The Perfect Match

We decided to put together a list of what the perfect owner for Bebe would be looking for. If these sound like you then you might be the perfect match for Bebe!

• I'm looking for a mature beagle, one that is out of the puppy/chewing phase - that's Bebe! Bebe is not a puppy and has very little interest in chew toys, or really any kind of toy. We have given her marrow bones with peanut butter inside it and she has shown an interest in chewing on the bones. But it's not often.
• I'm looking for a beagle that will want to cuddle with me, will want to be petted and rubbed, and generally wants attention - that's Bebe! Bebe is very people bonded and will want attention from you. She will sit beside you and ask for rubs and scratches.
• I'm looking for a beagle that will get attached to me and won't want to leave my side - that's Bebe! Since Bebe is people bonded she will want to be in the same room as you. She will follow you all over your home just to be with you. She also enjoys sleeping on our bed and while not a habit everyone might agree with, at first she may want to be in your bedroom either on your bed or in her own bed. However, there are a few times where Bebe has not followed us to our bedroom and stayed in another room so if this is what you prefer she would likely get used to it.
• I'm looking for a beagle that doesn't have separation anxiety and I can leave at home alone - that's Bebe! We haven't had any problems leaving Bebe at home alone. She tends to curl up on the couch and be in the same position when we return.
• I'm looking for a beagle that is house trained and doesn't have accidents - that's Bebe! Bebe is definitely house trained however she doesn't let us know when she needs to go out. She seems to be used to a routine of going outside several times a day to do her business but you will have to tell her when. This is useful if you have a specific routine - she will quickly and easily adapt to it.
• I'm looking for a beagle that likes to go for walks and get exercise - that's Bebe! The most excited you will see Bebe is when you show her a leash. She goes nuts! She absolutely loves to go out on a leash for a long walk. We have taken her for easy walks and for longer 5 mile hikes and she adores being active outside. She is the type of dog that would rather go for a walk than be let out in the backyard.
• I'm looking for a beagle that is mellow and isn't a ball full of energy 24 hours a day - that's Bebe! Bebe is not an active beagle. She will gladly enjoy the outdoors on a walk or at the dog park but once inside she is very mellow and becomes a couch potato. She sometimes has a burst of energy and wants to play with our beagle Belle but 99% of the time she wants to chill out on the couch with us.
• I'm looking for a beagle that is easy and won't get into trouble - that's Bebe! Bebe is not a trouble maker and trust us, we know what one is because we have one in the house (our beagle Kosmo). She has never gotten into something she shouldn't have, chewed anything not meant for a dog, stolen food, or done anything that we've had to discipline her for. She is so easy to take care of!
• I'm looking for a beagle that has some quirks and adorable characteristics - that's Bebe! Bebe is just funny. She has a really cute walk - it's just different from most dogs. She has a high-pitched bark that she only uses when she gets excited and wants to play with other dogs. She whines and shakes her behind when she wants attention. When she's picked up she sticks her back legs out straight. We find these characteristics adorable and hopefully someone else will too.

Hopefully that will give you a good idea of what Bebe is like. If we think of anything else, we'll update this list. Let us know if you have any questions about Bebe!

Bebe Update

It's been a while since we last posted. Bebe is still a member of our pack and is doing so well. With the weather getting cooler, Bebe has starting curling up in a tight ball on our couch and covering her snout with one paw. We call it the "vampire" move and we think it's the cutest thing. We believe it's an attempt to stay warm and lately it's been a daily occurrence to look over and see Bebe in this position. Adorable! And yes, we then put a blanket over her :)

New Collars

The pups received early holiday gifts - new collars!

We couldn't wait until Christmas because Belle's collar was falling apart so we celebrated a bit early. Years ago we fell in love with Earth Dog's products so we decided it was time to support the small business again. A few days after we placed the order we had three brand-new hemp collars in our possession, in different colors: tangerine, blueberry and brick.

Bebe got the brick collar which we thought was going to be red but it's more pink. It's perfect for her because her harness and leash are pink so she now appears to be color coordinated. Here's a photo of Bebe (she's the one on the right) sporting her new collar. What a stylish cutie, huh?

Run Bebe Run

There are so many theories about Bebe's strange walk. Regardless of the reason behind it she is a happy beagle and gets around just fine. When we bring her to the dog park she really comes out of her shell. She LOVES to run.

