Puppy may be a genius but I fear dog’s dinner awaits at home after night out

ITHANKS TO LOCKDOWN, THE GARMENT HAS NOT BEEN WORN FOR THE LAST 18 MONTHS AND IT IS A TAD TIGHT

t is midsummer, or even latesummer, madness because the destruction goes on. Who would have thought that one small puppy could cause so much damage?

The latest victims are the wastepaper bins, both upstairs and down.

Bennie the terrier has discovered that it is great fun to topple them and throw the contents round the room.

Those wicker baskets – along with the loo rolls – are now sitting up high.

In fact, soon everything we own will be stacked on a shelf somewhere.

Alas, we cannot move the chief’s tartan carpet which is being unravelled by the day.

But at least some sort of house training appears to be working.

I dare not speak too soon. However, at six months old, my naughty Norfolk seems to be getting the hang of things…

I am sure you do not want to know about such matters as you eat your morning cereal.

And really, when we look at what is happening in the world, these are paltry problems.

Yes, all is trivial – until he eats one of my hats. Then he is a dead dog walking.

Despite being on constant guard, having a pup around certainly brings life to the house.

And I can say with pride that he is shaping up to be a clever wee thing.

In a reckless moment – yes, it is the midsummer madness – we order a dog game off the internet.

It is half price in the sale – so I do not feel too guilty at spending money on fripperies – and it comes with a selection of red and cream boxes.

You pop a treat inside each one and the trick is to work out how to open them.

Of course, Barra the spaniel is too busy sleeping to be bothered with such things. Delilah the chow chow sniffs around but who would expect a Chinese emperor’s dog to be bothered? In the end, she upends the thing and walks off in disgust.

But Bennie keeps at it, moving the boxes to and fro, until one opens.

I knew it. My dog is a genius! And one too clever for his own good.

Meanwhile a dog sitter is found as we travel up to Perthshire for a dinner.

It is a rather smart one, and it is being filmed. If you are interested, I will let you know when it is on.

Black tie is the order of the night. So, the MacGregor wears his tartan trews, whilst I put on my red velvet dress and tartan sash.

It does not make for comfort. Thanks to lockdown, the garment has not been worn for the last 18 months and it is a tad tight.

Indeed, time spent alone means we have become quite unused to being in polite company.

Yet returning to the social scene makes it a fun evening.

We meet old friends and new. But at the back of my mind is the thought: What is that puppy up to at home?

NO SHELVES HERE: Bennie tries to resist temptation.