prospect of getting a four-legged friend was back on the agenda. “I didn’t have any pets growing up, so I didn’t fully understand the appeal if I’m being truthful, but Rachel was determined,” says Matt.
And so, in 2016, the couple got a nine-week-old black-and-white miniature schnauzer whom they called Stanley. “He was so cute, I fell instantly in love,” Matt recalls. “Even as a puppy, he had these big white eyebrows and a beard – he’s such a character.” And having Stanley around soon brought about a change in Matt’s habits: instead of heading out after work, he couldn’t wait to get home for a cuddle and a play with his new best pal. “I’d been told that the first few months of having a puppy can be quite intense, but I really enjoyed them,” he says. “It was such fun teaching Stan how to sit, lie down, shake a paw and so on.
I soon realised that the more effort I was willing to put in, the more I was rewarded with his love and loyalty.” When it comes to knowing what dogs need and love, Wainwright’s has that animal instinct.
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