January 4. Day 4. Often licked. Never beaten

 Plenty of studies now show that growing up with a dog in the house decreases a baby's chance of suffering from asthma and allergies. It's a germ thing, the hygiene hypothesis. Apparently we are all too clean. Antibacterial everything. Kids on farms have lower rates of allergies and so do kids with pets.
If there's anything in this, today Winkle did her very best to deliver a lifetime of germs to my little mate Elliott. Not that Elliott has shown any sign of needing an immunity boost but he got one anyway.
It has to be said Elliott had been looking forward to it all day. According to his mum, Alison, from the time he woke up this morning, Elliott had been making a list of all the places Winkle might lick him. Winkle, for her part, did her very best to deliver. If there's one thing Winkle can be pretty much guaranteed to deliver it's a big juicy puppy kiss.