Monty the Sad Puppy

Chapter Two

“So you’re going to have two dogs?” Ella asked, leaning across the table to whisper. “You’re so lucky, Amelie, I don’t even have one! Is Daisy cute?”

Amelie nodded. “She’s a gorgeous colour – russet, Grandad calls her, and her coat’s so glossy, even shinier than Monty’s. She’s tiny but she thinks she’s in charge. She’s always bossing my grandad around!” Then she sighed. “He’s going to miss her so much – I mean, he’s had Daisy for eight years. I’m really excited about looking after her and it’s going to be great for Monty, having a friend at home all the time. But I wish Daisy could stay with Grandad.”

“I’m sorry he’s in hospital, Amelie,” Ella said. “But I bet he’s happy you’ll be looking after Daisy.”

“Mum told Grandad we’d go and get her today. Dad’s going to pick me up from school in the car, then we’ll go straight over to the house.”

“Are you two actually discussing the Romans?” Miss Garrett asked, leaning over Amelie’s shoulder and making her jump.

“Um. We were…” she muttered. “Sorry, Miss Garrett.”

“Sorry, Miss Garrett,” Ella repeated.

“Well, get on with it, girls. I’d like a plan drawn up by break time, please.”

Ella sighed as their teacher moved on to the next table. “I wish we didn’t always have to make things for topic work. My Viking ship last year was just embarrassing.”

“What do you think you’ll do this time?” Amelie asked. “What about a costume? You could make a Roman dress, if your mum wouldn’t mind you using an old sheet.” She flicked through the book they’d found in the school library. “Oh, wow… I’d like to make something like that!”

Ella peered at the mosaic picture of a fierce-looking guard dog. “All those tiny squares! It’ll take hours.”

“It looks really fun. I could cut the squares out of craft foam.”

Ella nodded. “I suppose so. Don’t forget you’re going to have two dogs to play with, though!”

Amelie nodded. “I haven’t – I can’t wait for this afternoon!”

Amelie picked up the dog carrier and walked carefully out to the car, murmuring soothingly to Daisy. She told the little dachshund how excited Monty would be when she arrived and how much fun they were all going to have.

Daisy had been really pleased to see them when they arrived at Grandad’s house. Amelie thought she’d probably had a lonely sort of day, since she was used to having Grandad around most of the time. But she hadn’t been keen on going in her carrier at all. She’d backed away from Amelie, her long ears shaking.

“Maybe she thinks we’re taking her to the vet,” Dad suggested, as he unlocked the car.

“Shh, Dad! You know Grandad says she understands that word! You have to spell it out,” Amelie reminded him.

“Oh, yes. Sorry, Daisy. Are you OK with the carrier on your lap, Amelie? Hold it tight.”

Amelie wrapped her arms firmly around the carrier. There was no sound at all from inside but she could see Daisy through the holes in the plastic sides. The dachshund was standing up with her nose pressed against the wire door.

“Sit down, Daisy-dog,” Amelie whispered, as Dad started the car. “You’ll wobble.” But Daisy stayed on her feet, even though the movement of the car made her lurch about. Amelie kept on whispering encouraging things but Daisy seemed too confused to sit down. She just kept on slipping from side to side, her little black claws scrabbling against the plastic floor of the carrier. The blanket Grandad kept in there was all scrunched up at the back. Daisy wasn’t whining or yapping, which was really odd. Grandad always said she was the chattiest dog he’d ever met but now she was completely silent.

“Is she all right?” Dad asked, as they stopped at the lights.

“I don’t know…” Amelie admitted. “She looks really nervous. Maybe you’re right and she does think she’s going to the V–E–T.”

Dad glanced over at the carrier, frowning. “We’re nearly home. Not long now, Daisy.”

Amelie stood on the doorstep, waiting for Dad to find his keys and looking at the hunched little dog inside the carrier. She wouldn’t have minded so much if Daisy had howled all the way home. Amelie hurried into the house and put the carrier down in the hallway, just as Josh came out of the kitchen holding a half-eaten piece of toast. Monty raced after him, whining with excitement as he saw Amelie and Dad. Then he saw the carrier and skidded to a halt.

