It’s always good to start a new year with a challenge and this year looks like being more challenging than most in the Corbie household.
After losing our old Border collie “Tibbie” in the autumn last year, we decided to go “dogless” for a time to see how it went, as we are a dozen or so years older now than when we first took her on.
But coming down the stairs in the morning to an empty kitchen, coming home from work with no rapturous welcome and walking in the countryside with nothing to share your sandwiches with, were all too much to bear, so a decision was made.
A new dog it would be, but as it would probably be our last, we decided to downsize.
It all happened sooner than expected. After seeing an advert in The Southern for cockapoo puppies, just before Christmas, we went for a look – absolutely fatal!
For the uninitiated, a cockapoo is the modern version of a mongrel (a cocker spaniel crossed with a poodle), but more trendy.
The idea is that it combines the best bits of both breeds – cocker’s good nature and poodle’s intelligence and coat that doesn’t cast.
One look at the wee mite and we were smitten. She was all black with floppy lugs, a wavy coat and completely irresistible. We had to wait until after Christmas before she could leave her mum, so that gave us time to come up with a suitable name.
It had to be appropriate for an all-black, female and be a bit different. We compiled a list. “Sweep” – too male, “Golly” too racist, “Bramble” – good, but we used to have a cat called that.
Eventually, the name “Treacle” came up and it ticked all the boxes – black, runs a lot and sticks to your feet when you walk.
As I write we have had her home a week and I’m exhausted.
I’d forgotten how such a wee thing can be so demanding.
I think she is going to be quite bright as she is already partly toilet trained, knows her name and sleeps all night without any disturbance.
When she’s in full flight, however, it’s a case of all hands on deck.
She’s not old enough yet to join me on my forages into the Borders countryside, but I’m sure that before the year is out she will be featuring regularly in this column.
I can hardly wait.