Tyson has now been microchipped, so is now a ‘legal’ dog – not that I’ve ever seen an official with a scanner checking that dogs actually have a microchip…

The vet also attempted to trim his very long nails back, but they have been there for so long that the blood vessels go almost to the end, so they’ll have to be worn down by pavement walking.

He is still very good at home – one of the easiest dogs to look after that we’ve had. He was also excellent in the pub, just curled up and when to sleep most of the time.

When he is out, he is getting better on the lead, and OK with people, but insists on growling at any dog that comes close – large or small. So no off-lead walking for him yet.

I took him to the woods this morning; this seemed to be a new experience for him, rushing off to investigate each squirrel or noise in the bushes. It’s very difficult to photograph a lively dog still on the lead though..

A few days on, Tyson is now really settled. He happily sleeps in his bed most of the day, just occasionally having a wander around to check that no food has mysteriously appeared somewhere. He is so little trouble that you hardly know that there is a dog in the house.

He eagerly eats his food, but doesn’t beg for ours, which is a nice change. Though he did find an empty sachet of cat food in an open bin last night – probably as much our fault as his.

We had to leave him at home for a few hours last night, and everything was fine on our return.

But, when on a walk, this calm sedate dog turns into a one year old puppy. Rushing around left and right sniffing and investigating every garden on route. Any other dog, cat, squirrel or bird triggers a full power lurch in that direction!

He is very unsure of other dogs and will often run and growl at them. It’s almost like he is a dog that has never been outdoors before.

Tyson survived a visit to the pub last night – he just curled up on the floor and went to sleep!

Afterwards, he happily went to his bed and we didn’t hear a sound from him until morning; it was so nice to hear a tail wagging in the house again. He seems content to stay downstairs while I’m working upstairs, which is a real bonus.

We decided that he really was so smelly that he had to have a bath. We’ve never tried doing this with a dog indoors before, but he was really good – tried to get out a few times, but mostly just stood there while he was being shampooed. His fur feels so much nicer now – a pleasure to stroke.

After less than 24 hours, he seems really contented with us, which is a real bonus.