There was a skittering, scrabbling noise from inside and a low growl. Monty retreated behind Josh, his tail drooping. Amelie looked anxiously between the two dogs. Dad had said that they ought to introduce Daisy and Monty to each other slowly but Amelie hadn’t thought it would be a problem. Monty had been to Grandad’s house and Daisy had been coming to their house for years. Why wouldn’t they be happy to see each other? Maybe it just wasn’t the same without Grandad there, too.

“Shall we let Daisy out now?” she asked Dad.

Dad sighed. “Yes, I suppose we’d better. Let’s keep her in the kitchen to start with. Josh, can you put Monty out in the garden? Let’s give Daisy a bit of space.”

“Uh-huh.” Josh caught Monty’s collar. The puppy was still staring at the carrier, looking confused. “Come on, Monty. Is Daisy OK? She’s very quiet.”

“She looks miserable,” Amelie said. “Do you think she knows Grandad’s ill?”

“I’m sure she knows something’s wrong…” Dad said. “Dogs are very good at sensing that sort of thing.”

Monty peered round Josh’s arm as Amelie picked up the carrier. What was going on? There was another dog in there, he could smell her. It was Daisy – he knew her. What was Daisy doing in his house? And now Amelie was putting the carrier down in the kitchen, where his basket and his food bowl were.

He wriggled and pulled as Josh tried to unlock the back door, twisting and scrabbling so that Josh let go of him. Monty backed away clumsily, skidding on the tiles, and padded up to the carrier, sniffing hard. He stretched out one careful paw to the wire door, turning his head from side to side as he tried to work out what was going on.

There was a sharp yap from inside and Monty jumped back, tucking his tail between his legs. Then he crept forward, sniffing again. Daisy had always been friendly before. Monty’s tail twitched slowly to and fro as he stared at her, confused.

“It’s OK, Monty,” Amelie said, gently pushing him away. “Josh’s just taking you out so you don’t upset Daisy, that’s all.”

“Come on, Monty.” Josh took hold of the puppy’s collar again and Monty squirmed, pulling away anxiously. Was he in trouble? This time Josh had a better grip and Monty couldn’t get free. Josh let go of him outside the door and then ducked smartly back into the kitchen. Monty scampered after him but the door clicked closed just in front of his nose. Then he heard the sound of the dog flap locking, too. Josh had shut him out.

Monty stood staring at the door, his ears flattened back. Why was he stuck outside, while Daisy was in his kitchen?

Monty pawed at the door, whining. He wanted Amelie. He was getting hungry, too, but mostly he wanted Amelie to hold him and pat him, so he knew that everything was all right. Instead he was shut out in the garden. It felt as though he’d been there for ages.

He skittered back as the door opened suddenly and Amelie appeared. He whined – he’d been so desperate to get back in but now he wasn’t sure what to do. He could smell Daisy inside – she was still there.

“Are you going to come in?” Amelie coaxed. “Come and see Daisy.”

Monty looked past her into the doorway and spotted Daisy. She was sitting under the kitchen table, her head drooping. He looked up at Amelie, still unsure what was going on.

“It’s just Daisy,” Dad said, crouching down beside Monty. “You know Daisy.” He glanced at Amelie and Josh. “This is a bit harder than I thought it would be. Let’s feed them both – that should cheer them up.”

Dad brought out Daisy’s food and water bowls, and the big bag of dry food that Grandad used. It was the same kind that they gave Monty, Amelie noticed, except that it was for an older dog, not a puppy.

“Should we put their bowls close together?” Amelie asked. “Would that help?”

Dad shook his head. “Not yet. Let’s work up to it. We’ll put Daisy’s over here, by the door.”

Monty was looking happier now, wagging his tail eagerly as he saw his bag of food come out. But Daisy hadn’t moved. She was still under the table and she wasn’t paying any attention to the food Dad was pouring into her bowl. Amelie watched as Monty wolfed down his dinner and Daisy ignored hers completely.

“I suppose she doesn’t feel like eating,” Josh said slowly, crouching down by the table and reaching out his hand for Daisy to sniff. But Daisy turned her head away. “She’s missing him, isn’t she? She knows things aren’t right.”

“I really hope she cheers up soon,” Amelie said. “What are we going to tell Grandad?”

Dad sighed. “I’m sure she’ll settle down. We can’t expect her to be happy straight away.”

“I guess so,” Amelie said. But she hadn’t thought it would be like this. She’d imagined walks and cuddles with two gorgeous dogs. Instead she had a confused puppy and a miserable dog who wouldn’t even eat.