10 Reasons why a Best Furry Friend is the Best Summer Fling!

In honor of the official start to summer, below are 10 good reasons why adopting a rescue dog, like me, and making him your BFF (best furry friend) is BETTER than finding a significant other this summer. Giving a rescue dog a "forever home" is a summer fling that will turn into a long lasting, loving relationship! Here are my top 10 reasons why!

10. A dog is always in the mood to cuddle...as much as you want...for as long as you want.

9. When a dog does something wrong, he admits it by putting his tail between his legs, and then you move on.

8. A dog is always willing and excited to go out on the town with you – no matter how you’re dressed, if you showered or whether you’re wearing make-up. And he makes an excellent wing-man/conversation starter (Oh, what a cute dog, may I pet him!?).

7. A dog loves you unconditionally and cheers you up when you’re sad.

6. A dog may be affectionate with others, he may even flirt a little, but he always happily comes home to you. Every single night.

5. A dog will watch a chick flick or an action film with you whenever you want – no arguments, no negotiations and no bribes needed.

4. A dog is a reliable workout buddy – always motivating you and pushing (pulling) you to stay in shape.

3. A dog never hides his emotions from you or leaves you guessing – he’s tired, hungry, in need of a break, gives you the puppy eyes or excited to see you. There’s no miscommunication or misunderstandings.

2. A dog appreciates every second of time and attention you give him, whether it's five minutes or five hours. Plus, he’s always thrilled to see you when you walk in the door from a long day!

1. A dog wants a long-term, committed relationship with you. No DTR (define the relationship) needed.

If you have the time and are able, consider making your home a "forever home" for a rescue animal. There are lots of dogs ready to fall in love with you today!

BACK ON BLOGGING!

So as you can see from my special post to my special friends, I'M BACK!!!

Mommy took away my blogging rights for a couple weeks. She headed North for a fun weekend - WITHOUT ME. And... Well... I had never spent a night away from mommy before and I didn't want her to go...so while she was getting the car ready, I unpacked her suitcase for her. She left it out, closed, but unzipped, so I just popped that badboy open and starting pulling everything out. I hid her shoes under the table, I dumped her makeup bag out, and don't even ask what I did with her matching jammies! Bow-wow-wow-HA!

Unfortunately, Mommy didn't find the stunt nearly as funny as I did. AND, it didn't help keep her here with me. She not only gave me a time-out, but mommy took away my blogging privileges for TWO WEEKS. What's a beagle who needs to express himself to do? I had no outlet for two whole weeks. Sad. PLUS, it was all for nothing. She went on her little weekend get-a-way anyway.

I will say, I think absence makes the heart grow fonder as I missed her a lot and we had a happy, happy, happy reunion. Happiest dog on the planet right here. I love my mommy. And my license to blog.

A Special Message for my Special Friends....

WINK. WINK.

VROOOM!!! vroom.

What a great long, Memorial Day weekend. I love long weekends because it means mommy has more time to rub my belly and I love having my belly rubbed... probably even more than having my ears scratched and about as much as chomping on a new big treat. Got a new one of those this weekend too!!!

I even like the Rolling Thunder -- all those Harley's that come to ride for freedom. 250,000 Harley's on this year's ride! It's for a great cause.

I just wish Mr. Harley could do a little tweak to the bike. I know it going VROOOOOMMMMMM!!!! VROOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!! is half the reason people buy 'em, but maybe he could make one that uses its library voice and goes vroom. vroom.

I'm a tough dog, but when a whole bunch of 'em raced down the street, not gonna lie... I hid a little bit behind mommy's legs. It was loud and a little scary and I hid. Yup, I'm dog enough to admit it. And you know what else I say!? RIDE ON! And God Bless America!

Now that's the Sh*t!!!

So I totally was debating sharing this story -- it's kind of disturbing on many levels... But then here I was, chillin' on the couch, waiting for mommy to come home and take me to my doggie playdate at the park, when I was watching Fox News and Megyn Kelly -- totally love her -- did a whole segment on this. So how can I not comment on this story about the condos, dog poop and whodunit!?

