Renowned actor Martin Clunes has opened up about the challenges of integrating two new dogs into his home in Dorset, admitting to feeling 'increasingly guilty' after a stark warning about littermate syndrome. The star, best known for roles in Doc Martin, Men Behaving Badly, and Shakespeare in Love, has turned his attention to writing with his new book Training John and Murray.
The Decision to Take Two Puppies
Clunes and his wife, Philippa Braithwaite, decided to adopt two dogs from the same litter. However, their excitement soon turned to concern when a dog trainer named Liesel asked if they had heard of 'littermate syndrome.' Upon researching the term online, the couple was met with a stark warning: 'NEVER GET TWO PUPPIES FROM THE SAME LITTER.'
Clunes recalled the moment of realisation: '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?”'
Introducing the New Arrivals
John and Murray joined the couple's existing older pets, including a Labrador named Laura and a spaniel called Heidi. Clunes described the initial tension: 'When we got in the house, it was time for the new arrivals to meet our existing geriatric pack.' He noted that Laura seemed to give the puppies a look that said, 'I'm not going to harm you, but leave me alone, please.'
Despite the peaceful start, chaos soon ensued once training began. Clunes wrote: 'Philippa remained worried that we had been a bit rash in getting two of them so quickly… We were both thinking a little about whether we had taken on a bit too much.'
Winning Personalities
Despite the upheaval, the puppies' charm won over the couple. Clunes concluded: 'But they were so adorable and funny, and they were such characters.'
