This morning I took Beanie to Bellahouston park instead of her regular haunt. It tends to be quieter, so there’s not usually much dog-play but it gives me a chance to spend more time walking with Beanie and controlling her off-lead. I felt it was a good idea to do this now, given that Beanie’s home environment has been shaken up a little with the arrival of Biggles.

The walk started uneventfully, and between the torrential showers there were some pretty nice moments…

Beanie behaved herself as much as a Beagle can, and all was going well. Until that is we ran into some of her old Bellahouston chums: Ellie, Maisy, Barnie and Buster. Barnie and Buster are Border Terriers, and Beanie just loves them to bits.

Beanie and Buster, at one of the many unofficial watering holes

This morning, even though she’s spayed, little Buster wanted to love Beanie to bits too. He had his “lipstick” out almost the moment he clapped eyes on her. Of course Beanie didn’t really know or care what he was trying to do; as far she was concerned, it was all a good excuse for chasing and wrestling. I hope Buster enjoyed his rumpy-pumpy session with Beanie, because it’ll be his last. His owner told me that tomorrow he’s getting the op!

During the course of all this activity, Beanie became more than a little muddy:

Before..

..and after

As a Beagle, Beanie is usually pretty much self-cleaning but this, this was a whole new level of mud-caking that required toweling and wipes at the car and a bath when she got back home.

Biggles of course got to dodge all the rain, mud and icy-cold wind. But he didn’t get to dodge a quick game of tug when I got back:

I bet I’ll need to hold on a heck of a lot tighter when he’s as old as Beanie is now!