Politicians and their pets: Clare Adamson MSP, Frodo and Sam

What are their names? Frodo and Sam

Breed? Labradors

Age? Both seven months

How long have you had them? Since December

Where did you get them? I have a friend who’s a gamekeeper who had taken a litter of his working dog, and because we knew him and we knew where the dogs were coming from, we decided we would get one. Well, initially only one; ended up with two.

How did that happen? A bit of exuberance on our part, I think! Our other dog had died at 14 the previous year and we always said we wished we had another dog, because as she got older I think she got less excitement and less movement because there wasn’t another dog to play with. We just thought, well, why not? Two can’t be any worse than one – we thought.

How’s is going? It’s going very well! Everybody said Labradors will chew your furniture and your doors and things. We have lost a hat and a couple of socks, but nothing else. We’ve had to build a fence round the vegetable patch, because they eat everything.

What can they do? They both go to training class and funnily enough, my husband takes one dog and I take the other. My dog got promoted last week to the bigger class, so he’s doing very well!

What do you love about them? Oh, they’re both such different characters. Sam is the more intelligent of the two, but he’s also very much ‘what’s in this for me?’ I should’ve called him Jerry Maguire – ‘show me the money!’ He’s less likely to come when called and be affectionate, much more standoffish. And Frodo is the complete opposite, always wants cuddles, all the time.

What special talents do they have? Frodo did throw one of his toys to a pigeon to try and get it to play with him.

What are their most annoying habits? Well, this is probably my husband’s most annoying habit, but he left the curtains open the other day and they got up at dawn, quarter past four, as soon as the sun came up. If the blackout curtains aren’t shut, you’re in for an early morning.

What’s the worst thing they’ve done? At Christmas time, just after we got them, they ate all the brussels sprouts.

Do you think of yourself as a pet parent or pet owner? Pet parent

What’s the most ridiculous thing you have bought for your dogs? Probably a new car to fit two Labradors in!

If you could be any animal, what would you be? I’m going to say this because I’m a species champion, the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly. It’s very beautiful.