Sure, I poop. Guilty. But while I'm moving on to sniff something when I'm done, mommy's always out there picking up whatever little present I leave for her. Every time.

So I say shame on the mommy's and daddy's who aren't picking it up. Do you part! While I enjoy sniffing what's left on the ground, no one wants to step in it and no one should have to see it. That's just gross. They can totally take my DNA because I know I'm not guilty of that crime...and with a mug like mine, you gotta believe me!

You really should read the article -- it's pretty interesting!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!!!

Just giving a shout-out to the woman who gave my mommy life and who I know will have an excellent Christmas present waiting for me this year!!! Happy birthday, Grandma!!! In honor of your birthday, I'll totally let you rub my belly next time you see me -- a present for BOTH of us. :-) Have a great, great day!

Flat Stanley Visits!

Flat Stanley came for a visit. I showed him all the sites -- took him on a tour through town. He had a good, good time. Met some new people. But I'm pretty sure I wore him out -- he needed a nap after just a few days -- I happily obliged. I tend to like my nap as well -- can do it with my eyes open or closed. Sweet dreams, Flat Stanley. Sweet dreams.

Healthy as a Horse... errr, Beagle!

I just had my 4–year-old check-up and I am happy to report I am fit as a fiddle. Healthy as a horse. Good teeth. Decent weight. Overall good health. Hooray. What can I say, I’m a 4-year-old beagle in the body of a 3.5-year-old. Tell that to the ladies in the dog park! Of course, the tricks I can do are that of an old dog – as in, you can’t teach ‘em new tricks.

But more importantly, when the vet brought me out, the doctor told mommy, I was the best, calmest, sweetest dog she had seen in a week – and one of her very best patients. And she wasn’t just saying that – nope. She meant it. She even thanked mommy – I got the feeling the doctor had a busy week of crazy animals.

So you better believe it. I walked outta that office with my head held high and my tail wagging. It’s not every day you get such a compliment from a real doctor. I mean, they know their stuff. Mommy always asks me "Whose the best doggie? Whose the best doggie?" But now it's like confirmed and everything.

Calling All Fur Babies!!! Help with the Oil Spill!!! Get the Fur a Flyin!!!

So we've all seen horrible oil spill in the Gulf --- shaggy four legged friends --- your help is needed!!! We can't let the government try to fix this -- we've seen what they can (or can't) do. It's DOGS TO THE RESCUE!!!

Check out this article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Turns out our fur can help pick up some of the oil that spilled -- which will help save some of our non-fury friends swimming out there in the water and what not.

So if you have the fur -- it's time to shave it!!! Summer's coming and you'll be cooler this way anyway. It's for a good cause. Let's get the fur a flyin'!

We Didn’t Beat the Rain

Mommy came home a little early from work so we could get our walk in before the rainstorm was to come. Lots of dogs were in the dog pen so we played there for a little while before leaving for our walk. Wouldn’t you know it… We get several blocks away and the rain came pouring down. I didn’t mind the rain, and neither did mommy, but then, out of the blue hail started coming down the size of my tennis balls – or so it seemed. I made a beeline for the bank awning – it was hail-free under there. Lots of people joined us. And of course, they all wanted to pet me because I was sitting so nicely. And of course, I let them pet me.

When the hail and rain stopped a few minutes later, we continued our walk. We made it home just in time. Right after I finished chowing down on my dinner, the sky opened up again – and this time it brought thunder and lightening.

I could tell mommy didn’t like that loud nice with the bright flashing light so I raced over to her on the couch and sat right on her lap. She was safer that way. I didn’t move until that storm cleared out and the loud noises stopped. And that shaking she felt, yeah, it wasn’t because I was scared. I’m tough. I was just nervous for her. Yeah, that’s it. Nervous for her because I know she doesn’t like those scary storms.

BEST WALK EVER!!!

