Teacher dog

You maybe need to be as daft as I am about dogs to get the full flavour of this story.

Friends have two cottages on the one plot. They live in one and rent the other as holiday accommodation by the week. They are fanatical gardeners and there is one garden for the two cottages. They have a 4 or 5 year old retriever.

They have been getting the garden ready for the village garden day when proud owners open their gardens to visitors, serve cream teas, sell plant cuttings - things to raise money for charity. All very commendable.

The last week's renters had a 6 or 7 year old Boxer dog. A breed known for cunning but not brains. However, this one had a talent. He taught their retriever how to dig for things. In the garden. Under the lawn. Amongst the plants and flowers. Seems the place looked like the Somme.

The owners of the Boxer were mortified. The gardeners cancelled the strawberry and cream order. They are proper dog people and know that there is no such thing as a bad dog. Just bad owners.

I think it all immensely funny. I can just imagine the dog-talk. "Never dug up a garden - getaway!" "No, really, I'm just a sleeping dog" "Come on - I'll show you what you have to do" "Wasn't that fun. How far did you kick back?"