New guide to life with a rescue dog from West Sussex author

“Dizzy was a rescue bitch with a lot of problems and I called in a behaviourist to help me out. I sent him a few notes from the record of her behaviour I had been keeping and he said ‘You need to publish this.’

"I rejected the idea at first, but as other people said it might be of use as a guide to managing a tiresome bitch – no comment please! – I gave in.

“Dizzy was a Romanian street dog rescued from extermination and brought to England for a better life. I had been looking for another collie and saw her picture on the rescue kennels’ website. Initially I made jottings of her behaviour, likes and dislikes and triggers in order that we could tailor her training and not try too much too soon.

"The book is aimed at anyone who has, or has had, or is planning to get a rescue dog; it is full of comic bits, sad bits, emotional bits, training hints and ideas, some of which worked for us and some of which didn’t.

“It is a stand-alone book, though it may not be a stand-alone situation as I may well get another dog in due course.”

Ann added: “In 1997 or thereabouts I found myself editing and writing Voices of the Village which was to be a social history of West Chiltington.

"It became a Millennium Project which was funded by the Millennium Lottery and detailed the changes in the village from 1900 to 2000.

"The Voices are those of the villagers; I did about 100 interviews, taped on an old-fashioned tape recorder and transcribed by an amazing and dedicated band of helpers. It had a print run of 2,000 copies.”

Ann’s love of writing goes back to her childhood and to her schooldays, she recalls – including an early foray into writing for the stage.

“Back in the 1940s I went to Belvedere School in Liverpool and was inspired by Mrs Ford, my form teacher, whose love for English was apparent even to a child. I wrote a play when I was about seven and have written poetry and articles ever since.”