Over the years, she's performed extraordinary acts of greed in order to supplement her more than sufficient daily diet of two meals plus midday biscuits. Four of James's coats now lack a pocket or two after he's absent-mindedly left them hanging in the utility room and Amy's picked up on the alluring scent of a lurking Winalot Shaper. Frequently, the contents of recycling bags have been strewn across the lawn in the search for food. Yesterday morning, her insatiability reached new heights, however.

We're currently decorating the utility room (in the seemingly lifelong quest to finish the house), so on Sunday evening we downed tools and left our paint pots and brushes on the windowsill. These included an ice cream tub which contained diluted white emulsion. Naturally, the thought that the dogs would take an interest in said tub didn't even cross our minds - it had been through the dishwasher before we re-used it for decorating, so there was no whiff of the former sweet dairy contents.

It took just four days before Amy was overwhelmed by curiosity and jumped up to pull it down from the ledge. Masterfully, she must have managed to keep the lid on because there was no trace of white paint anywhere on the floor. Dragging it into her bed (this is the Labs' favourite venue for illicit dining), she must have been salivating over what she imagined to be organic vanilla ice cream. Presumably, biting off the lid she discovered the toxic liquid but it was too late - it slicked all over her blanket, legs, paws and muzzle. There was nothing to do but wait until James came downstairs at around quarter past six and discover the horrific scene.

Have you ever heard of one so insatiable that it pulls down a tub of paint from a window ledge intending to eat the contents? Though comic it also highlighted what could be more than pure greed - Amy's very needy, hyperactive, naturally thin and has skin allergies - as well as being constantly hungry. My colleague Jackie suggested she be tested for hyperthyroidism, so James is going to the vet's tonight to ask about it. How lovely if she could be treated for the condition - we might be able to buy new coats then, free from the fear that she'll eat them!