Seeing this doggy thread encourages me to share with you that we lost our best, unique character Boxer to cancer on Christmas eve - it's been a miserable week or two - he was only seven.

Just friday, we took in one from Boxer-Rescue, he's 2 1/2 - has spent his life being shut in, so he paces endlessly round the house like a caged lion, and has obviously never had a country walk, a dog chew or a toy in his life - predictably he flinches if you make any sudden arm movement. On the upside, he fits in with the gang, which we thought would be the big problem - on the downside, our cats are perched on top of all the highest places in the house!

Why do people take this responsibility on, if they are not going to love the dog?