A hound is a type of dog used for hunting or tracking, a person in keen pursuit of something (eg newshound) or a despicable person (you ain’t nothing but a hound dog). It can also mean to urge on or nag and to pursue relentlessly. (Sometimes I feel I’m hounding editors with my submissions.)

The dog in the picture isn’t a hound, I know but Hev Ock is cute isn’t she? A lovely friend gave her to me for luck. She sits on my desk underneath the monitor between a glass goat and a musket ball.