Bear up, Susan, bear up! A little more time and Sadie will likely settle in all right.

At least they aren't fighting. Before I was married I shared a house with two friends of mine. One had a lovely, kind, sweet, big black dog. Sometime after we all ended up in the same house, the other fella had a friend's ten year old ginormous yellow dog landed on him - friend could not cope with old dog and new baby. Now this was as friendly and good natured a dog as you'd want, but...

Black Dog and Yellow Dog hated each other on sight and it never got better. I've never seen anything like it. Both my friends are experienced and educated dog owners, and they tried everything, but those two dogs could not ever be offleash in the same area, or they would try to kill each other. Blood would flow.

We developed a routine of keeping the two seperated at all times, with closed doors between 'em, and peace reigned as long as this could be done.

One night, Yellow Dog's man had to be away. I took on the responsibility for Yellow Dog. Bedtime came round. Black Dog's man was already asleep with Black Dog in his room. Now, my room, in this very old house, was reached by going past Yellow Dog's room, and through a large bathroom. As I walked Yellow Dog towards my room, hanging onto his collar, he was behaving like a lamb. Then, for a second, I had to use both hands to manipulate the old fashioned latch on the door...

Lightning wasn't faster than that dog. Black Dog's door fell open before his mighty assault. In the pitch dark, the horrible sounds of doggie battle erupted, barking, snarling growling, yelping... I fumbled within, looking for the light switch, terrified at what might be happening to Black Dog's owner, a gentle and artistic man who must have been sound asleep just moments ago...

I found the switch! And there, curly hair in tousles, eyes shut, in his underwear, on the edge of the bed, sat my friend, an eighty plus pound dog gripped and held up by the scruff in each hand, all the while they struggled to get at each other.

Never seen anything so funny (or miraculous) in my life. I was laughing hysterically all the time I was apologising and catching hold of Yellow Dog, who came quite calmly with me soon's I had him. How he managed to get a hand on both those dogs, from a dead sleep, in rural darkness, I'll never know.