hi andrea, thanks for answering my thread and for all your advice. You find yourself reading too much stuff on the internet and thinking the worst. I thought as much about the heartworm, hadnt heard of it here. I bought her from a well known dog kennels which i was led to believe had a good reputation, although i have heard a few stories recently that have put the kennels in a different light. Pebbles was with her brother when i bought her, her brother was being purchased by someone else at the same time, so effectively she was the last of the litter to be snapped up and i didnt hesitate as she is so adourable and i love her to bits. I think im just fretting as im so frightened of losing her, i think i need to stop google searching things and winding myself up. As for the leaving her situation, she spends a few days with me and a few with my mum when i have to work away, she has never really been left for more than a few hours alone as i spend all my time with her and so does my mum when she has her....she is good though, she doesnt tear the house down when i do pop out, i was just worried because i left her for 8 hours when i went on a night out the other week, she was absolutely fine with me when i got home but since then she follows me and no longer wants to go out (i used to struggle to get her in from the garden at one time) she was just in season though for the first time during this occasion when i left her, so i wondered if this had any connection to her sudden "clingy" state or whether it was just so traumatic for her being left so long that it has scarred her for life!! I feel so guilty at going out now and enjoying myself...something i havent done for 7 months since i got her...god i sound like a post natal mother!! sorry to ramble on and thanks for getting back to me