I’m feeling a little guilty…I’m almost thinking I may need to head to that church in Massachusetts that’s holding a monthly worship service for dogs as I need to confess (did you read about that church in the Washington Post? Check it out HERE!).

Auntie Ali was here for a visit. And it was great. She’s really, really nice. She’ll dance with me and play with me. This time she even took me for a walk… but here’s the part that I’m feeling a bit guilty about. She had never walked a dog before on her own. And I could tell she had never walked a dog before. So I may have slightly taken advantage of her naiveness about dog walking.

We were just heading to the post office and back – a mere couple of blocks but I kept us out there for a long, long, long time. :-) I stopped and sniffed EVERYTHING. And then whatever I didn’t sniff, I peed on. And sometimes, yup, I’d sniff it, then pee on it. And then she’d want to go left, but I knew that wasn’t the walking route, so I pulled her right. She was very, very patient with me and that’s why I’ve got a bit of a guilt complex. I totally took advantage of her and I’m kinda sorry about that because she really is great.

If it makes her feel any better, I got to sniff and pee a ton and lead the way – it was really the BEST WALK EVER!!!

AUNTIE ALI & MS. MICHELLE IN LESS THAN A WEEK

Oh boy! Oh boy! Auntie Ali is coming in less than a week. I love it when Auntie Ali visits. She gives a good belly rub. Having her visit is like having filet mignon for dinner -- but better! And this time Ms. Michelle is coming too. I have heard good, good things about her. I bet they are coming to celebrate my birthday – which means even more treats for me!!! Oh boy! Oh boy!

The Stairmaster

I love my mommy because she often lets me walk down the stairs and through the hallway to the dog pen without a leash…and the reality is, (while I don’t admit it)… my separation anxiety levels from her are off the chart, so I usually don’t stray too far. I mean, I often sleep on her feet at night just to make sure that if she gets up, I know about it and can follow accordingly.

So after a play date with Beagle Howard in the fenced in dog park attached to our building (I’m a lucky dog!), we all headed up the stairs – Howard is on the floor below us. Mommy paused to talk with Howard’s mum for a second, and I, eager for my breakfast, headed up the stairs. Somewhere in there, I got confused, and kept on going. Up, up and up. I could hear mommy calling me, so I kept walking, but all the sounds in the stairwell get rather confusing. Suddenly, I had no place left to go. I was at the top. So I sat and waited. And waited. I knew when you’re lost, you’re supposed to stay put and let them find you, so that’s what I did. It wasn’t long before Mosby’s dad opened the door to the 18th floor and found me. He was helping mommy look for me. We took the elevator back down to the first floor. And boy was I glad for that. I may have four legs, but they are short legs and 18 floors is an awful lot of stairs, even for a dog with as much energy as a beagle!

He took me back to mommy. Boy, hearing her voice call me, I raced to her as fast as I could and jumped into her waiting arms. I was a happy, happy dog. I don’t know who was happier to see whom at that point! She clearly missed me. And it felt like I had been gone for hours, when it was really not even 10 minutes. Long enough for her and me. I was happy to get back inside our house and have some water and gobble down my food. 18 flights can really be exhausting!

SQUIRREL!!!

Saw a squirrel. Chased the squirrel. Followed the squirrel up the tree as far as I could. Squirrel got away. Darn squirrel.

Busy day

Woke up. Tinkled on a tree. Ate. Sniffed around. Napped. Chewed a few more Jenga pieces. Napped. Moved to the couch. Napped. Moved to the bed. Napped. Looked out the window. Mommy came home. Pee'd some more. Walked. Ate dinner. Napped. Played with my squeaky toy. Pee'd. Back to sleep. Busy day.

The Feds are After Me

So you know that tag on your mattress that says something like "Do not Remove or the federal government will totally come and get you and send you to jail without any dinner"!!?? Yeah, I removed it. Opps. My bad. Guilty.

Then, realizing what I did, I hid the evidence... you guessed it... I ate it... But my stomach didn't care for that too much (mommy was thrilled), so I had to throw it in the garbage, which means it's out there, with my paw prints all over it.

