Barney - The new Head of Security

Following the deaths of our brother and sister dogs, Goldie and Ziggy, aged nearly 16, in September and November 2009, we have rescued Barney – a three-year-old red and white collie cross. We took Missy with us to meet him and when she stood on her hind legs, put her paws on his shoulders and stared into his eyes we knew he would be coming home with us!

He has been very well-trained; we think he failed his sheepdog exams and his farmer owner then gave him to a couple where he was maltreated. When the woman died he was taken to the Freshfields Animal Rescue near Caernarfon. He is a lovely big gentle dog who was initially very wary of men, including Jack, especially if they had something in their hand like a mobile phone or TV remote. He had little experience of small children but is getting used to them after two of our grandchildren recently spent half-term with us. (They adored him.)

Poor Barney had a traumatic time when he first came to live with us as in addition to several vets' visits to be inoculated against rabies and other doggy diseases, he had to have an operation after getting a thorn embedded in his eyeball.

He is now much more confident than when he arrived from the rescue and seems extremely happy. His only problem behaviour is that he thinks joggers are sheep and wants to round them up when we meet them out on walks. Unfortunately this can include a quick nip to the ankles.

Missy, now nine years old, likes him although she reverts to 'old lady' mode when he tries to play with her too boisterously. We think the time has come for him to be promoted to Anne Loader Publications Head of Security and for Missy to take on the mantle of Matriarch.

We await his first trip to France with interest; he has his passport now and we are sure he will love being with us as we work on the land. We will just have to make very sure that he never tries to chase any livestock.