Diva, my very first female dog

This is Diva, the first female dog I have ever owned. She is my little girl. She will be four years old in March 2012.

When I lost my beloved Joshua I had one very depressed Ferdie on my hands. He had always loved Joshua and now he couldn't understand where his little brother had gone.

He would sit and stare at the end of the garden, as though he was waiting for Joshua to emerge from behind the shed. He would not go out for a walk and he got incredibly clingy. He has always been a clingy dog, but now he was much worse. It was heartbreaking.

I asked the breeder what I should do about him and she told me she was looking for a pet home for a young bitch.

And here she is, playing in the dog park and having a great time. She never knew there was such a thing as a small dog!

I have to admit to being a little scared. I have never had a full grown dog before, always puppies, and I had no idea how Ferdie would take to her.

But they just sort of accepted one another. They ignored each other for the first two days, no sniffing or anything, then the next day I saw them playing together in the garden and I knew I had done the right thing.

He doesn't love her the way he did Joshua, but hopefully in time that will come. For now, he is quite pleased to have her there and she has perked him up no end.

She rather likes this living in the house business. There are lots of lovely cooking smells and lots of cuddles to be had.

She has settled in beautifully and makes a wonderful addition to my little family. I love her already.

My only problem is, never having owned a female dog before, I keep expecting her to cock her leg up!