The Bone from Christmas

My humans got me a two-in-one Christmas gift - A Chew N Kleen Knot Bone. You can tell from its name that it serves dual purpose - not only is it for a beagle's enjoyment, it cleans my teeth at the same time!


Naturally, before I was able to indulge in my doggie treat, I had to sit and wait until my humans gave the "OK" command.


So on Christmas evening, whilst my humans were pigging out on mum's homemade chinese barbeque pork (char siu) and Aunty Pat's fried calamari...




...this beagle was busy trying to "unknot" my bone.


This continued to Boxing Day...


On December 27th...At this stage, this beagle was not making a lot of progress. I hate to admit it but my mouth just isn't big enough for this bone. My human took pity on me and decided to "unknot" one end to help me out. My goal was to get to the yummy chicken strip sandwiched between the hide.


On December 28th... I was only halfway through.


On December 29th... I was still at it.


On December 31st... Gnawing this knotted bone sure is tiring!


I hope your Christmas treats kept you as busy as mine did! Happy 2011 everyone!

Pre-Christmas bath

"Kess girl, you need a bath. You need to look good for your Christmas photo..." This beagle's reaction's to my human's dreaded "BATH" word was...

That's right...Crawl underneath the car to escape bath time.


Unfortunately my humans are wise to this beagle's trick and has their own trick up their sleeve. They lure me out with a yummy liver treat. Now you tell me, which beagle, actually let me rephrase that...which canine can resist a liver treat?


Once I was out from under the car, I trodded slowly towards the bath area. Sigh...Outwitted again.


Once I'm in the bath area, I'm a model of good behavior as my humans thoroughly clean me.


Towel time is my favourite part of bath time coz I get to play tug of war with my humans. For some strange reason, my humans think it's funny to drape the towel over me me so that I look like Emperor Nero!


Anyway, after I was nice and clean, it was Christmas photo time. Oh well, a bath is a small price to pay. After all, it's the season for giving, right? Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!Save some turkey for me.

A Typical Day in A Beagle's Life

AM

Go for a walk and scavenge for pre-breakfast tit bits


Eat breakfast - 1/2 cup kibble (now you know why I have to supplement my meals with scavenging!)


Dig a hole to China - very little progress so far...


Check for pesky squirrels and cats who hide out in our bamboo tree


Scratch an itch - aahh...feels so good


PM
Laze around in the cool of the house on a hot balmy afternoon


Bark at pesky junk mail delivery boys who clog up our mailbox


Walk again - I wonder what new scents I'll sniff out in the evening...


Eat again - another measly 1/2 cup of kibble


Good night!

The Beagle That Should Have Been Named "Socks"

We all know beagles have white paws, which resembles socks.



But, that's not the only reason my humans should have named this beagle "Socks" instead of Kess. They just cannot figure out my socks fetish. Whenever I see socks, I just have to grab it in my mouth and take it with me. I don't chew it or anything like that, I just like to grab it and when I'm done, I just leave it lying around. I especially like worn socks. Since my human likes to leave his socks in his shoes, that is my prime target. Of course, after all that beagle slobber, the socks has to go to the wash, even if it's a fresh pair. Speaking of fresh pair, I'm not a fussy beagle, socks fresh from the wash waiting to be put away in the cupboard is fair game, in my humble opinion. Of course, after I'm done with them, the socks need to be laundered again!

Anyway, my humans have given up on trying to cure me from my socks fetish. So, they figured, if you can't beat them, join them...No, they haven't developed a need to grab socks in their mouths....Instead, they've just turned their old socks into a toy for me. Stuff some old socks in another sock, and have a game of tug of war with their favourite beagle.

"Is that the best you can do? I can beat you lying down..."

"That's more like it! Now we can have a good game of tug of war."

"Hey...where did you go? Is the game over? Sore loser..."

"Socks in a sock" also make a good game of fetch as it does have good flying mobility. Do be careful if you're flinging it in the house! Anyway, I reckon my humans are quite lucky that my taste in toys are not expensive. I don't need fancy Kong toys. Just give me socks any day!

Beagle Walk

This is how a beagle walks...



...with the nose to the ground 99% of the time!

I hit the jackpot today. I found a piece of bone during my walk, sneaked it into my mouth and brought it back home to chomp. Mum was not pleased!

Squat or Lift???

You may think from the title of this post that this beagle has decided to go to the gym to do some exercises - squats and lifts. Far from it... In fact, this post is all about answering the call of nature - peeing!

My humans have always been perplexed about how I pee. Like the humans, female and male dogs have different pee positions. Female dogs "squat" to pee, whilst male dogs "lift" their hind paw to pee. In my puppy days, I used to squat whenever I peed. However, my humans noticed that as I grew older, I started to lift my hind paw, the same way male dogs do.

This happens regulary when we go for walks...


Trees and plants are my favourite pee-marking stops


But from time to time, I surprise my humans with a lady-like pee squat. This usually happens at home.


