In 2003, with the death of my father, I left the South East and took over the running of my family home in Scotland, with nine acres of land, a small loch and all the space I need for animals.  I have been used to the swans that come to the back door to be fed and the ducks, geese and occasional osprey that use the loch as their larder, so here I am in 2005, with a complete change in lifestyle and no excuses. 

I already had a cat, Sam – a large, comfortable lad, who has been used to the indulgence of being the only pet.  The arrival last summer of kittens to the farm cat, and the subsequent adoption of a beautiful tabby with perfect markings and temperament, rather put his routine out of kilter.  He had learned to cope by simply ignoring this interloper when I made the decision that I would add to the growing menagerie. 

I answered an advertisement offering a pedigree Labrador, five months old and already vaccinated and microchipped.  She had been bought by a family in Perth when she was six weeks old, but their child had developed an allergy, so she had to go back to the breeder.  Many telephone calls and a visit later, she was mine.

It is now two months since Rummer (after Rummer Godden, my favourite author) came into my life.  It has been a steep learning curve, but she has given me the unconditional love and companionship assured by my many dog-owning friends, and the house now feels right with her there.

We had a hectic start. I had a meeting in Aberdeen the day I visited the kennels in Fife.  The breeder was happy that I collected her there and then, having interrogated me soundly before I arrived, and we had to drive on with the dog in the back of my Landrover Freelander until I could find a pet shop selling the puppy cages advised for safe transit - thank goodness for the new pet supermarkets that have sprung up all over Scotland. 

The instructions say that puppies should be encouraged into their cages with treats and toys.  Not this one! I had to get her back home safely, a two hour journey on a snowy night in February, so the cage was erected in the back of the Landrover and in she went, going straight to sleep while I drove through the snow.

The cats showed extreme surprise when this bounce arrived in their kitchen that night, but I had read the books, and fed them first, making Rummer see that she was the new kid on the block.  The puppy crate soon found its way to my bedroom (despite my assertions that she would be sleeping in the passageway at the back door) and she settled down well.

I have not encouraged her to sleep in the cage, having a friend whose dog has become dependent on it, and opted for the duvets and Vetbeds recommended by the breeder and to be found in the pet supermarket.  Vetbeds are cosy, easily washed and do not get chewed.

Of course I had not realized that a new pup is rather like a baby, and we were up at all hours so that she could go out to pee, more from my nervousness than her need.  Puppy pads soon appeared all over the house, and I found a really good carpet cleaner from John Lewis which made life easier. 

The first weekend, when my nephew, my god-daughter and her boyfriend arrived for the Scotland – Italy rugby match at Murrayfield, was full of laughter, fun and discussions of dog poo.  I was intrigued that Rummer learned so quickly that she must ask to go out. 

Dogs do not like to soil their own homes, and I could see that as she became more confident that this was her house, that she would not be sent away again, she established her own routine.  This means that I must also have a routine, and unfortunately, as I must be up at 5.45am on the two days a week I now work in Edinburgh, this has become the norm, even on the mornings when I work from home.

I no longer need an alarm clock, as at exactly 5.43, a doggy head appears next to me.  Treacle, the tabby cat, has become part of this routine, and if I do not respond, the two will begin an elaborate campaign of disruption, knocking things off the bedside table, chasing one another round and under the bed and generally causing such a row that I must get up to sort it out.

Throughout this, Sam will sit watching contemptuously.  He has had years of practice at waking humans, and in his former life in the South East could easily distinguish between the days when I had to be up at 5.30am to go to London, those when 6.30am was OK for work in Cambridge, and Sundays when 8.30am was too early.  Breakfast therefore starts at 6am, with cats in one corner of the kitchen, dog in the passageway (so that the cats don’t try to eat the dog food and vice versa), farm cat on the kitchen windowsill, swans on the terrace and geese hovering at the loch side wondering if they are invited to join in.

I soon had to make a decision about where Rummer would be during the day.  When she arrived, I was in the middle of a building project which has replaced some old outbuildings with a timber barn.  This was planned with plenty of space for an inside kennel, but the awful weather over last winter had delayed the project, and it had not been completed.  Fortunately I was able to take her with me to work in Edinburgh, and the puppy cage was duly loaded into the Landrover. 

This meant that the back seats could no longer be used, and although she was safer inside, Rummer still rattled around as I drove.  The solution has been a proper transit box from a firm near Stranraer, Dunragit Kennels (www.kennelsystems.co.uk). 

These boxes are made to fit various makes of car, and of course the Landrover series are favourites.  The box fits comfortably in the tailgate space, leaving the back seats in place.  Importantly, in an accident she would not be propelled forward.  A Vetbed fleece and a duvet on the base make it comfortable and the dog is safe and secure. 

