This is Pippin.

You will all be very familiar with my dogs as they are really the centre of my life.

Pip came to us aged just one year old, having spent that first year in a family of 7, 5 children under the age of 8 and 2 adults who had neither the time nor inclination to do much with the hyper active puppy that a collie is.

She was house trained however and also very loving with both adults and children.

After a successful month of looking after a small boxer dog called Poppy, we thought that our girl Moss would love to have a companion. Poppy was known to sit in the box with Moss and they chased each other over the moors and never squabbled.

We did try out 2 other dogs first and failed as Moss was too bossy for them.

Pip held her own and she was sweet and lively and obviously needed a better home to thrive.

How we found her is a strange story but not for now.

4 years later, we have moved from a spacious farm to a small bungalow with a small garden and although we are both around a lot more, this has caused problems rather than eased any we had before.

Pip has always been nervous of noise and here there is daily shooting during the season plus on the moor behind us, the owner of the moor practises with his gun dogs on a regular basis. Pip hides for 2 hours after a practice session.

She is intensely sensitive to noise.

Also, Moss has the habit of guarding the house so that Pip is too scared to come into the house. If we stand and monitor her entrance, it is controlled, but we are in and out of the house and to have to stand there to ensure Moss isn't exerting her dominance all the time is not practical.

Pip has always hid under table so Moss can not get near.

She is loath to go out and loath to come in.

Both dogs are intelligent and bidable and both dogs would be happier being only dogs. I love them both and will work hard to ensure their comfort and enjoyment but in the situation we are now in, I believe that Pip would be better in a home where she is an only dog and so I am looking for an exceptional home for her.

She'll probably stay with us but I feel I owe it to her to try. She goes off with any person when the noises are threatening rather than stay with me. I am walking round and get a call on my mobile, "Have you lost a dog?"

Unlike Moss, she is not "one man and her dog" and would settle anywhere with a person who will love her and play with her.

Sorry, a long boring blog to those who are not at all inerested in dogs, but anyone who is and knows of the perfect home for my little Pip Squeak, then please come forward.