Dogs #3.

Nineteen eighty-nine.

It is eighteen months since we lost Cindy and we have decided to get another dog. I have just taken the keys of my first company car, when Dad says he's found some Black Labrador puppies for sale. The are at a house on a sprawling council estate in the bowels of Leicester.(I'm not being nasty, but you haven't seen this place!)

We arrived in my new car and were led into the back garden to be met by a filthy pit of a place with three puppies. Two were running around playfully. The third one just sat there looking at me saying, "Get me out of here". "We'll have him", I said.

And so it was that Ben became one of the family.

After previous experiences with 9 week old puppies in cars we had taken a large plastic box and some old towels with us. Ben didn't disappoint! When we got him home and cleaned him up I let him into the garden. It was getting dusk and although I knew he couldn't get out I stood watching him. He, being black was quite hard to see and I briefly lost sight of him. Then the 'plop', oh, no, the damn pond! After pulling out a very bedraggled puppy, I thought it best that that was enough for the day.

More tomorrow.