Once again it is my privilege to welcome a new hound to the ranks of The Beastly Beasts. Please welcome Rosie.


Rosie

A week ago, on Lucy's birthday, dad packed Monty and me into the back of the car. The car usually means a trip to the vet, any other time we all go out in the BeastBus. Today was not the vet though, and we headed north.

From the back of the car we could hear dad on the phone - great things these paw free hansets. Turns out we were on the way to meet someone called Rosie. We heard the other person ask dad if he wanted Rosie to be sedated with something called a Diazepam for the meeting. We could tell by the way he said "No" he really did mean no.

After a couple of hours in car we stopped and had a short walk, then Rosie turned up with her human. Turns out Rosie was in the last chance puddle; she had been a very bad girl by all accounts - getting very gobby with dogs she didn't know; it was either come and stay with us or go to the kennels in the sky. Dad had picked Monty and me to meet Rosie and see what we thought. That made us proud in one way, but what a decision to make.

We were sitting in the car and saw dad take hold of Rosie and pop a muzzle on her, then Monty and I got out the car with her human. Boy, is Rosie a big girl? She is Great Dane x greyhound, which makes her a lurcher like me, but she is mainly Dane. And what did she do? Paw straight on my back and started gobbing off. Dad of course pulled her away and told her that she wasn't allowed to do that. Then she did a little growl and dad told her off for that too. Then we went for another little walk and she tried it on a few times but soon stopped when dad told her "No". Dad has two "No"s - one means it's a good idea to stop whatever it is you're up to - the other means it's a good idea to stop whatever it is you're up straight away; dad was telling Rosie "No" with the second one and you could see the realisation dawning that now she wasn't allowed to behave in the way she was.

Despite her rather rude behaviour to start with, Monty and I decided we kind of liked her, so instead of going back with her human she got in our car but in a separate bit from us. Then we went for a walk in a place which is just as good as Salcey Forest - if not better.


Rosie in the forest

After a bit dad took the muzzle off Rosie, and she was as good as gold. Rather than have a go at Monty or me she wanted to sniff everything. Monty and me left dad with Rosie on the lead - this place was too good to waste looking after them, and went for a good run around.

Then we met some really nice people who were taking pictures, and dad cheekily asked if they'd take one of us - which they did; thank you to them.


Rosie, Monty and Me in the forest

As you can see, Rosie was far more interested in what was going on round her than in Monty and me.

After the walk we went to meet a really nice lady called Mandy. Mandy was putting Rosie up for a couple of nights until all The Beastly Beasts came up to meet Rosie and see how it all went.


Rosie

You could tell that Mandy liked Rosie almost straight away - she has Great Danes of her own.

Then back in the car and home for Lucy's birthday party, which involved sausages - we all like sausages.

Come Saturday morning it was all in The BeastBus to go and meet Rosie. We arrived at Mandy's and she went and got Rosie. Helping us do the introductions was a nice lady called Tarren. Monty and I went and said "Hi" first seeing as we already knew her. Then out came the others one by one; Jack, for once, didn't strut his stuff. And Rosie was politeness itself until Mack, but I think she was getting bored by then - I know I was.

We went for a little walk, and Rosie was fine with everyone, so we went to the forest again and a bigger walk with dad, Tarren and her mum. Here we are: the magnificent seven - well, eight if you include dad, but he's not magnificent.


The Magnificent Seven

Rosie did have words with a couple of other dogs, but I guess you don't need me to tell what happened; correct, dad told her to stop it - and she did; she was learning that dad's "No"s mean no.

After the walk we went back to Mandy's to say goodbye, and she said that she didn't want any dog food tokens for the couple of days Rosie stayed there, which was really nice of her; I noticed her eyes got wet like human ones do sometimes.

While we were saying goodbye Rosie decided to have a writhing roach; that made all the humans smile.


Writhing Rosie

Back home Rosie, apart from first thing Sunday when everything must have been a bit strange for her, has been miss goody four paws. She sits for her food without being told and she waits her turn patiently (Mack could take lessons there), and even though she can easily reach she doesn't get stuff off the worktops. Dad is threatening the rest of us with expulsion unless we buck our ideas up and start behaving like her. He's only joking really; I think.

So a for while at least, The Beastly Beasts are The Magnificent Seven.