Trying to make the crooked straight? You will fail

Two corgis who belonged to the Queen, Sandy and Muick, watched her funeral procession and reduced our dog-loving nation to tears.

Since the Queen’s death, sales of corgis have gone up. The Kennel Club reports a 30-year high for the registration of the breed. I expect a few more breeders will seek to cash in on the craze, as puppies can sell for around £6,000. So if you want a puppy for Christmas, perhaps another breed might be better. Remembering the seasonal refrain, a dog is for life and not just for Christmas. Corgis are still not as popular as the UK’s favourite breed, which is, of course, a Labrador. I admit it – I am a besotted Labrador owner.

Potty about pets

We are a nation of animal lovers. During the lockdown, an estimated 3.2 million households acquired a pet. Many of those were first-time dog owners. Dogs provide a source of companionship, and research has shown that dogs can help calm individuals in times of stress. The emotional bonds people have with their pets are powerful. The spectrum of dog ownership ranges between those who end up abandoning them to those who incorporate them into their families like children. A few years back, dog owners referred to themselves as ‘master’ or ‘mistress’; now, people call themselves ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy’.