Tia has always loved the freedom of open spaces, and so was in her element when we found a wide sandy dog-friendly beach near Barmouth in Wales. She ran around in wide circles, trying to entice elderly Lesia to play, but Lesia preferred a roll in the sand – we are still brushing sand from her coat. We managed to dissuade Tia from running through the waves. We had had a 40 minute journey back to the cottage, and the delicate scent of eau-de-wet-dog would not be appreciated.