Yesterday, we went to a DC Beagles meetup at a local dog park and Bebe had a blast. She spent most of the time running and chasing other dogs in the park. When she runs she hops and we think she looks like a gazelle running. It's great to watch and makes us smile because we know she is loving it.

Check out the video we took of her and watch this happy beagle run!

One Tired Beagle

Today, we went to Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland's Beagle Bash. It's their annual beagle festival and fundraiser. It took place at a kennel is rural Maryland where there is a huge fenced-in area for all the beagles to run around and of course, sniff everything in sight. There were quite a large number of beagles in attendance, maybe 50?

Bebe fit right in with the pack. She spent most of the time wandering around and checking out all the scents. At one point a bunch of beagles started wrestling and chasing one another. This got the whole pack excited including Bebe. She loves to run and chase and she jumped into the mix. At one point I captured this photo of her in the air:

It's been a long day and now we have one tired beagle. We're looking forward to another beagle event where we can show her off and draw attention to a wonderful beagle that is still searching for a forever home.

By the way, we posted lots of photos and a video from the event on DC Beagles' facebook page: www.facebook.com/dcbeagles. Check them out!

Chilling with the Beeb

Here is Bebe this evening chilling on the couch with us - so adorable and adoptable!

Beagle Bash!

Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland will host their annual Beagle Bash next Sunday. It's a great opportunity to support rescue and of course, show off Bebe! It's a bit of a trek for us but we plan to make the trip. Please consider joining us. There will be lots of space for beagles to run around plus food, raffles, games and yummy goods for sale. Here are the details:

Sunday, September 25

12:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Countryside Kennels

9214 Boyds Turn Rd

Owings, MD

click here for directions

Bebe can't wait to meet her BRSM brothers and sisters and maybe even some potential adopters. If you're interested in meeting Bebe, this is your chance! Will we see you there?

Summer of Bebe

It's been one crazy summer! Bebe is still with us and still available for adoption. We can't believe how quickly the summer passed and how she's been with us for over 3 months. Our lives have barely changed with her in our home because she is SO easy. She's now used to our routine and has fit right in with our pack.

So, here's what has been going on during the 'Summer of Bebe':

• Camp Reston: Bebe spent some time at Camp Reston while we were on vacation. She lived with several other beagles and a cat. She was actually the active one of the bunch and became a fan of another foster - initiating wrestling matches with him! Some great photos were taken during her visit too. Check out the one above and others in her Picasa photo album. Special thanks to Ewa!
• Whippet Mix: Could Bebe have some whippet in her? Our dog walker thinks so. We're not familiar with the breed but we have read that they are quiet and gentle. That's Bebe. We have read they hunt by sight. That's Bebe. We've read that whippet's legs are long especially the rear legs. That's Bebe. Just google "beagle whippet mix" and check out the photos. Some look like Bebe so it's quite possible she has some whippet in her!

Now that the summer has wrapped up we'll get back on the blogging bandwagon. Life is quite calm in the house with Bebe but there always seems to be something to write about. Stay tuned for more!

Bebe in the Park

We took Bebe to a dog park for the first time on Sunday. We may have mentioned this before but she absolutely adores going for walks. She gets so excited when we get her leash! So, we figured she may also enjoy a dog park.

Well, we were right. Bebe loved being off-leash. She immediately started sniffing every corner of the park and every dog that approached her. As she became more comfortable with her surroundings she then moved around more quickly and started getting playful. At one point, a few dogs started to run and Bebe chased! We weren't sure what to expect. She does have quite a unique prance. She kind of looks like a gazelle running with the cute little hop she does!

There's a great photo below of Bebe rounding a corner and chasing several dogs around the park. She had a blast!

Long Overdue Update

Wow, has it really been over two weeks since we last shared an update? Time sure does fly by! Well, we were distracted by a week-long vacation and we also had to focus on Bebe's surgery.

When Bebe first arrived to stay with us we noticed a lump on her belly. After a visit to the vet it was suspected that she had a mammary tumor. According to the vet, mammary tumors can be common in female dogs that are spayed late. One chest xray and one surgery later, the mammary tumor was confirmed and removed. Luckily, the rest of her chest was clear so it hadn't metastasized. The tumor turned out to be malignant (called adenocarcinoma) but it's unclear if and when it will spread, and it's possible it won't. We'll just to keep an eye on her belly for any more lumps.

She's just the sweetest dog and deserves a loving home and family in which to spend the rest of her life!