Some people say that a female dog who pees like a male may be exhibiting signs of dominance. However, my humans reckon that I am actually a submissive canine. In fact, whenever I meet other dogs, I tend to sit quietly and let the other dogs sniff me first, a far cry from dominant behaviour. So, my humans continue to remain puzzled by me. Personally I don't see what the big deal is. I just think that I'm a versatile female beagle that can do leg lifts, just as well as a male dog :-) What do you think?

Deep in thought...

What is this beagle thinking? Tell us what you think...

Beagle Escapes...Again

In my last post, one of the things I shared about myself is that I'm an expert escape artist. Now, my humans thought that with old age, this beagle has mellowed, along with the urge and instinct to escape. After all, my last successful escape was way back in October 2008. Back then, my humans thought that a faulty automatic gate may have been my escape route...

Two days after that post, I proved my humans wrong. Despite being 8 years old (approximately 56 human years), this beagle still has the moves of an agile escape artist. My humans went out for dinner, leaving me home for an hour and a half. What kind of trouble can a beagle get into in 1.5 hours?

Well, the first thing my humans saw when they opened the automatic gate was shredded grass blades on the porch floor. "To be expected", they thought. The next thing they expected to see was a beagle running out to greet the car. Usually, they can tell if our neighbour has taken me over to their house because Aunty C leaves her wooden door open so I can look out for my humans' return. Since her wooden door was closed, they expected their little beagle to be home. Their heart sank when no beagle came out. They quickly rushed next door to check with Aunty C.

There were lots of confusion as to where this beagle had disappeared to. As it turns out, at the very moment my humans returned home, Aunty C heard the sound of dog tags (I wear a tag with my name and my humans's phone number as well as my dog licence) tinkling on the back lane. Since she is very in-tuned with this beagle, she decides to check out the sound and pops out back where she found this very beagle sitting outside her house! Aunty C rescues me from the backlane, and brings me to the front for a happy reunion with my humans! My escapade left me exhausted!



The next day, my humans check out my potential escape routes. Despite reinforcing our wooden fence with extra dog fence to increase the height of the fence, they think I may have managed to climbed over the fencing, in between our house and Aunty C's house. This area had new muddy paw prints and fresh broken leaves from the potted plant next door.



A second possible escape route may be where our post box is. Either way, my humans continue to be perplexed at how a medium-sized, 8 year-old canine managed to climb over 6 to 7 foot fencing...


Can anyone enlighten them please?

Versatile Blogger - Better late than never?

I received this award way back in August from Happy and Oscar & Ruby. It's Sept now. There are no excuses for tardiness, so I'll just extend my sincere apologies to Happy, Oscar & Ruby. As the saying goes.. "better late than never"... so here goes:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award

Happy, Oscar & Ruby - Thanks heaps!

2. Share 7 things about yourself

1. This beagle is an expert scavenger - My humans have to be on high alert whenever we go for walks as I am prone to sniff out any bits of food, tucked away among the grass blades or buried under soil.
2. This beagle doesn't like to be left home alone. When I am home alone, I get the urge to be "productive". I especially like gardening (Kess' Mama: Digging and chewing off plants is a more apt description. Kess is currently in her digging mode so our garden is now patchy with holes)
3. My humans call me their little shadow as I follow them wherever they go. Sometimes I'm faced with a dilemma as mum and dad may be in different parts of the house. I try to be fair and divide my time equally between them both. But it can be tiring as I have to move around the house a fair bit!
4. When the mood strikes me, I can totally ignore my humans. It doesn't matter how many times they call, I am too comfortable in my spot to respond to them. So my humans have to look for me around the house - kind of like hide and seek :-)
5. This beagle is an expert escape artist. My humans are very glad that in my older age, I have mellowed. In my younger years, I've climbed over 7 foot fences and found my way to gramps' house which is at least 5-6 kms away.
6. This beagle is afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks. Just yesterday, I barked frantically at the fireworks that was being let loose in the night sky. I fear that I will be in for a very unpleasant weekend ahead as there will be more fireworks to celebrate the end of Ramadhan.
7. This beagle is well-loved. Despite my many trangressions, my humans love me - pure and simple. What more can I ask for?

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic. Note: Mine is a mixture of new and old blogging pals.
1. The Thundering Herd
2. Home of Team Beaglebratz
3. Khyra's Korner
4. Sapphire the Beagle
5. Terrier Fun with Molly and Taffy
6. Elbow and Hauwii
7. Beagle Diary
8. River
9. The Stoutino Inn and Foster Kennel
10. Beagles Lenni and Vekku
11. Fred's Follies
12. Key West Collies
13. Nottie Scottie
14, The Barkalotx Boyz
15. Mango the Maltese Kiddo

4. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award.

I've been so slack with blogging so some of the awardees may have already been given this award earlier. For those of you who already have this award, just know that you are truly a versatile blogger! Please realize that you are under no obligation to accept this award and that it is done in the spirit of recognizing and acknowledging really great blogging!