I'm so hoping the mattress tag people lack efficiency...I might have a dog fight in this match! If not, I have a good hiding space under the bed! They won't take me alive!

Hunger Strike

I’m holding a hunger strike. No, it’s not for any noble cause – and no, it doesn’t include treats, or snacks, or Drew's birthday cake (see Saturday post) or anything I find on my walks… It’s for people food. Mommy keeps giving me just dog food, and frankly, dog food is for the dogs. I want something delicious mixed in… like some meat or cheese to make it yummier. You know how boring it is to eat the same thing day after day!?

I’m pretty sure I got her right where I want her. I’ve held off for a couple meals, and she’s gonna crack soon and cave – I can tell. She may look tough, but she’s a softie when it comes to her BFF (best fury friend). And when she does cave, I am going to enjoy quite the feast….

Timeout...Again!

Mommy baked a cake. And it smelled really, really good. I could have sworn she said “I’m baking this for you.” She put it on top of the stove to cool off and then frost and decorate the next day. I’m not really a huge frosting lover (except for that buttercream frosting – now that’s a good lick) so I figured I’d save her the hassle. I somehow, we’re both still trying to figure out how, got it off the stove top and down to my level (all without breaking the glass pan, I might add – should have received props for that, but Noooo!) and ate it up.

It was delicious.

Well, mommy came home and she was not at all pleased to see that I had eaten her cake. In fact, she was pretty ticked. She put me in another timeout while she cleaned everything up. Have I mentioned how much I HATE getting a timeout!?

The whole time she was complaining about how I ate Drew’s birthday cake for the party, and now what was she going to do!? Oh yeah, come to think of it, she did say “I’m baking a birthday cake for Drew.” I guess it wasn’t I’m baking a cake for you. Opps. Well, cheers to you, Drew! Maybe I’ll get my ears cleaned in your honor!

The JENGA Chew Toy

Maybe they should put on the JENGA box that it’s a game to play and not a new chew toy. Good game. Delicious snack. I say why can’t it be both?!

Dirty Bath Water

Today I was duped. Tricked. Swindled. Deceived.

Mommy and I went for our normal walk. We like taking long walks on Sunday mornings because it’s pretty quiet and peaceful out. Mommy hit the gym (I wasn’t gonna say anything to her, but I was starting to tell it had been a while!).

When she came back and got all cleaned up, she said, “Let’s get you a bath!” and got the leash ready. I was all excited. Jumping up and down – a happy dog! We were going out. I did not hear “bath.” In my excitement, what I heard was “let’s go back to dog park, like yesterday, so you can play with the other dogs and chase squirrels for awhile and get lots of treats.”

About halfway into our trip, I noticed Mommy turned to the right, when the dog park was the road to the left. I was hoping we were going to visit my pal Kopek, but nope – there was only one place the car was headed – the Bath House. I hate the Bath House. As soon as I realized it, I started giving her the puppy eyes – pleading not to make me get a bath. I hate the water, and the blow dryer makes a horrible noise and the entire experience is just awful.

But she didn’t fall for the puppy eyes. She was tough as nails – steadfast in her driving to the Bath House. I fought going in. I vowed that they weren’t going to take me alive!!! She dragged me. Then the guy had to drag me back there.

The bath was horrible. The dryer was just as bad as I remember.

I’m clean now and smelling pretty good. Part of me wants to go roll in some mud, just to spite Mommy and the Bath House, but then I know I’ll be right back at the Bath House… so I think I’ll avoid the muddle puddles for a bit!

All Bones About It!

Buried my bone under the couch. Then re-buried it on the bed...hope Mommy doesn't find it. I love her, but just like Joey on Friends doesn't share food, I don't share my bones! They make for good chomping!

That’s A Wrap!

