Hi, I’m Scooby.

I’ve been staying with the Shallots for the past two months and playing with their dog. Tonight is my last night here so I’ve been saying my goodbyes (especially to the cat) and thinking about what my life’s been like so far and what’s in store for me.

I was another abandoned HK Special from a very large litter. The Shallots know my brother quite well as he used to play with their dog every weekend when they lived in Discovery Bay. He’s gone to London now and I’m in between homes.

I was picked as a puppy to join a family but the dad was never told that it was permanent. He thought they were fostering me so you can imagine his surprise when I stayed longer and longer. They have two children so I had a great time playing with them.

One day they decided to relocate to Italy and buy two floors of a three storey house (they are waiting to buy the other storey) and turn it into something pretty spectacular. While the mum and kids relocated, the dad had to change airlines and obtain a new licence to fly a different sort of plane. This meant that I could no longer live with him because he moved to Cathay House and they don’t allow dogs. He had to change airlines so that his home base would no longer be HK – that would have been a very long commute to work from Tuscany.

That was my second foster home. I stayed there for a few months but then the amah was going on her month holiday so no-one could look after me. After much searching, I found myself at the Shallots.

My first night was a little rough because I wanted to eat their dog’s food too and she wasn’t ready to share. We had a few play fights and I tried to hump her a few times to show her I was the boss. I was wrong. We soon settled into a daily routine where I’d pick a fight, she’d win and then she’d try to handicap herself by fighting from a seated position. She still beat me.

Each morning we went out for either a walk or run to the beach or in Lantau National Park. I’m very fit now and I think I look great. I’m shedding my winter coat so I’m brushed quite regularly to make sure that I don’t leave too much fur lying around. It is a good idea in theory.

Since being here, I’ve learnt how to walk on a lead properly, sit before eating my dinner (I still do a quick circle before sitting down but they think it’s cute so I’ll probably always do this), take rides in the car and I’ve even started to get my feet wet at the beach. I’m not so scared to do that if I’m chasing a bird, if there’s no waves or if their dog has chased me into it.

Sometimes she runs just a bit faster than me to tease me into chasing her and then she speeds up so I don‘t stand a chance. She knows I won’t chase her into the water so sometimes she hides there to catch her breath. She’s just playing hard to get.

I think I’m in love.