Martin Clunes has revealed the moment he and his wife Philippa Braithwaite feared they had made a mistake after taking on two puppies from the same litter. The actor, best known for his role in Doc Martin, detailed the experience in his new book Training John and Murray.
Speaking about the decision, Clunes recalled a conversation with a dog trainer named Liesel, who asked if they had heard of 'littermate syndrome'. When the couple searched the term online, they were met with a stark warning: 'NEVER GET TWO PUPPIES FROM THE SAME LITTER.'
Clunes admitted feeling guilty, writing: 'I looked over at Philippa, feeling more than a bit sheepish, and increasingly guilty over my insistence that we needed two. "Oh, God. What have we done?"'
The puppies, John and Murray, joined the couple's older dogs at their home in Dorset. Clunes described the initial tension, with his Labrador Laura giving the newcomers a look that said: 'I'm not going to harm you, but leave me alone, please.'
Despite the chaos that followed, Clunes said the dogs' personalities won them over. 'They were so adorable and funny, and they were such characters,' he added.
