My friend Ruah!

For months, Heron's Flight is very quiet and during the rest of the year it buzzes! Often my animals have only me for company, and later that day there may be several strangers wandering in and out. So my daughter's Cavalier Charlie became the model for who I wanted - even temperament, small stature and good when travelling, but not keen on loooong hikes or getting too wet.

And so came Ruah - and is fitting the bill beautifully!

Photo: thanks to Jenny and Geoff Duce

She is not very vocal, though she has barked when startled. – that is OK, as there was a reason for it, She also has given a tentative “yip” when a door has been closed – OK too! Barking, just for noise, is not acceptable! At present I'm teaching her to respond, just with body language,when I say “Who's coming”? - that's great fun!

She's been no problem at all to date. It has helped to have the fencing renewed, so that both front and back are safe. I can now open the doors, as I used to, not worrying where the dog is!

She's a very friendly wee soul and just wiggles with delight when acknowledged! The Edinburgh Family quite often refers to her as 'Miss Wiggle'!

She is perhaps not quite as desperate for food as she was... she'll sit and stay till I tell her to "eat it". She has NEVER left any of the very boring dry food uneaten, however!

Ruah's tail is long and it wags from morning till night. She loves other dogs and is fortunate to have little Meacha (a miniature Jack Russell a month younger) at the top of the lane.

My best acquisitions for Ruah have been her crate for the boot of the car and her house crate. The latter she goes into willingly at night and I can also leave her in it if I go out in the evening.

As I write, Ruah is sound asleep on a beanbag, which Sponge and she share. She's had a busy morning, what with guests to attend to, a bone to really enjoy, a walk to the shop and some playtime with Meacha. She quite happily accepts that Sponge is The Boss - though in early days this did require a number of tests to authenticate!

This summer I hope that guests will be happy to let Ruah lead them on somewhat robust short village walks. She'll mature and become more sedate - but not too much so, I hope.

I'm sure that you've got the message long before now. Ruah is a little dog and a big success!

She's got a hard act to follow. I wonder what Yarrow would make of Ruah?

Of course Ruah is not a substitute for him, she's an essential member of my family now.

But Yarrow'll never be forgotten by me and others who loved him.