A puppy from the North-East is following in the paw prints of famous canines Shep and Petra to become the new Blue Peter dog.

The as-yet unnamed youngster from Weardale will make her TV debut on the BBC1 children's show tonight.

The ten-week-old puppy is a border collie just like Shep. She will be named by presenter Matt Baker, who also hails from the North-East, and will live with him at his home in the country outside London.

Matt, a farmer's son from Lanchester, County Durham, is delighted with his new co-star.

"She's just adorable," he said. "I missed having a dog so much when I moved down here, and went to the BBC with the idea that I could get a pup, and she could be on the show too.

"I'll be training her as a sheep dog in the North-East when I visit my parents' farm every weekend to help out, which will be a first for the show.

"Another first for Blue Peter will be that I also intend to train her as a mountain rescue dog.

"She was bred by Jean Howes and her father Bill Skidmore at Westfield Farm, Wolsingham, who are very well respected in the farming community. The puppy comes from a very good line of working dogs.

"She's already been into the studio so she could get used to it. She had a little look around and then fell asleep on the Blue Peter couch.

"The puppy's so clever, and she is already a fantastic companion for me.

"She will be the first Blue Peter dog to live with a presenter full time for many years."

The puppy will be the eighth dog to appear on Blue Peter. She will join the current dogs Lucy and Mabel, cats Kari and Oke, George the tortoise and Matt's fellow presenters, Konnie Huq, Simon Thomas and Liz Barker.