Mommy and I went for our usual evening walk – she hates walking by the grocery store because it’s bordered by bushes, and people always leave food in the bushes. But, I dragged her in that direction. My nose was onto something. I was sniffing in the tenth bush – you have to take them one at a time as it’s like a treasure hunt where attention to detail is important – when I found it. Someone had left an entire chicken wrap out for me to eat. It was not there this morning when we walked by! I enjoyed a chomp and then brought it out of the bush to show mommy my conquest. I thought she’d be really proud of me – I mean, WHAT A FIND! But she promptly grabbed it from me. I only got in two good bites before that’s a wrap was called on my dinner!

With the Wind at Your Back

Friday was so windy. Mommy took me out for a walk and I was trying to do my business and each time I got in position, the wind sort of knocked me over and I lost my balance. This happened three or four times. Mommy was trying to hide her laughing at me as she knows I’m a bit sensitive, but I could see her entire body shakin’ she was laughing so hard at my misfortune. Eventually, I left her a present in the leaves.

Bailey's all a TWITTER!!!

Check it out, instead of woof woof, I'm saying TWEET TWEET these days!

I've joined Twitter. Follow me here: www.twitter.com/beaglebailey429.

I'll keep you updated on when I have a new blog post or catch a squirrel or leave my mark someplace really good, but mainly that blog post thing.

Tweet! Tweet!

The Green-Eyed Monster of Bailey

Mommy cheated on me. She came home late last night and she smelled of another dog. I totally busted her on it. His fur was all over her sweater and on her pants, so I know she was playing with another dog… and God forbid, she gave him a belly rub. She didn’t! She wouldn’t! But I know she did. She confessed the whole thing. Her face was totally covered in guilt. And her sweater buttons – yeah, I can tell he licked one.

She says his name was Chase. What kind of a name is that? Chase. I chase a squirrel!

She wants the two of us to meet. She thinks we can all be friends and play, but I’m going to need to think about this.

Tinkle Tinkle!

Lifted my leg for the tree. Marked the fence. Pee'd on the wall. Lifted my leg for the bush. Marked the bench. Pee'd on the mailbox. Turned some snow yellow.

A good day.

Ruh-roh! Mambo Crap-o!

In the words of my pal Astro from the Jetsons: Ruh-roh!

I’m pretty smooth on my feet… yeah, I may have two left feet, but I also have two right feet… or paws. Either way, these paws have moves! I made the mistake of dancing with mommy once or twice when a good song came on – hey, the music just took over my body – and then when Auntie Ali was here, I danced a little bit with her… by the time I finished twirling her around the dance floor, she was saying that I could teach Fred Astaire a few moves.

Yes, indeedy, I’m a smooth operator with the ladies on the dance floor… but now that smoothness and my moves are causing trouble. Mommy saw a clip of this dog dancing the mambo, and she instantly said, “we can do better than that” and measured my belly for a SKIRT. I may wear a Love Bug costume. I may wear a snowman sweater. I might even dress like a pumpkin for Halloween, but there is no way I’m wearing a skirt and dancing the mambo like some golden retriever. There’s nothing golden about that. It ain’t happening!

I think I better go chew up my dancing shoes… and mommy’s. Better to be safe!

BAD DOG…AGAIN

Being a Saturday, I found I had a little extra time on my paws today. Given my stomach is pretty much a bottomless, iron pit, I found myself wanting to eat. Again. Plus, I got a good night’s sleep last night, so when mommy left to go bowling with her friends, I found myself WIDE awake with the whole apartment to myself and nothing on my schedule. Idle paws make for wanting to climb walls! So I looked for something to do… and then I smelled it! She didn’t fully close the lid on the jar of peanut butter! Aha!

