There are many things about this pic that are not good. Firstly, David did a much better ‘chewed toy shot’ a couple of weeks ago. Secondly, I really wanted a pic of ‘my little girl’ but she eluded me! Thirdly, I have just shown to the world my own bad taste (fake wood floor) – ooops the cat is out of the bag on that one now. Sorry about the fake wood – I didn’t realise how much I’d hate it until I laid it and now it’s too late because it was so expensive!

Rosie is my child substitute. She was an abandoned puppy, finding her way to the wonderful Battersea Dogs Home on or around 20th October 1999 at ten weeks old. She was bought by a man, on impulse, from a pet shop window in Battersea for £170 and taken to live with him and his four kids in a council high-rise block. Two weeks later, riddled with worms the size of spaghetti, she turned up at Battersea Dogs Home with an irate man demanding his money back. Of course the dogs home refused his demands but did take in Rosie.

I happened to be at the dogs home that day with Archie looking for a playmate for him. I’d been socialising him with a Border bitch of about six months when her rightful owner came along and reclaimed her. I was completely devastated. Ali Taylor, the Border Collie specialist was wonderful and told me there were seven new Border Collie puppies arrived that day and one was ‘gifted’ meaning she could leave that day if we (me and Arch) liked her.

Ali wasn’t terribly specific about her, just describing her as a puppy, which could of course mean anything from a tiny baby to a year old bitch. I was expecting something towards the latter. Ali went off to get her and I waited…..she came wandering up the path with a tiny bundle of fluff wriggling around under her arm. I thought she must be taking this tiny creature somewhere else on her way to get my puppy. She wasn’t though, she meant Rosie for me. She was only ten weeks old.

I couldn’t believe my luck. I’d always thought that I would not be allowed a puppy by a rescue because I work full-time. I was really lucky though because Archie had been ‘difficult’ in Battersea terms and my success at transforming him into a happy, sorted dog had impressed the staff there so much (as well as the fact that Jo the naked housekeeper came to my house every day in the middle of the day to walk him and spend some time with him) they were prepared to let me have her. (Nowadays they get plenty of love during the day from David who works from home every day.)

I can’t describe what I felt like….I wanted to grab her and run away before they could change their minds – I still thought it must be a mistake that they’d overlooked my work arrangements.

She sat on my knee while waiting for the vet to give her the once-over (and jab and worm her) before leaving and I said Rosie in a really soft voice and she looked up at me. I have never felt such an overwhelming need to love and protect anything so much in all my life. Because she responded to her name, I kept it.

After completing all the niceties, I was forced to leave her with their security guard while I got my car from its parking place some half a mile from the rescue centre. I thought it was the ultimate cruel joke and that she wouldn’t be there when I returned for her. I ran all the way to the car so they didn’t have long to change their minds. I popped her in the back of my estate car with Archie and then panicked all the way home in case he hurt her and I wouldn’t be able to do anything because of being on the motorway home.

I got home, opened the tailgate and couldn’t see her – all there was visible of her existence was a pile of her poo full of the most huge worms you’ve ever seen. Yuck!

She’d found a corner, tucked herself away and gone to sleep. I lifted her out and the divine smell of puppy was so overwhelming I cried with joy. Later that evening, I had to go and buy puppy supplies and so went back into my car. I opened the door and the smell of puppy was there again. Heavenly.

She’s four and a half now and I love her so dearly, I can’t imagine life without her. And that applies even when she’s being a complete pain by following me around with her nose bumping into the back of my calves all day.

I’ve been working at home today….if I’d been in the office I may have been tempted to commit murder! (But I won’t go into the reasons why!) She usually sits under my desk when I’m working with an occasional foray out to try to lick my face off. Mid-afternoon, after a wander she appeared in my office and dumped this tatty toy by my feet, given to her by my Mum and Dad at Christmas but virtually unrecognisable from that day – it had handles at both ends then! She wanted me to play. It’s the best thing about having dogs, they just want to be with you and if possible a toy all the time. I love it!