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.