Karen Thompson had her last workout with Red yesterday, and shot a seven-minute video to help me understand the commands he knows and his responses, strengths and weaknesses. He is a wonderful dog, and she is a very gifted trainer. Most of these commands are familiar to me. Red has a hair-trigger response and is a strong and powerful dog, very confident and keen.

Rose was a more indirect farm dog, less polished. I will need to be clear and patient with him until we both can understand one another. This dog loves to work and I can also see his loving and generous spirit. This is a wonderful dog, and I think the perfect dog for me, as Karen sensed. In her very moving video, a brilliant trainer and dog lover says goodbye to an exceptional dog who loves her very much. Red arrives tonight.

Come and see.