With this in mind, and as I don't want Sophie to end up as an 'only dog' when anything happens to Sugar, I've spent the last few weeks checking out rescue centres and the internet for another little friend. After finding a couple of 'possibles' and a few 'maybes' I came across Poppie, who seemed to satisfy most of my personal criteria, so last Thursday I drove all the way over to Grimsby on the east coast to see her. She's six years old and wasn't quite what I expected, having a very short docked tail which is no more than a bob and slightly longer legs than Sophie and Sugar, but she was a sweet little thing so within half an hour she was in the van and on the way home with me.
For the first few days she seemed very timid and shy but that's only to be expected when everything is so new for her, however she's getting on fine with Sophie and Sugar and is eager to go out for walks. This morning when I got back from work she actually came to greet me so she's gradually coming out of her shell; I think she has the makings of a great little friend for both me and the other two, and I'm now looking forward to eventually taking her on her first camp.