A gift that will bring cries of delighted recognition from anyone who has ever owned a dog and, dare one say it, charm the pants off even those who strongly prefer cats.

Hello. My name is Plum and I’m a whoosell – that’s whippet mixed with Jack Russell and poodle. I especially like swimming, leaping, catching, and croissants, and my favourite fragrance is fox poo. I live with Emma, an illustrator, and Rupert. My sister, Liffey, lives nearby.

Over the last year I’ve been keeping a diary. Emma has helped with the pictures, but the words are all mine.

Since 2012 Emma Chichester Clark, one of Britain’s best-loved authors and illustrators, has been delighting thousands of followers with her blog Plumdog, which records the day to day life of Plum, her dog, in Plum’s own words and Emma’s drawings.