Playful Bebe

Has it really been a week since we posted an update? Wow, time is flying by.

At this point Bebe has made herself at home. She's quite comfortable here. She's found her spot on the couch and spends most of her day taking naps there or in the dog bed in our office while we work. She is definitely attached to us and likes to follow us everywhere and be in the same room as us. When we're relaxing on the couch she wants to right next to us, curled up in a ball, asking for some attention but mostly just relaxing right by our side. She's a great companion in that way.

Compared to our beagles that still have quite a lot of energy for their ages, Bebe is mellow and relaxed. But one day this past week she showed some surprising energy out of the blue. She decided she wanted to play with one of our beagles and she was the instigator. I caught the latter half on video and you can even hear her voice in this one!

Fascinated with Little Critters

Bebe attended her first adoption event this past Saturday. She met some prospective adopters but she didn't care too much for the event. She seemed to be more interested in walking around the store to sniff all the amazing animal scents or propping herself up on the window ledge to look outside. You see, Bebe is fascinated with squirrels and other small wildlife. In addition to hanging out in her dog bed, she spends a good portion of her day perched on an arm of our couch with a good view of our yard. If she sees something she'll get excited by whining and wagging her tail. She also enjoys sitting on our back deck looking out into the yard. Sometimes she'll get excited but we can't tell what she's looking at. She must have some sharp eyes. It's that or she's seeing ghosts!

Here's a photo of Bebe in PetSmart on the lookout for some outdoor critters:

Adoption Day

Bebe will attend her first adoption event tomorrow, Saturday, June 18. We'll be at the PetSmart in Reston, VA from 1pm to 3pm. Click the address below for directions.

11860 Spectrum Center

Reston, VA 20190

Come out and see us along with other beagles up for adoption through the Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland. All of the beagles attending are posted on the rescue's website on the home page.

Stay tuned for some photos of Bebe at the event!

Walking and Talking

As Bebe becomes more settled in her foster home, we keep learning more and more about her. It's just like getting to know a new friend! Here's the latest:

• Her walk: We don't know exactly how to describe it but she has a special walk. Some call it "goose-stepping" and some call it "tip-toeing". When she walks she lifts her front legs a little higher than most dogs. At first, we really didn't know what she was doing and were a little concerned. But when Bebe saw a veterinarian last weekend to get tested for heartworm, she told us Bebe is fine. It's probably neurological and she's probably always walked this way. Since she doesn't seem to be any pain, everything is ok. She's just a little different - just more special! By the way, she is heartworm negative - yay!
• Her tail: Bebe has a very short tail compared to most beagles. We don't know the history. Maybe it was broken and then amputated? Maybe she was born that way? But it doesn't bother her and it still wags - a cute wag too!
• Her bark: As we have mentioned before she doesn't seem to want to bark like most dogs. When she gets excited instead of barking she lets out a little whine or sings. We are so used to loud, barking beagles but Bebe is not like that at all. We think it's refreshing!

So, all in all, Bebe is one special beagle. Just like people, every beagle is different. We took a video to capture her special walk. You can kind of see it here (and her tail!). The next video will be taken outside when we're taking her for a walk.

Nicknames

OK, let's admit it; all of us give ridiculous nicknames to each one of our pooches. For us, Kosmo turned into "Mozzie" and Belle morphed into "Little Miss Beag-shine" (oh, like YOURS are any less absurd). This has been working well for us, but since Bebe came around, things have gotten a bit out of hand. It's only been a few days and we already have:

BB gun

Beh-beh (like in Spanish)

Beeb-arama

Beeb-aroo

Beeb-arooni

Beeb-arooski

Beebs

However, things took a turn for the bizarre when we stumbled upon "Beeb-er". This inevitably led to us calling her "Justin Beeber" and then eventually, "Justine Beeber". This particular iteration was so comical to us, we have taken to calling her "Justine" amongst ourselves and then calling her "Bebe" when we want to get her attention.

Considering that when something grabs her attention, she doesn't bark or howl, but rather ... sings, this nickname is quite fitting. Please enjoy this clip of Bebe serenading us this evening.

A Quiet Beagle?

Is that possible? Bebe has barely made a sound since she arrived on Sunday. We figured it would take some time for Bebe to get comfortable in her foster home but now we're beginning to think this is just her personality. She is just so quiet! The only noise she makes is a little whine when she wants to sit next to us. You see, she won't jump up on the furniture. She walks up to where we're sitting and just gives her tail a little wag and makes a little whine noise to get our attention. That's when we reach down, pick her up and place her right next to us. She is SO content with just sitting by us and getting some scratches and rubs. Sometimes she'll pull her front legs up and sit halfway on our lap. It's the cutest!

