This was my first sighting of today’s star. Adorable. Bonkers. So, so beautiful. And doesn’t she just know it. She reminds me of a certain star of the silver screen – the teeny lips, the square jaw, the big, big eyes…. it’s Betty Boop.

But, there is something a little bit bonkers about all dogs after a close crop, and the next photos, once they came through, were much furrier, and altogether calmer with it.

Much, much calmer, in the case of those bottom ones. We decided to go with the before-haircut shots, and I set off.

Now, I have a sensible sketch of the sensible choice of portrait picture, in my sketchbook. And I have this one, on a scrap of waste paper. Undecipherable – it’s a canine inkblot test. If you can see a dog in there, it’s a sure sign you spend too long thinking about dogs. Guess which picture I went for. You know what, at this point, I abandoned rational thought and let my instinct lead me. I had a cup of tea …It’s good stuff tea – good for drinking, and good for capturing the subtle modulations on a Lhasa Apso’s coat.

Here she is, all done, and catching up on her beauty sleep.

And the title of the blog? No, her name’s not Piaf – it’s just from another prop I had to hand that day. It seemed to suit her, somehow.

If you would like a bespoke portrait of your own pet have a look at the commissions page.