"Ouch!" San cried as she toppled, landing on her bottom.

A gentle nudge from a cool nose nearly knocked her further backwards, but San only ignored her brother and frowned, burrowing her hands into the nearest thick white coat and pulling herself back up to balance on her back paws as she was supposed to be doing.

"Well done, San," Mother said after she had stabilised herself, a feathery brush of Mother's tongue sweeping her cheek, "soon you will be running alongside your brothers."