I am soaked –  not just rained on – but thoroughly soaked. My kitchen floor is covered in mud, a leg of a dining room chair is ruined, once pristine carpets have frayed edges. My whirlpool bath will never whirl again.

The culprit of all this carnage, (and more) a seven month Welsh Terrier called Dylan, is hanging off my sleeve growling as she tugs at it, then she lets go and twists in the air as she leaps higher trying to grab the prize that is my sleeve.

I stupidly thought the walk in the woods,  even in the rain, would wear her out. Errr! No! In fact she’s bouncing around like Tigger!

I look at her, she’s so excited with this new game – glad she is because my dwindling number of sweaters aren’t – and I laugh and think back a couple of years when this puppy…