Happy Birthday Wilson!

Dear, sweet Wilson

So, today you are three years old. We've had our ups and downs with you puppy, but you have turned into a sweeter dog than we could ever have imagined.

Remember that rainy day when we picked you up from your breeder in County Durham? You peed and threw up on your Daddy on the journey home and when we put you down in our garden for the first time you swayed on your little stumpy legs and I worried that you might be even younger than your mere seven weeks.

You loved your puppy breakfast of weetabix and warm goats milk and your little round belly and milky, puppy smell made everyone fall in love with you immediately. Choosing a name was harder and you were 'Puppy' for the first three weeks of your life with us.

You picked up your training so quickly, sitting on command within 24 hours, walking to heel off the lead and fetching your little puppy dummy. The house training took A LOT longer and you had an awful lot of tellings-off in your first six months but when you won your first puppy match at only six months old, we knew you were something special.

We were full of dreams that you would become a Field Trial Champion and the beginning of my world-beating gundog kennel. Despite your obvious natural talent you were incredibly hard and frustrating work to train, I hope you don't feel you're missing out by not competing any more.

You've become even more special to me as a pet dog, without the pressure of training and competition our relationship has got better and better and I love snuggling up with you on the sofa. You are the most affectionate dog I've ever had and such a pleasure to have around, even when you are being flighty and boisterous and standing on my bare feet, making me howl.

I love your gentle temperament, the way you won't wrestle with us or ever use your teeth, I love how protective you are over us and Jessie and I love how you do that little dance when you get excited.

So happy birthday you absolute sweetheart, here's to many, many more.