Collared today: Baxter
NAME: Baxter
NICKNAME: Beags, Bad Boy, the Toothless Wonder (he's managed to knock all his teeth out because he gets so worked up when we crate him)
OWNERS: Jen Badie (The Baltimore Sun's Chief Copy Editor for Features) and her husband, Darius
HOW THEY MET: We spotted an ad in The Sun for beagle puppies on a farm in Westminster. There were two left -- a boy and a girl. When we got to the farm, the little boy beagle was running around loose and he was very muddy. He jumped all over us and got our attention that way. We thought it was cute.
AGE: 10
HOME: Owings Mills
BREED: Beagle
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Sleeping, eating, sleeping, eating (and trying to steal food from his Australian shepherd brother)
BEST TRICKS: He will sit when you tell him to -- the only thing he learned when we took him to obedience school as a puppy (we actually got a letter saying he had failed; I promptly let him chew it up).
FAVORITE FOODS: French fries are probably his favorite, but anything edible is really OK with him -- he's a beagle after all. (Except grapefruit -- he won't eat it.)
FUNNIEST MOMENT: Baxter has severe separation anxiety; he's been prescribed several medications over the years to try to calm him down, but nothing's really worked. When he was on valium at one point, I came home to find that he had his whole head stuck in his dog food bag. It was a bit of a battle trying to get him out of the bag! So we decided the valium must have given him the munchies. We often wonder if he would eat himself to death if given the opportunity.
IF HE HAD A MOTTO FOR LIFE, IT WOULD BE: "Please don't go."
Photo by Jen Badie
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Comments
What a handsome beagle! Baxter sounds like a lot of fun. I can picture him stuck in his food bag lapping up all the delicious goodies inside :)
Posted by: BeagleMom | April 2, 2009 11:54 AM
Baxter is adorable! In his photo, he looks as if he is apologizing in advance for some mischief his owner is about to discover.
Posted by: Good Reader Helen | April 2, 2009 12:30 PM
Hi, BeagleMom -- he looks like an angel doesn't he? He's got a lot of personality and it's never a dull moment with him around. I always have a story! -- Jen
Posted by: GoTerps | April 2, 2009 12:35 PM
Hi, Jen -- Beagles really are the life of the party...and they always know where to find the food :)
Posted by: BeagleMom | April 2, 2009 1:48 PM
What a loveable doggie! I'd love to feed you a french fry!
Posted by: Jill | April 2, 2009 2:47 PM
Hey, I have a beagle too, her name is BB. She is the sweetest puppy i have sever had in my life!! She has separation issues too. I never know what i am going to come home to next! I think I spoil her by taking her everywhere with me except for work. I don't know what do you think?
Posted by: Jessica | April 2, 2009 2:59 PM
Jessica, I've been dealing w/separation anxiety w/Baxter since he was also a puppy (10 years and he hasn't figured out we ALWAYS come back!) and nothing has ever really seemed to work w/him to calm him down. He still carries on (drooling, barking, crying, shaking) when we leave. I think it must be a common trait w/beagles since they're pack animals. Do you crate BB? We crated Baxter when he was a puppy and recently started to again because of some strange destructive behavior when we're gone (I started to worry about his safety). Some of the tricks we've tried over the years were to leave him w/a bone filled w/peanut butter and a treat to keep him occupied and we got him a "companion" (our other dog, Cody). If it's really bad, I would mention it to your vet -- we've tried several types of drugs to ease his anxiety and none have really worked w/him. Good luck! -- Jen
Posted by: GoTerps | April 2, 2009 3:25 PM
Beags!!!! :) Lookin' stellar!!! And I don't know who would feed you french fries
-- your favorite dog sitter!
Posted by: Anonymous | April 3, 2009 12:57 AM
Bad Boy Baxter - you've gotta love him, but he is one character for sure. Jen deserves to be at the top of the pedestal for best pet owners because she sure takes good care of him in spite of some of his shortcomings. He has been a houseguest of ours on many occasions and gets along pretty well with our other two beagles - he ignores them, and they ignore him! (though they did join forces once in a bunny hunt in the yard) He used to be No. 1 beagle in the household on his visits, and he had to take second place after we got our two dogs. I don't think he's ever forgiven me for that! Baxter can be a very sweet dog, and his eyes are the typical beagle eyes - very soulful and sweet. Watch out for your food though when he is around - he once jumped up to my counter and grabbed a chicken caesar salad I had planned for my dinner. My dumb fault. It was in "the zone" and nothing was stopping him from getting it.
Posted by: Lucy & Sara's Mom | May 26, 2009 7:39 AM