Torteval Irish Wolfhounds

The mother was to be Hogan's litter sister, Missy, and the father an American champion who had lived to the age of ten. Suddenly, the decision was easy.

Six puppies were born, all brindle, three male and three female. We were lucky enough to be able to make three visits to litter between five and six weeks old, giving us the opportunity to study them and get to know them quite well.

Jo very kindly offered us pick of the three boys, but we were happy to be guided by her and after much discussion, deliberation and dithering between the three of us, we chose the darkest of the boys, known to his littermates as 'Big T'.

The excitement of welcoming home our first puppy in four years was enhanced by the fact that Rafferty's litter brother, Marley, also came to Guernsey, to live with John and Julie Domaille, who had loved and lost Darcy's litter sister, Siofra.

All wolfhound puppies are adorable, but some are just that bit more huggable and loveable than others - take a bow, Rafferty! Watching his character grow and develop from those early months has been fascinating. From the start he was a confident and (unlike his Uncle Hogan) bright young man who settled in quickly and calmly with the minimum of fuss. Fully house-trained by three months, much to our delight and Jo's credit (the pups had access to the outside almost from the time they were on their feet) and having mastered the dog-flap in record time, he put all our previous pups to shame.

He was very quick to 'suss' out the other dogs: he had total respect for Darcy; is fascinated and delighted by McKenna (the only one he can persuade/coerce into playing with him); and took no notice whatsoever of his uncle Hogan - a situation which was fully reciprocated.

Conformation-wise, for a long while we weren't sure that he would ever emerge from the 'ugly duckling' stage. We jokingly referred to him as our 'walking menagerie': from the side he looked like a camel, from the back like a giraffe. He had elephant ears, duck feet and cow hocks. Now, with his growing done, the swan is beginning to emerge - though admittedly, it's a swan with elephant ears!

But within this sometimes shambolic exterior is a dog with a golden temperament, whose steady, gentle nature shines out through eyes of deepest brown, with the most loveable and expressive face of any wolfhound.

However illustrious or short his show career may prove to be, we will always consider ourselves privileged to share our home and hearts with this charming and exceptional young man.