I’m sorry that my dogs make others’ look rubbish. Rosie climbs mountains with me, she has an instinctive knowledge of the routes. Bessie has stayed at home but impressed me for another reason. This last few days she has not been well, she needs to get to the garden more often than usual- perhaps it’s something that she ate. Last night she woke me a couple of times to go out, she paced around, she fussed and bothered. A lesser dog would have quietly left a dollop on the carpet and hoped for the best, but not Bessie- she desperately wants to do the ‘right thing’. If she isn’t getting the message across- she’ll resort to barking at you.

So I say sorry to those of you with likeable but slightly inferior dogs.