I let my dog choose my husband
Caroline and Sable on her big day
Wednesday 30th May 2007
How can you tell when you meet Mr Right? Some women say it's if their mum likes him, or their best friend. But for me, only one opinion mattered when it came to blokes. My dog's.
Me and my terrier-cross, Sable, had been inseparable since I'd got her from the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People six years earlier.I was born deaf, so Sable has become my ears. She lets me know if the phone rings and wakes me up in the mornings. But her best talent is sniffing out the Mr Rights from the Mr Wrongs.
And boy did I need her help. At 31, I'd been single for a while and I was keen to settle down. A workmate set me up on a date with his friend, Paul Jefferson, 30. I arranged to meet him in a café.
'Right, Sable,' I whispered, patting her on the head. 'Let me know what you think.'
I expected her to bark or growl like she normally did with strangers, but as soon as she saw Paul, she bounded over to him, her tail wagging like mad.
'If only all women had that reaction to me,' he laughed.
Paul and I got on great. We both loved eating out, travelling and walks in the countryside. And of course, we adored dogs. He's a really nice guy, I thought. But there's no spark.
After all, I was looking for Mr Perfect. So I decided to carry on my manhunt.
But, funnily enough, every date I went on after that, Sable didn't go for. She'd growl at the other men, making her feelings quite clear.
After two years of one dating disaster after another, I'd almost given up hope.
'The only person Sable liked was Paul,' I told my friend, Alison.
'Maybe you should give him another go?' she suggested.
'That was ages ago. He's bound to have a girlfriend by now,' I sighed. I could have kicked myself.
But what did I have to lose?
Nervously, I dialled his number.
'H-hello… is that Paul?' I stuttered.
Sable's ears pricked up at the mention of Paul's name.
'Caroline and Sable!' Paul laughed. 'How are you both?'
We chatted for ages. I was overjoyed when he said he was single. We arranged to meet on Brighton beach. As soon as Sable saw him, she bounded up to him.
'You look great,' I told him.
This time, the spark was well and truly there. Why had I let him go? We played with Sable, then went for a romantic dinner. From that moment on, Paul and I were inseparable. Sable worshipped him, and the three of us did everything together.
But we had to leave her behind when Paul whisked me off on holiday to Thailand a year later. He took me on a day trip to beautiful island.
'Close your eyes,' he told me as we walked along the beach.
When I finally opened them, written in the sand were the words Will you marry me?
'Of course I will,' I sobbed.
We set the date for May 2005 at The Ravenswood Hotel in Sharpthorne, West Sussex. And as Sable had led me to Mr Right, I wanted her to play a starring role.
'I'd like Sable to walk me down the aisle,' I told Paul.
'Of course,' he smiled. 'I always knew you two came as a package.'
Sable came with me to the fittings for my ivory silk gown, hand-painted with roses. She had pink rosebuds sewn into her Hearing Dogs coat, and I bought her a pink diamantè collar and matching lead. When the big day arrived, I was determined to make an entrance and glide down the aisle towards the man of my dreams, Sable at my side. I couldn't wait to see Paul.
It turns out Sable couldn't either. As soon as she clapped eyes on him, she went crazy, pelting down the aisle towards him, me in tow. I clutched my veil for dear life, my dress flapping around. Everyone, including me, burst out laughing. It was the ultimate seal of approval from Sable for the man I was about to marry.
Thanks to Sable, I've got what I've always wanted — the man of my dreams. And so has she!
Love romantic stories? Try these other tales of true love only from Pick Me Up:
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I swapped my hubby for a teenage lover