MY PALS: Dante the Beagle

* * *  COUNTDOWN:  24 DAYS TO LA/XC-2  * * *

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 Man always calls me “Ricky the Beagle.”  I’d be fine with just “Dante,” or “Ricky” . . . but no biggie.  Anyway, Mary the Human (see what I mean?) likes to point out that Dante was Top Dog winner in a 2010 Pet Photo Contest — one that I, obvously, wasn’t entered in.  Dante and I definitely seem to share core beagle values.  In fact, we’re thinking of co-authoring a book; so far, we’re calling it Eat, Sniff, Sleep. For awhile, though, MTH says that DTB refused to eat unless she sprinkled parmesan cheese on his food.  What’s up with that, Dante?

MY PALS WILL BE RIGHT HERE ON MONDAYS.  IT’S ABOUT, UH . . . MY PALS.  IS YOUR DOG LIKE ME . . . HANDSOME?  MIND OF HIS OWN?  TELL ME.  MAYBE YOUR PUP WILL TURN UP IN “MY PALS.” SEND YOUR STORY AND PHOTO TO BEAGLE MAN . HE HANDLES MY E-MAIL FOR ME.