I may have mentioned that I like to read on occasion. I know I can’t really read as I’m a dog – like the pictures though, particularly on take away menus. But there is something or someone I reckon I can read – T. I can read her like a book – well mostly. It must be said that there are times when I haven’t the faintest idea what she is doing and P is permanently baffled no matter what.

She needs managing and since P is quite incapable of this it is up to me. I try to keep her on her toes by barking when she isn’t expecting it or presenting her with a toy and demanding a game. She nearly always obliges. P is hard work and prefers to stand on his Wii Fit but T will run around the garden with me more or less on demand. I know how to make her feel guilty and then she is putty in my paws. I wouldn’t say she’s a pushover as there are some things that are clearly sacrosanct to T – “The Archers” is one. When that is on the radio there is a hush in the house while T listens. P doesn’t dare speak and creeps around; thankfully it is quite short so things return to a relative normal quite quickly. P and I keep our fingers (paws in my case) crossed that she doesn’t want to listen to the omnibus edition on a Sunday as that is very long.

I have a routine that I like to follow each day – order in life is good I think. Walk around the park first thing in the morning, T likes this as she can count the ducklings. I have to stand patiently while she counts, watching the ducklings pleases T and anything that puts her in a good mood is alright by me. Lunchtime I like a long walk and then before dinner I like either a play in the garden or a short walk in the park or woods not fussed which it is I’m very easy to please. All this is achievable through careful management.

After T and P have eaten and had a glass of wine or two they are quite amenable to a game if I present them with one of my toys, I like the ones that squeak the best. T generally plays the longest as P falls asleep. I can wake him if I squeak my toy loudly, he looks a little confused and pretends he wasn’t asleep, no one is fooled. T often falls asleep too so we go up to bed when one of them eventually wakes up. I reckon that they drink too much wine but P says it’s because he works hard – the jury’s out on that one.

I usually get what I want, its hard work at times as T does get distracted, but all I need to do is make her think that I’m in need of attention and she makes a fuss of me and takes me out. Works nearly every time. I’m not bothering with P as he isn’t really worth the effort, don’t see much potential there to get lots of walks and I don’t think the Wii Fit is really for me.