Every now and then, nature decides to have a little fun! Lucy’s golden‑flecked coat tells the story of the rare brindle Labrador — a colour born not from mystery ancestry, but from a tiny recessive gene quietly hiding in the background. It’s genetics with a touch of magic, and a reminder that even the most familiar breeds can surprise us.

Little Lucy, our brindle Labrador with golden flecks, arrives on 19 September. A sprinkle of magic is about to weave its way into my creative life on the far south coast of WA.