So I did what any reasonable dog would do who has suddenly become very comfortable in his surroundings. The chair to the dinner table wasn’t fully tucked in (is that my fault!?) so I jumped onto the chair, and then jumped onto the table, and launched from the table onto the kitchen counter where I found myself a buffet of food. She had cookies in a Rubbermaid container (and with a determined nose, those lids aren’t that hard to get off). She had a whole bowl of candy – most of that I dumped into the sink, I don’t like candy very much, especially when it's in a wrapper. And, to my delight, there it was, sitting on top of the toaster oven, a jar of peanut butter that was just waiting to have the lid pop off. So I pushed that off the counter to the floor, stopped to make sure nothing good was in the garbage (there really wasn’t, but since it was there, it was worth a peek), and then enjoyed the jar of peanut butter as far down as my tongue could reach. It was almost empty, but still quite the score!

In my nose's excitement, I didn’t cover my tracks very well. When mommy walked in the door, she immediately started with the BAD DOG. In all my peanut butter delights, I accidentally turned on the sink and left the water running. And now that I think about it, the garbage was everywhere, and she was really ticked that her entire bowl of candy was soaking wet and inedible. Opps.

So I was put in a timeout while she cleaned everything up. I hate timeouts. I just had to sit there. No belly rub. No ear scratch. No treats. Nothing. Just sit there. And boy did I feel bad. She sure knows how to lay on the guilt. To make matters worse, she moved the table, so there goes my launching pad to the buffet - right when I was figuring it out.

And she kept mumbling something about giving Marley a run for his money. Apparently he’s the world’s worst dog. Personally, I think he sounds like a stand-up chap that I’d like to meet. I bet we’d have a lot of fun together…I might even share my peanut butter.

Paw Skating

The paws and paws and paws of snow that fell on D.C., and that piled up in the dog pen at my building has now all now turned to ice – making the dog pen a wicked fun skating rink. Yesterday, I was chillin’ outside in the pen, sniffing a tree and leaving my mark when my lab pal Gordy came in. We were racin’ around the pen, having a good ol’ time chasin’ each other on the ice. The only problem with ice is that it’s really easy to lose your pawing. Gordy was chasin’ me – and we were going really fast – when I went flying, sliding on my butt and belly into mommy. That was all fine, until Gordy, who’s almost triple my weight – he was right behind me and he couldn’t put on the brakes either. He’s so big he crashed into me, mommy and his mommy. We all went tumbling to the ground, and let me tell you – all I could think about was that’s gonna leave a mark! It was wicked sweet, but my tail is sore today! Maybe it’s time to turn in my paw skates and try some snowpawing! Or sledding!

Beagle Births! A Warm and Fuzzy Post

Did you see this news story from last Thursday (remember, when it was really, really cold, and much of the country was being covered in snow)? Some person dumped this beagle in the snow in Ohio right before she gave birth to a liter of puppies. Fortunately, someone found her, took them to the Humane Society and now the mom and her puppies are in a foster home, waiting to be adopted. I love a happy ending!

But people, I don't get on my soapbox often, but if you can't handle your dog, don't just dump them on the side of the road or set them free to fend for themselves, take them to a Rescue or a Humane Society. Someone wants to love them and care for them, even if you don't or can't.

Click here to read the story and watch the news video.

Love from the Love Bug!

Here's wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day!!! I hope the Love Bug finds you!


P.S. I got a lot of treats to wear this outfit, so it was totally worth it!

Better than Some Ugly Christmas Sweater, a Snowman Sweater!!!

Today I went to work with mommy. She was SNOWOVERIT and had work to get done, even if the rest of D.C. was suffering from the BLIZASTER! Her boss loves me and requests my presence in the office. I mainly sleep under mommy's desk and get treats when I'm there. I've worked out a system, and it's a pretty good deal, if I do say so myself. Mommy works on the top floor, so we ride the elevator up. If there are people sharing the elevator, she always asks them "Are you afraid of dogs?" before we get on. I personally don't see the big deal, but apparently some people prefer two-legs over four. So today, she asks that to this guy getting on the elevator with us and he laughs and says "no" and then he adds "and I certainly wouldn't be afraid of a little beagle wearing a snowman sweater... boy does he look ferocious!" And he had the nerve to laugh again!!!

