The eyes open and the ears prick up.  There is movement in the kitchen.  Quick in case I miss something he thinks.

Angus, the Golden Retriever jumps off the couch where he reclines, recovering from his walk and the busy canine business of collecting his doggy mail and posting his messages to his mates around the area. He takes his usual place in the kitchen observing and sniffing the air as he gets a whiff of something good.

As with all Golden Retrievers, Angus’s head, heart and every waking moment revolves around food. This makes him my Cook’s Companion – whenever I am cooking he is there, watching and waiting for any tasty morsel that might come his way. He is the most accommodating food critic to have around. I don’t think there is anything he has ever disliked or refused to eat so he is always a great boost to my culinary confidence. As dog’s go, he has a great palate and very catholic taste.

You have heard of the five second rule, well in our house we have the one second rule – if any food hits the ground, it will have been consumed in one second by Angus. The floor is his territory and he does not compromise on this. There are other unwritten rules in our kitchen: Pasta or rice and you have to make an extra serve for Angus for his dinner. All carrot tips are his and Brussel sprouts are great fun to nose around the floor and roll on before being consumed. Every empty (well almost empty) cereal bowl has to be scrutinised by the resident Dishlicker (don’t worry, everything goes into the dishwasher!).

Was that the fridge door opening?  Was that the toaster turning on?  What is she getting out of the pantry?

It’s definitely a dog’s life for the cook’s companion!