So, what else have we learned about Bebe? She is very mellow. There is no puppy energy in this pup. She would be perfect in a home that is looking for a more relaxed dog that doesn't need toys or things to chew on. She really doesn't have any interest in dog toys or chasing anything. However, she does have a little spunk in her. Our two beagles like to wrestle once in a while and when they do she seems to get excited and want to join them. I don't think she's comfortable yet to dive in. We'll have to see what happens over the next few weeks and if she decides to get playful. We have to remind ourselves that she's only been here for 5 days so she's still getting comfortable!

Introducing, Bebe!

We have a new foster beagle. It's not Pippi, it's Bebe!

There was a bit of a change this week. Pippi ended up finding another foster home so we now have Bebe. She arrived today and is a beautiful little beagle girl. From what we know, she was given up by her family because she would escape from her yard and run away when taken for off-leash walks. One thing everyone should know is that beagles must be leashed when walked and yards must be securely fenced. Otherwise, bye bye beagle. Beagles will take off and follow their nose!

Bebe is a very, sweet beagle. She's 3 years old and is on the smaller side. Her coat is super soft and she has a very short tail that wags like crazy when she gets attention. She's spayed, up to date on her shots and housebroken. Basically, she's ready to go - to find her forever home!

Stay tuned for more posts about Bebe. We plan to get to know her well over the coming days and weeks.

It's Time to Save Another Beagle

It's time to save another beagle so we've decided to foster Pipken (Pippi). All we know about her so far is that she is about 30 pounds, approximately 1-2 yrs old, outgoing, friendly and good with other dogs. She will be spayed and get all her shots this Thursday. And then next Tuesday (on Chris's birthday), she will come home with us!

To stay posted on Pippi and her progress, be sure to follow our blog (by email or RSS feed) - see the info in the right column on how to subscribe.

By the way, a few weeks ago we heard from Jennifer who adopted our most recent foster Sadie. Sadie is doing great in her new home and we're so happy she found a great home. Jennifer told us "Sadie has brought a lot of fun and joy into our lives already!" and that made us smile :)

Bye Sadie!

This evening, we said goodbye to Sadie the lady. Nearly two weeks after she arrived she has gone to her forever home in DC. Even though this was the quickest a foster of ours found a home, it was still hard to say goodbye. She sure was a lot of fun to have around and we (including our pups) will miss her young beagle energy.

Thanks to Jennifer, her awesome adopter, and Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland. We are thrilled Sadie is going to a great home. This is a sad day for us but a happy day for Sadie and Jennifer!

Puppy Dog

Having a young pup in the house is not always without its mishaps. Sadie still has a bit of puppy in her and tonight she chewed through a power cord. Luckily, no injury was sustained.

We haven't had a young dog in several years but the memories are flooding back: chewed up shoes, a gutted couch with white stuffing spread across the floor, and holes in our bedding. But the joys of having a pet always outweigh the lows. Plus, we always have a funny story to share.

Maybe it's her true personality breaking through. Maybe she's getting more comfortable in her surroundings. Whatever it is, Sadie sure does make us laugh (and remind us we need to do more training)!

Can you see the teeth marks?

Silly Sadie

We now know why Sadie's first name was Silly. When we first saw that name on her vet records we thought Silly was, well, a silly name for a dog! We really didn't know why someone would name her Silly. But after spending 10 days with us we found she actually lives up to that name.

Everything she does from her constant tail wagging, jumping up on us to say hi, curling up next to us, sticking her face in ours, eating her food like a duck, to her racing around the house with our pups close behind. She's turned into Silly Sadie!

New Revelations

A few new things we have learned about Sadie:

• She will do anything to follow us and that includes slipping out the front door. Luckily she only succeeded once. We noticed immediately, said "no" and she rolled on her back. How can we be mad at that?
• She buries her toys. She takes toys and buries them in the couch, in our bed, and sometimes we catch her covering them with invisible dirt. Where is the camera when you need it? She also buried a bone in our backyard - right smack in the middle of our flower garden!
• She has some separation anxiety. When we leave the house Sadie whines and scratches at the door. But it's nothing that a little peanut butter can't soothe! She is a big fan of our homemade peanut butter-in-a-bone treats.
• She's a spaz on a leash. She will definitely need some leash training as she currently runs all over the place, including in front of our feet. She also loves squirrels and will go for the chase. A harness is definitely a necessity.

