The Golden Retriever Index

A relative of ours has a dog service business: dog-walking, boarding, and training. He founded it in the depths of the Great Recession, having been furloughed from his professional position. An interesting lesson learned is that this is an apparently recession-proof sector: people will cut back elsewhere before they cut back on care for their dogs.

He recently shared with me another interesting insight into the economy that his business is providing: every one of his clients who in years past had taken 1-week vacations is this year taking 2- and 3-week vacations.

The unscientific conclusion: happy days are indeed here again. Here’s hoping they last.

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Mary L. G. Theroux is Senior Vice President of the Independent Institute. Having received her A.B. in economics from Stanford University, she is Managing Director of Lightning Ventures, L.P., a San Francisco Bay Area investment firm, former Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the Salvation Army of both San Francisco and Alameda County, and Vice President of the C.S. Lewis Society of California.