We bit the bullet yesterday and sent Lola to the dog groomer – she’s not as particular about her personal grooming as JD is – he’s quite simply the most fastidious dog you could ever meet. She, on the other hand, has a penchant for mud – the more and the stickier the better, oh and if she can add a bit of horse or cow shit, then that will really enhance things as far as she’s concerned. We chuck her in the bath from time to time, sponge off the shit and occasionally hose her down but if we try to go near her with a pair of scissors to cut out her knotty bits, she takes umbrage.

She'd got a couple of knotty dreadlocks behind her ears that needed to be sorted out and because she wouldn’t let me at them, we had no choice but to send her to someone else to do the deed, despite the cost. Our little girl came back from the groomers smelling “like a tart’s boudoir” and with an adornment. So here she is, showing off her pretty pink bow. I wonder how long it’ll be before it’s liberally smeared with badger poo?