Good communication is the key to a happy relationship and that goes for puppies too. Even young dogs have innate communication skills, barking and whining to let you know how they feel. Check the position of the tail, this is a signalling tool between dogs. Ears are another giveaway, watch out if they are held flat against the head – a sure sign of stress or fear.

Dogs are pack animals, craving company and looking to establish their position within the group. Play is an important means of creating bonds and discovering who the boss is. It’s this eternal child like behaviour that appeals to so many owners. Even old dogs can display puppy-like tendencies.

Surprisingly dogs have a poor sense of taste, with only 2,000 taste buds compared to our own 10,000. They also have relatively underdeveloped eyesight, seeing the world around them in shades of grey. They rely a great deal on their powerful sense of smell. The canine nose is an acutely tuned organ that is around 1 million times more powerful than ours.

By 8 weeks old your puppy will have a full set of sharp baby teeth capable of ripping through small pieces of solid food. All 42 adult teeth should be through by the time he reaches 28 weeks old. Maturity does not follow a uniform platform, smaller breeds can reach adulthood with 18 months, while bigger dogs like Labradors and Great Danes will take longer.

Your dog’s character will in large measure be dictated by their breed. Selective breeding has resulted in dogs of very different temperaments. Check with a breeder before deciding on the traits that appeal to you. Assessing the likely character of a mixed-breed dog is of course more difficult, involving some guesswork and a little luck.

Key facts

Choosing a kennel

Breeds

Ailments

Protect you home

Eyes and ears

Playtime

Bath time

Travel

House training

Emergencies

Your vet practice

Puppy care and equipment

Mouth and teeth

Sickness

Health

Obedience

Vet examination

Walkies

Vaccinations

Puppy

Dog 

Kitten

Cat

Rabbit

The Vet has “got religion” according to all the signs, particularly on a Sunday. I suspect it has something to do with his new lady friend who I understand is a stalwart of the local church. She arranges the flowers, attends all the coffee mornings to raise funds and even spends time cleaning the altar pieces.

The Vet who was never known to enter a church except for a wedding or funeral - and then reluctantly - goes with her to all these events and has even put a leaflet about the church’s history in his waiting room. He has become a regular on Sunday mornings.

Now, we dogs understand little of the religious affairs of humans and, having no similar affiliations ourselves, keep well clear of discussions in gang meetings on anything that can bring disharmony into our ranks.

I have heard Mary, our housekeeper, and the Vet, discussing his new-found fervour and she, of course, encouraged him to carry on as she likes his lady friend and wants to advance the romance.

Our meeting in the barn the following day was called by me because I wanted  other views on the outcome this move might have on the Vet  and, quite naturally, what effect it might have on our relationship.

For instance, would we still have our Sunday morning walk; would his tendency towards meanness disappear and, most important of all, would a change of character mean an increase in the number of clients attracted to his practice. In other words, was it all a pose designed to bring in more business?

The feeling of the gang was that the Vet was silly enough to complicate his life by mixing his romance with religion, but all agreed if this something of a trick and all he was after was more clients he had our full support.

Gus, my number two, tried to get all philosophical with us by quoting large tracts by Samuel Johnson, a great English writer of many years ago. The only reason he knew such words was because his owner was a fan and spent many hours reading aloud from the good man’s works.

Gus had no idea what they meant and nor did the rest of us, although we had to agree that they sounded fine.

Contributions from other members were scarce, as the ones who had not already fallen asleep were so busy scratching and chasing their tails that it was obvious they had lost interest in the whole proceedings.

As usual I had to fall back on my own resources and decided that the Vet was genuine in his feelings for his companion, but the religious bit was purely for show. I felt the urge for following her to church would soon disappear – just like his previous enthusiasms for such pursuits as bird watching, hunting and vigorous exercise. All had been the result of liaisons with various female friends and all had petered out because they were unsupported by any real enthusiasm for the activities.

I am looking forward to a return to Sunday morning walks and a continuation of the Vet’s romantic endeavours – she actually quite likes me, too, and I am often the recipient of her generosity with large portions of my favourite foods.