“Ruby’s week began with a visit to the village’s annual Arts and History Festival held in the ancient church, where she gained valuable socialising experience (as well as a passing appreciation for the fine paintings on display). Ruby behaved well in the church and also in the church room where tea was being served afterwards.

On the way back from the exhibition, I dropped in to a neighbour’s house to give Ruby the chance to play with their black Labrador, Murphy.

Now, Murphy would happily retrieve a ball all day, so the game tends to start with Ruby chasing Murphy, who is himself chasing and then retrieving the ball. In-between, Ruby takes the chance to have a break, which generally consists of sitting to observe a statuesque cat or following one of the free-roaming chickens around for a while.

The first time Ruby discovered one of the chickens, her naturally inquisitive nature (unsure if it was a new playmate or lunchtime), resulted in a light peck on the nose, so she quickly learned to keep a safe distance and simply trail her new feathered friend around. On occasions, Ruby is then followed by the other chickens, so it can look like an unusual version of follow-my-leader!

During the week, I visited the town centre again with Ruby, specifically taking her near pigeons to help ensure that she does not lunge towards them. Each time she ignored the bird, I rewarded her with a treat. She definitely improved, but I’ll need to keep working on this with her over the next few months.

We did have a bit of a surprise at home this week – suddenly finding three or four teeth in Ruby’s bed and on the kitchen floor. Of course, at nearly five months old, it’s a time for her to be teething and her baby teeth will be rapidly replaced by her second set. In the meantime, she’s a very ‘gummy’ puppy!”