Dear Amy: I am a 74-year-old retired man. Over the course of my lifetime, I have had five or six dogs. I live alone and my last dog died about a year and a half ago. I’ve debated getting another dog for several months. I preferred a dog that was a tad older, however, these dogs are hard to come by. So after reading an article saying that it’s a great idea for a senior person to get a pet, I broke down and purchased a five-month-old golden retriever puppy. “Daisy” is a great dog.