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Family Reunion? Really?

I overheard Beagle Man and the Mrs. talking about organizing a “family reunion.”  Huh???  I always thought Mrs. B and the B-Man were my mom and pop — and that Matt, Greg, and Robby were my bro’s.  Well guess what?  Turns out I have this whole other family!  There’s my mom, Cookie the Crumbsnatcher (I guess that explains that), my dad, Gentle Ben — and a whole bunch of brothers and sisters who I supposedly knew when I was a pup but I sure as heck don’t...

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No! Anyone But THEM!

Still life with weaponry: old-fashioned electric heating pad; Elasto-Gel ice belt; reusable ice pack; heavy-duty knee brace; Velcro back brace; Biofreeze; Arthrotec; Percocet; Advil Carol gets home from late-afternoon focus groups in Danbury.  She inhales her Arthrotec for her bum knee — and then swallows a handful of Advil for her back spasms.  She settles herself down gingerly, very gingerly, on the green couch in the den to check her e-mail — with our old pink heating pad on her...

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Vermont Pee Party

Maybe it was something I ate, but I wasn’t myself the whole weekend.  I couldn’t seem to hold it in, and I peed on the carpet in the living room, the ping pong room . . . pretty much everywhere.  Mrs. Beagle Man was beside herself, literally screaming at B-Man:  “And you’re actually thinking of getting another dog?!  Well, it’ll be all yours!” I felt bad about the carpets, but I have to admit, it was pretty funny watching Mrs. B go nuts.  So on...

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The Subaru’s Last Ride

When Mrs. Beagle Man took the train down to Philly over the weekend, she came back not only with Nana, but also with Nana’s 2004 Toyota Corolla.  Nana turns 90 this summer, and is finally calling it a career as a driver.  (I heard Beagle Man say this is really good news for the rest of the driving and pedestrian public.)  Nana’s car is I get it: Matt's had this car a lot longer than he's had me joining the Herman fleet, but in order to make room, B-Man and the...

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. . . And We Chose a Beagle

So many breeds to choose from . . . The beagle, according to the AKC, is the fourth most popular dog in America, among the 161 recognized breeds.  To my mind, this flies in the face of the eyeball test — do you see a lot of beagles in your neighborhood? — but I’m not gonna quibble.  I referred to  these breed popularity rankings in my Breed Pride Week post last month, and promised to explain how we wound up with our own little tri-colored treasure.  Your first reaction might...

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Ravens, Clydesdales . . . and Chip

To football fans, last month’s Super Bowl meant Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh . . . a 34-minute stadium-wide Everyone's favorite Super Bowl commercial blackout . . . the Ravens holding off the hard-charging 49ers for the victory . . . and a triumphant finale to the Ray Lewis Farewell Tour. Front and center for animal lovers, though, wasn’t Lewis, or Colin Kaepernick, or Joe Flacco.  No, it was the brilliantly conceived, beautifully shot, impeccably produced, heart-tugging...

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Beagle, Take the Wheel

My brother Matt, who’s always looking out for me, sent Beagle Man a Subaru Facebook page with a photo of some guy and the headline, “Hi, I’m Grant Weber.  And I sell cars to dogs.”  The site had just what you’d expect in the way of cutesy, gimmicky options:  The Subaru Dog Matchmaker Born to drive asked for all my vitals (“Favorite thing” was tough:  I finally went with “begging for snacks” over “napping on the...

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Butch and the Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ain't got nothin' on . . . Last weekend, as you heard from Ricky in his latest Roof Rack Report, we spent some time in Vermont with my niece Kat, my grandnephew Teddy, and my nephew-in-law David.  (I’m not really an authority when it comes to “relative” nomenclature.)  David grew up in Michigan . . . and he and Kat have been married only 5 years . . . and they live in Manhattan — and the bottom line is I’ve never...

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Too Much Teddy

At first, when I heard Cousin Kat and her husband David and Baby Teddy were coming to VT, I’m thinking, how cool is that!  Everyone told me Teddy and I had so much in common — we both weigh exactly the same (29 pounds); we both will eat anything we find — and for the first hour or so, it was kind of fun hanging out with this miniature dude.  But let me tell you, it got old in a hurry.  O-M-G!  For two whole days it was As if anyone really thinks you know how to use that...

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Amazing Example Of Breed Specific Behavior!

Griffey Here’s a quiz:  What dogs are active, independent, tenacious, and vocal?  Another hint:  They don’t always get the best grades in “plays well with others.”  Terriers, of course!  We all know this.  Same as we know that setters and retrievers are energetic and friendly — and also maybe a little bit goofy and slow to mature. But here’s one I bet you didn’t know.  All beagles like to climb into open dishwashers and do a little pre-cleaning...

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