I mentioned last week that I had just had a busy weekend on call and one of the emergencies was a whelping bitch (that is a female dog having puppies - 'whelping' is the technical term for birth in dogs). This particular little working cocker spaniel ended up having to have a caesarean section and ultimately produced seven lovely puppies. What was special about this case was the delightful temperament of the mother.

When a bitch is having trouble whelping we have to examine them and sometimes manipulate the puppies as they come out. So at a time when they are already going through the discomfort of birth they are examined by a vet and pulled and pushed without any real explanation. So it was utterly to this little dog's credit that when I saw her in the waiting room for her stitches out appointment yesterday she was still genuinely sweet and friendly towards me and greeted me with a tail wag and a wriggle. If I did not already have Choco I would be seriously interested in one of her puppies – I cannot think of a better advertisement for a good temperament.

As well as new life being brought into the world we have had some sad loses recently, Bertie the wirehaired dachshund who many residents of Dorchester will know well (his mum runs the Trinity Street Pet Shop) was sadly put to sleep last week. Bertie had lived to the grand old age of 14 and a half, he was always happy to see us at the vets and I know he had quite a following in town – he will be greatly missed.