A Pet's Ten Commandments

I know this beagle has been MIA for 5 weeks... As always it's my human's fault. She claims it can't be helped because of work commitments...that's what the humans always say. Anyway, my human received this in her email and thought that it was worth posting to remind all humans to treat us right.



A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS.........
1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.
10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.


~Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them.
Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's creatures.

A Beagle's Perpective of Humans

Apart from my human extended family and friends, this beagle encounters many kinds of humans on my daily walks.



1) The humans with dogs
a) The best kind of humans with dogs are the well-balanced breed. I love this breed of humans as this beagle has the time to sniff out my fellow canine as our humans stop to chat. The funny thing is our humans generally don't know each other's names, but they all know our names!

b) Although I would have thought that humans with dogs are a friendly lot, that's not the case all the time. Some humans tend to avoid contact, prefering to cross the street when they see other dog-walking humans. Now, to be fair, there may be valid reasons for their behavior. Not all dogs get along with other canines so it may be possible that their humans may be wanting to avoid any unpleasant confrontation between canines. One particular human with a collie and a little terrier smile apologetically at us from afar as the little terror, oops... I meant terrier barks ferociously at us for no apparent reason. On the other hand, the collie is as calm as can be. Go figure!

c) Then of course there is the paid domestic helper who has to walk their employer's dog. Often, the human owners delegate the responsibility of owning a canine to their maids. This begs the question of when the humans actually have the time to bond with their canines if the maid looks after their dog?

2) The dog-loving human
Some of these humans may not have their own dogs but love canines just the same. They will stop and chat with my humans, often asking to pat this beagle. Sometimes, parents will slow down or stop their cars just so their kids can take a look at this beagle or wave at us. After all, who can resist a beagle, right? Wrong! See the next two human breeds...

3) The fear-inducing human
We once met a father who was walking his young child. The father was having trouble keeping up with his energetic kid who had run ahead. When the father saw us approaching, he pointed to us and told his son "Look, dog!" Now, we thought that this father was teaching his son what a dog looked like. After all, this beagle is used to being an object lesson for little children. We could not believe the words that came out of this father's mouth next "If you don't behave, the dog will bite you!". My human wanted to let me loose to bite him for saying such an untrue thing to his impressionable child! This leads me to the next breed of humans.

4) The dog-fearing human
I come across this breed fairly often. For reasons of ignorance, wrong teaching (see above), bad past experience or "religious" reasons, this breed of humans are afraid of dogs. Some will show their fear openly, preferring to avoid us or sometimes even calling out "Anjing" (dog) to warn their fellow dog-fearing humans. My humans realize that there's not much they can do about humans who fear dogs, so out of respect, we generally try to walk quickly past them.

And there you have it, the good, the bad and the ugly...What type of humans do you encounter on your walks?

Beagle thievery???

This morning, this beagle spent time in the garden after breakfast whilst my human holed up in her home office working away on her computer. Since I had some free time on my paws, I decided to help out around the house. Now, my human has all my supplies in this little basket on the shoe rack. I was going to surprise my human by transforming my messy basket which holds an assortment of beagle supplies -leash, harness, ear cleaning medicines, tea tree oil spray, etc.


To this beagle's pleasant surprise, I found my pack of treats from Japan. Some of you may recall that my humans brought back 2 packets of Japanese doggie treats for their favourite beagle. You saw the first treat - some crispy skins.
The second was a packet of succulent bacon strips. My human typically tears up the strips of bacon into smaller bits as treats when they clean my ear.


It doesn't take a genius to guess what happened next...When it comes to food, beagles have a one-track mind - EAT IT! This was all that was left when my human finally came out.


My human says I'm a bad beagle for stealing food. But hey, this treat was mine anyway. So, how can it be thievery? Instead of waiting for measly rations of bacon strips in the future, I just claimed it all in one go. Of course, after consuming about a dozen or so bacon strips, this beagle was too full to do much else but sleep it off.


As punishment for bad behaviour, there's no dinner for me tonight!

Postscript from Kess' mama:
With beagles in the home, I've learnt my lesson. All food must be kept safely away from the sniffing nose and eagle eye of a forever hungry beagle. This breed will do anything for food, including climb up furniture!

Tutti Frutti for a Beagle

It was a weeknight errand outing for this beagle and my humans. On the way home, my humans decided to stop by Tutti Frutti, a new yoghurt ice cream parlor. Unfortunately, like most eating places in Malaysia, canines are not allowed so I had to wait in the car whilst my humans enjoyed a tub of delicious Berri Tutti Frutti in the shop. My patience was rewarded! Because I was so well-behaved and did not bark at anyone, my humans decided to save me some Tutti Frutti yoghurt ice cream for me to eat at home.

"Hurry up mum...it's my turn to have some Tutti Frutti..."

"Sigh...OK. I know the drill. I have to sit first"

"Finally...Sweet"