I was also assured that there was nothing that could be chewed in the box.  Wrong.  The carrying handles had plastic covers for all of two hours on the first day of use!

I also bought a kennel from Dunragit, which fits inside the barn and will offer a comfortable space for Rummer during the day when needed, and when I have sorted out how to stop her eating anything placed nearly.  This included the cardboard box for a portable generator, several paintbrushes and a pair of rubber gloves.

The day now begins with a walk, and we are blessed with a private drive through our wood, with the loch shimmering beside us. We often meet a deer drinking at the water’s edge, and hear the woodpeckers knocking in the wood.  We have watched the sunrise over Stirling Castle and shivered in snow, but the routine is established. 

On a day when exhaustion sent me back to bed after the feeding ritual was complete, I was reprimanded with a doggy poo on my pale carpet.  My fault and I had to learn that you do not stray from the timetable.

My village is full of Labradors, and I have made good friends with other owners, who enjoy a long walk through the woods or down to the river.  The dogs are good pals, and have the opportunity of running together in a safe environment.  There is also a great support system, and I know that if I need a dog-sitter there is someone around.  We are lucky to have a boarding kennels in the village, and the cats were already used to having weekends there. 

It was with the same despair of a parent leaving a child at boarding school that I sent Rummer for the first time, but she has made friends with the owner’s Newfoundland puppy, and was happy and content when I returned.  The greeting I got was one that made me realize how much love one dog can give, and very gratifying.

We have, however, begun to travel together. I am lucky that Rummer has taken to the car with no problems, and a trip to Cambridge recently showed me that she could travel the world if needed.  She has been vaccinated for Rabies, and had her blood test, so from September we will travel to Europe. 

I am fortunate in having friends who live in Boulogne, and who have a friendly vet willing to carry out the necessary tests to allow Rummer to return to the UK.  This is an important point for any new owner who plans to travel with a pet. 

The system of pet passports requires not only assurance of full vaccination, but also of checking for ticks and parasites before the animal enters this country, these checks being carried out within 48 hours of the return journey.  My own vet has been a great source of advice and help to me as a new owner with little experience.  We are now organizing that Rummer will be spayed.  We have discussed the pros and cons of allowing a season, but the consensus seems to suggest that early spaying will give a reduction in the incidence of mammary tumours later on. 

There are also data showing a reduction in urinary incontinence, an infrequent complication of sterilization, in bitches who are spayed before the first season (Howe et al. 1997; 2001; Buff, 2001; Stocklin-Gautschi et al. 2001; Kustritz, 2002).

I am beginning to find out how hotels react to dogs.  I had no idea what to expect, so began by trying out a lovely old inn, the Rose and Crown at Romaldkirk in Teesdale, where I have stayed on numerous occasions in the past.  The village is a comfortable distance to travel from home without the dog being stressed; the journey across the moors so much better than the motorway and conducive to pee-stops, and the welcome was as good, if not better than I had had without her.  The puppy cage was carried up to a beautiful room – no Lego furniture here, every room is traditional and unique – and Rummer was welcomed into the bar area where supper was served to me and a bowl of water provided for her. 

At breakfast I was brought a print-out of walks around the village, including the old railway cutting which runs along the dale which provided a wonderful start to the day.  I had not asked for this, but the folk of the Rose and Crown are used to providing that extra bit of help and comfort that is the sign of a truly excellent place to stay. 

I am also pleased to see that several motorway service areas also provide water bowls and snacks, and at Tebay in Westmorland on the way home, not only was there a fabulous farm shop, the hotel also provided a room on the ground floor next to a door to the car park so that Rummer could slip out to pee when necessary.

I was determined that my dog should be properly trained, only to be told by a dear friend, a Labrador owner for many years, that it was I and not Rummer who would require the training.  The first night was an experience, not least the journey through one of the countless snowstorms which have raged in Scotland this winter, to the community hall in a village ten miles away. 

The trainer was highly recommended, having long experience with working collies, and I was very pleased that my quiet, calm puppy was not at all concerned by the behaviour of the rowdier species who joined us.  She has always walked to heel, miraculously on the dictated left side, and took the commands with an ease which I did not share. 

To begin with, she would not “sit and stay”, but the professional way of teaching has made us both confident, and (with the help of her favourite treat), she passed this with distinction last week. 

Rummer is turning into a happy, contented dog who loves life and explores everything with a joy that gladdens my heart.  I am learning all the time how to alter a hectic schedule to take in the needs of my companion, and am rewarded by unconditional love. 

I wonder whether the confidence she has achieved comes of knowing that this is home, Sam, Treacle, Eb and Flo (the swans) and I are her family, and there will always be a wood to explore, the loch to swim and a warm, dry bed when she is tired.  I am sure that all of this has made her the delightful companion without whom I could not imagine living.

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