Tim Dowling: the old dog has every right to feel fed up – and so have I

While I am watching the news, the old dog and the new dog roll into the room like a ball, end over end, growling and snapping at one another. The brawl is pretty evenly matched: the dogs are the same size, and neither has any traction on the wooden floor.

“Gently,” I say. They take no notice, rolling once round the coffee table, over my ankles and back out of the door. I remember this stage from 14 years ago – back when the old dog was a puppy – but I had forgotten how it grated on the nerves.