Excuse me? If I weren't such a good boy, I'd say someone deserves a little pee on his leg! I happen to like my snowman sweater, especially when everything is covered in snow and the temperature is very cold. Some people think dogs don't like clothes, but I have short fur, and I practically climb into my sweater all by myself before going outside. Why should I freeze my tail off? And I think I look darn good in my sweater...and I know others do too. I saw that little Bichon Frise named Asti, checking me out this morning. She thinks I didn't see her, but I know she gave me the ME-OW and the sniff-sniff before walking around the corner. That guy probably has a closet full of those ugly Christmas sweaters, and I bet they are really ugly, but me, I'm keeping my snowman sweater! It works!

Hounds from Hell – Stop Terrorizing the Town

So as I was surfing the Web the other day, I came across this article in the New York Post:

Savage Beagles Terrorize East End

First off, shame on people for just setting their dogs free. I know my mommy would never give me up. But fellas, what are you doing? I’m tossing you a bone here… so take my advice: go find yourself a rescue, learn some manners and get yourself a new family. I’m telling you, this being adopted stuff is where it’s at. Meals every day. Belly rubs. Treats. Why sleep on the street when you can share a nice warm bed with your mommy?

So what if you’re not out there on the street or in a field hunting! Don’t be fooled, you can still be a bad *ss if you’re in a home. Get yourself up on the kitchen counter and start hunting for food there – you’ll make out like a bandit and be warm too! Like the other day – I got myself up on the counter when mommy wasn’t around, opened a storage container and found five HUGE CUPCAKES – with FROSTING, just waiting for me to eat them. Do you hear me, boys, FROSTING! I don't know if you'v ever had it, but frosting is sooooo delicious. It's so good, you don’t even pause to take the paper off the cupcake, you just chow down on heavenly goodness.

It’s not too late boys, return to your Snoopy, playful roots, admit you have a problem and seek help. It’s the first step! Good luck.

DANGER, BEAGLE BAILEY! DANGER!

At the start of D.C.’s Snowmageddon, part one, mommy took me for a walk. Given the forecasters were predicting the snow would be deeper than I am tall, mommy wanted to make sure I could burn some energy off before the snow piled up and I would be held captive inside for a day or two. We were walking our usual route when suddenly, I felt it. DANGER, BEAGLE BAILEY. DANGER!

I let out a growl. Mommy hadn’t ever heard me growl, so she turned, looked at me and asked, “Was that your stomach?” But this was no laughing matter. I let out another low growl and gave a mean WOOF toward the danger spot. Mommy was shocked, she had never seen this side of me… it doesn’t come out often as I’m a lover, not a fighter. She turned to look in the direction I was facing so she could see the danger for herself. I positioned myself in front of her, so she would be protected.

There, at the bottom of the Hill was the cause for concern... with his menacing arms reaching out... his big head giving that vicious stare… the reason to run for your life!!!

While Visions of Peanut Butter Danced in My Head

Last night I had the most amazing dream…and I woke up remembering it. It was THAT good. I was at my friend Terrior Twilight’s house. We were just chilling, catching some rays, taking a couple cat naps, when I decided to take a dip in the pool.

So I jumped in and immediately sunk to the bottom. I panicked for a moment, as I’m no Michael Phelps in the pool…my doggie paddle wouldn’t earn me a gold medal…or even bronze…maybe the Titanic Award on a good day. But then I realized that the pool wasn’t filled with water, it was filled with PEANUT BUTTER and I had to EAT my way out. I ate and ate and ate. And then I ate and ate and ate some more. Eventually, I made it to the top. And when I got outta the pool, there, on the diving board, was a juicy steak and a bowl of water, waiting for me. I ate that too, before jumping back into the pool for some peanut butter dessert. I’m so glad I sleep 18 hours a day.

Baths are for Rubber Ducks

As a new dog owner, mommy wanted to give me a bath when I got all dirty outside. Little did she know, I don’t like baths. I knew she had never given a dog a bath before when she took off my collar. I wasn’t going to say anything, but boy was that dumb. You might as well just say GAME OVER.

