Martin Clunes questioned what he had done after making major change at home
Doc Martin star Martin Clunes shares the unexpected challenges he and wife Philippa Braithwaite faced after taking on sibling puppies John and Murray
Martin Clunes has talked about the impact of bringing home two new dogs(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Martin Clunes, one of Britain’s most beloved television personalities, has graced screens in shows such as Men Behaving Badly, Wuthering Heights, Saving Grace, Shakespeare in Love and Doc Martin.
More recently, the actor has ventured into authorship, writing a book centred on two of his dogs, John and Murray. The littermates are the focus of Training John and Murray, in which the TV star recounts how bringing them into his Dorset home alongside his wife, Philippa Braithwaite, led to unexpected challenges.
The decision to take on two puppies from the same litter quickly became a concern when the couple consulted dog trainers, including one named Liesel.
Martin recalls that upon learning the dogs were siblings, Liesel asked: “Have you heard of littermate syndrome?”
When the couple looked up the term online, they were met with an alarming warning in capital letters: “NEVER GET TWO PUPPIES FROM THE SAME LITTER.”, reports the Mirror.
Reflecting on the moment of realisation, he wrote: “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?’”
John and Murray were not the only dogs in the household, joining the couple’s existing pets.
Martin described how their arrival initially caused some tension, with the older dogs — including a Labrador and a spaniel called Heidi — responding cautiously. He wrote: “When we got in the house, it was time for the new arrivals to meet our existing geriatric pack.”
He added that his Labrador, Laura, appeared to strike a balance between tolerance and warning.
He explained: “Our old Labrador guide dog Laura basically seemed to be giving them a look that said, in no uncertain terms, ‘I’m not going to harm you, but leave me alone, please.’”
Despite the initial pleasantries as the puppies settled in, Martin said things soon descended into chaos once training began, disrupting the tranquillity of their home.
He 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.”
Despite the disruption, Martin said the dogs’ personalities ultimately won them over. He said: “But they were so adorable and funny, and they were such characters.”
