* * *  COUNTDOWN:  3 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * * Tripp? Ricky? Ricky? Tripp? Take a look at Tripp’s face.  Okay, now look at mine.  Even though he’s an English pointer with a preppy name, we could be brothers, no?  Tripp, like Romeo, and like Monty and Bandit, is one of my Montauk beach buddies.  In fact, he’s related to M&B:  Tripp belongs to Joe and Andie, whose son Matt owns Monty and whose son Greg’s girlfriend Lauren owns Bandit.  Greg, btw, named Tripp...

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  4 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * * Don't knock it till you try it Throughout the Republican National Convention this past week, I kept hearing Tampa this, and Tampa that.  Why all this love for Tampa? Then on Thursday, while I was listening to radio coverage of Day 3, the commentator said he was “reporting live from Tampa.”  Oh, so that’s it!  The RNC took place in Tampa!  Now I get it.  Clearly, politics isn’t my thing.  Besides dogs, I’m...

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  8 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * * Grand-nephew Teddy, Sheepadoodle Max. (That’s Teddy on the left.) You can follow Beagle Man on Facebook and Twitter

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  10 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * * Romeo looks up at Shelly, adoringly I have a lot of friends on the beach in Montauk — that is, when I’m actually allowed to go. (Hear that, Beagle Man?)  There’s Monty and Bandit, who I just told you about.  There’s Beau, the yellow Lab who loves to steal Robby’s football.  But my oldest and best buddy is Romeo, the little Yorkie who belongs to David and Shelly, just down the beach.  Romeo and I have a lot in...

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  12 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * * Ricky & Robby: A Westport fond farewell — and see you in L.A.! Just back late last night from moving Robby into his new digs at USC.  You might ask, why would you fly out to L.A. to help your son move in, fly back on August 24 — and then get ready to drive out to Cali again with your beagle on Sept. 6 — just 12 days later?  And I might answer . . . good question. That particular enigma aside, I do have a number of pretty significant...

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  15 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * * The Yin and the Yang: Roxy and Frankie You can follow Beagle Man on Facebook and Twitter

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  17 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * * Teddy Burke Lots of times I’ve heard Robby say that, next to me, Teddy’s his favorite dog.  Teddy’s a yellow Lab, and Robby used to pet him all the time when he was watching football games with his friend Ryan.  You might think this would make me jealous, but actually, I like Teddy, too.  He’s a really cool dog.  Likes to sleep a lot — a dog after my own heart.  He belongs to a family with three teenagers...

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  19 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * * Prince Less than three weeks till Ricky and I hit the road again for Cross-Country Road Trip With Beagle, Part Deux!  I’ll tell you, there’s gonna be lots of quality bonding going on between me and my pooch — especially after the time we’ve spent apart these last two weeks.  Carol and I are out here in Paradise (MTK) on vacation, and Robby insisted that Ricky stay home with him in CT, playing the “Ricky is...

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  22 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * * How much is that doggy in the hatchback?  (Amagansett, L.I.) You can follow Beagle Man on Facebook and Twitter

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  24 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * * Mary says after she took this photo of Dante, he destroyed the toy. Why am I not surprised? So far on “My Pals” I feel like I’ve given my fellow beagles the short end of the stick.  (Get it?  Dogs?  Stick?)  So it’s time to tell you about Dante, my 6-year-old friend from Fairfield, CT.  Dante belongs to Mary, who always calls her dog “Dante the Beagle,” or “DTB” — just like Beagle...