Here is a photo of Belle and Sadie snuggled together on the couch this evening. Sadie is on the right and Belle is a little camera shy.

Camp Reston

Sadie spent the weekend in Reston while we were out of town. We heard she behaved and found some fun toys at Camp Reston. We miss her terribly and can't wait to see her when we pick her up tomorrow.

In the meantime, we have a new video to share. We had some fun last week with our toys. One of them is a Kong which Sadie seemed to like the best. She loves running after it and chewing on it. Is this the first beagle that fetches?

A Playful Pup

Not sure if it's the rainy weather but the pups had some serious cabin fever today. Their energy seemed to spike even higher right after dinner. And for the first time, Sadie started to play with Belle - the type of playing where they are wrestling and chasing each other. This is probably our favorite part of fostering. Seeing our dogs become best friends with our fosters.

We must have taken a dozen videos this evening but we won't drown you with the monotonous of them all. Here is one of our favorites. Sadie is the one that rolls on her back. As you can see she really enjoys playing with other dogs and is not aggressive.

Rub My Tummy!

Sadie likes tummy rubs! This photo pretty much exemplifies what Sadie is like. She runs up to you and then turns over on her back. We can only imagine she's saying "rub my tummy!". We'll rub it and if we stop then she nudges us or gets on our lap. She's probably saying something like "I need more rubs!"

She really is a sweetheart and great companion. She wants to be next to us all the time and will curl up beside us on the couch. If you're looking for a pup that will give you attention, greet you with lots of tail wags, and sit beside you through thick and thin, this is the dog for you!

Sadie is a Fan of Mad Men

When we turned on the TV the other night and started watching Mad Men (we are doing a lot of catch up and only on season 2), Sadie immediately ran to the TV and jumped up to get a closer look. She was enamored. She stared at it, cocked her head, looked at it a bit more. Her eyes then turned to the speakers. Maybe she thought something would come out of it? It's very possible she had never seen a TV before!

She is also very curious about mirrors. The first time she saw herself in the mirror she ran over to it and stared at herself. When I played the video we posted in our previous post, she jumped up and ran to my laptop to watch it. Did she recognize herself?

She's just the funniest little lady and so curious about everything!

Little Miss Wiggles

We have a new nickname for Sadie: Little Miss Wiggles. I've never seen a tail wag like hers. She is just so happy...ALL THE TIME!

Feeding time in our house can be somewhat of a challenge. It's a two-person effort. One of us focuses on Little Miss Wiggles and the other focuses on Kosmo and Belle. K and B know the drill already and are used to their feeding ritual. But throw in Little Miss Wiggles and it's complete chaos. Little Miss Wiggles gets the first bowl or else she goes after K and B's food. Once she gets her bowl she gobbles it down so fast that we don't think she's actually chewing any of it. But she clearly is enjoying her meal. Check out the video we took of tonight's feeding time. One happy girl!

Meet Sadie the Beagle

Yesterday, we welcomed the newest member of our pack. This little girl has spent the last month at an animal clinic in Warsaw, Virginia. A good samaritan found her as a stray and paid for her vetting but couldn't take her home. Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland came to the rescue and she arrived in Northern Virginia yesterday.

Here are her traits:

• She is very people friendly. When someone walks into a room she immediately greets them and wants attention. Her tail doesn't stop wagging.
• She loves tummy rubs! She wants to be next to us all the time and rolls over on her back so we can give her lots of scratchies and tummy rubs.
• She is energetic. She is constantly wagging her tail and wiggling her back side. But she knows how to relax and is a great couch snuggler!
• She is a jumper and counter surfer but she responds to "no" and she's learning what's right and wrong.
• She's not a licker. She'll get up into your face but doesn't give kisses. Or at least not yet!
• She is on the thin side and needs to gain some weight. We're working on that.
• She is not house trained but in the past two days she's only had one accident. She is rewarded when she does her business outside so I think she'll be a quick learner.
• She appears to be child-friendly. On our walk today some children wanted to pet her and she was very gentle with them.

After two days with her we decided to name her Sadie the lady. She deserves a girlish name that highlights her sweet nature. Stay tuned for more details about Sadie!