Beagleman

ODE TO A SCENTHOUND

Appreciating Ricky the Beagle on what would be his 22nd birthday Nose to the ground, sending a prayer: Maybe — just maybe — some food will appear! I used to be sorry you missed so much fun, Didn’t have many interests, only that one. Fetching? Not really. Hiking? Hell, no! But counter-surfi…

DUCK TOLLERS: WHAT OWNERS HAVE TO SAY (Part 2 of “A Nova Scotia What??)

My recent post — A Nova Scotia What?? — focused on the increasing popularity of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, my dear Kemba’s tribe. This heretofore little-known breed, according to the American Kennel Club, ranked in the top three in popularity gains over the past decade. Reading up on…

A NOVA SCOTIA WHAT?? (Part 1)

When our beloved Ricky the Beagle passed away in 2014, we were all devastated. At the same time, one thing became instantly clear: I couldn’t live without a dog for long. It wasn’t too many weeks before I began casting about for my next breed. (Let me make it clear that loving a Beagle does not…

KP DUTY

Not having been in the military, my knowledge of “KP Duty” (kitchen patrol) comes from cartoons and sitcoms, where KP duty is always the punishment for bad behavior. For me, KP Duty means something else. As all dog owners know, when you mention your dog’s name, even if you’re not addressing him…

CONEHEAD

Yup, that’s a cone all right that you see Kemba wearing. “Cone of shame,” as some people call it. All of us have had to be subjected to this torture at one time or another. Like if you’ve bloodied your paw on a razor-sharp rock, for instance, as I did that time at Gale Meadows Pond in Vermont, t…

THE DROOLER

Kemba’s a handsome dog. And it’s not just me saying this. He gets compliments on his looks from strangers all the time — often several times in one day. There’s one circumstance, however, that’s make him look a little less dapper. And that’s when he drools. Fortunately, Kemba doesn’t drool all…

MY PALS: RALPHIE

You may be wondering why, in a post about me and my new pal Ralphie, the featured photo shows Ralphie with Pickle, my nephew. I’ll get into that in just a little bit. But first, I want to say that even though Ralphie and I just met, it feels like we’ve known each other forever. First of all, ou…

WEIRD DOG BEHAVIORS

Throughout the 21 years I’ve owned a dog (Ricky the Beagle, 2003-2014; Kemba the Duck Toller 2014-present), I’ve been repeatedly amused by, and thoroughly skeptical of, the explanations of certain odd dog behaviors by the so-called “experts.” For instance: Dog owners wonder why their pooch walks…

BIG GAME HUNTING

Beagle Man and Mom got back last Sunday from a safari (whatever that is) to Kenya (wherever that is). B-Man showed me lots of photos, said he saw some “amazing” animals. Which begged the question, and I was quick to supply it: Aren’t I an animal? To which he answered, rather condescendingly, in…

THE K-DAWG HITS DOUBLE DIGITS!

HAPPY 10th, KEMBA!