The new arrival (let the chaos begin..)

Toby has landed! A 7kg (15lb) bundle of puppy fat, sharp little baby teeth, silky ears and huge energy.

We drove him back from the breeder in Gairloch a few days ago and he’s been settling in over the last few days, getting more confident with each day that passes.

The cats are curious and defensive in equal measure. They’ve been getting really close to him, and at one point Freya actually head-bumped him, but at the eleventh hour we usually get a hiss and an arched back.

Toby is terrified of Freya and hides behind our legs if she approaches, less so of Ferg who is much more laid back. It’s early days.

He’s a happy little chap, tail usually wagging despite the sad expression. He plays and eats and collapses and sleeps lots, as most puppies do. He’s totally food obsessed, like most labs

He has a couple of exercise sessions each day out on the croft, which he loves. Every tussock of grass is explored and thoroughly sniffed. He bumbles along happily, never straying too far.

This afternoon we felt confident enough to take him to a local beach to meet our friends dogs. He’s fully inoculated and able to mix.

He’s stolen our hearts already. He’s a good wee boy.