In her defense, I’m usually a very quiet, calm dog, who does what he’s told and can sit patiently through brushing, or whatever, but I HATE baths. She had filled the tub with water, put me in, and I immediately jumped out and shook off the water in the bathroom. She was smart enough to close the bathroom doors ahead of time, so I give her credit for that, but a wet dog isn’t the easiest to catch. She put me back in and tried to keep me in the tub, but I was having none of that. She realized she needed the collar to hold onto me, so as she tried to sneak out the bathroom door to get it, I made a beeline outta there, and to dry off, I jumped straight onto her white bedspread SPREAD EAGLE!

She got the collar back on me and chased me back into the bathroom. She got me back in the tub and lathered me up pretty good, but I kept trying to jump out. It was almost a fun game at this point – she was wetter than I was! Eventually, realizing that she was getting nowhere, she cranked on the shower, grabbed me, and held me under the rushing water. She was really, really wet. It was really, really funny.

As she was drying me off, with me laughing all the way, she said even at $29.99, the Petsmart grooming was a bargain, as she’d need four other hands to really give me a bath. Looks like the rubber ducks are the only ones who will spend a lot of time in her tub! Ha. Quack!

This is My Blog!

Hi. I’m Beagle Bailey. Bailey for short. Although my mommy calls me Bailey Boo. Or on her particularly chummy days, I have the unfortunate distinction of being called Love Bug. She keeps the food coming, so I naturally respond, but I do it in protest.

This is my blog. You may wonder why a beagle would need a blog – or how he would even start a blog, so I’ll give you the short of it. First, I need a blog because I have a lot to say. I live in an apartment building and I’m not allowed to speak inside, so the blog gives me a good outlet. And I learned how to blog at the last rescue I was at… I think I’ve been in two rescues, and two homes besides my current one, but I’ve lost count (unlike a hand, my paw only goes to four). I’m told I was born in North Carolina and somehow made it to Virginia, but I’m no Christopher Columbus, so I’m not quite sure about that either.

What I am sure about is rescues are even bigger on activities and schedules than summer camps. They think it helps dogs forget that they’ve been lost or given up by their family. You don’t forget, but well, dogs are pretty easily distracted.

At the first rescue I was at, in North Carolina, I took Squirrel Chasing 101, The Art of Dumpster Diving and Sniffing for Dummies. At the last rescue I was at in Virginia, they offered the same courses I had already taken, so I signed up for typing and blogging…anything to help pass the time until the next meal. I really like to eat. Humans have it made – three meals a day. I only get two, but I tend to snack – whether I’m supposed to or not. Can I help it if someone leaves part of their sandwich on my walking path!? We’re in a rough economy and there are starving children out there – so I’m not about to waste food!

Anyway, back to my point…like I said, dogs are pretty easily distracted… I thought I’d try something new with a blog. And besides that, Snoopy does not represent the views of all Beagles. If politics can have viewpoints from Democrats and Republicans, then certainly there’s room in the beagle world for a Snoopy and Bailey perspective. Now, keep in mind, I’m about 15 inches tall and weigh 27 pounds, so my perspective comes from pretty close to the ground. I’m the last to feel the rain. But I see a lot from down here—and most of it looks GIANT.

I will be four in April. Not that there’s much to celebrate, as they took my manhood away years ago. To try to forget about that, I have a lot of hobbies, including, napping, sniffing, peeing on trees, getting into the garbage, eating and I enjoy being chased by other dogs (can I help it if I’m the fastest dog in the dog park!?). And let’s just clear up one misnomer about dogs right now -- we can’t all just instantly fetch and we don’t all enjoy it. I don’t fetch, nor do I want to. Why would I get a ball or stick and bring it back, only to have to do it again. Seems like valuable time wasted when I could be digging to somewhere!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my first blog post. Check back often for updates from me. You may think beagles are “just a dog” and sleep 18 hours a day, and while all that’s true, it’s those other 6 hours where we get some good stories to share!