Raising A Beagle

Wow, it's been a looooooong while since I have last been here.

So long that the last time I posted, Pippa was still a puppy, now she's already a proud mother of seven .

Being a father of six dogs already, I don't have a budget anymore to keep all of her babies. I am actually selling most of her puppies keeping only one as requested by my cousin.

So, I'm writing this post to whoever will be taking care of my babies. This is I guess a guide to having a beagle. These are my general observations of the breed.

• They are really hyper as puppies. They're not going to listen to you specially when they smell something tasty. They are being led by their sense of smell, so anything that smells curious to them they will go after. Whether it's inside a vase, under the couch, under a mound of dirt, behind the oven or especially on the table, they will try to find a way to get to whatever it is they're smelling.
• They do not like to be alone. Do NOT leave them alone inside your house. Beagles are pack animals, meaning they enjoy the company of their kind, other dogs or their owner. Being alone makes them bored. And when they're bored that's when they start to act like dogs. The best thing to do if you have to absolutely leave them alone, keep them leashed or in a cage. 
• Keep your food stored where beagles cannot reach it. When Pippa was about three or four months old, there was a time she pulled an unopened bag of dog food from atop our kitchen sink and devoured about half of it's content. Suffice it to say, we did not feed her for a couple of days after that.
• They kind of like to howl or cry if they're bored. But as long as they have company, a toy, food or their human, they are well behaved.
• Depending on how hungry you are, their intelligence can be totally amazing or frustrating. Because Pippa loves going up to our table to steal food, we normally push the chair under the table so she won't be able to stand on it. The other day, she pushed the chair from under the table so she can stand on it and eat my 'ulam'.
• They are easy to maintain. There's no need to pay salons to have them groomed regularly. They have short smooth coats. They're the most huggable breed at least compared to my other dogs. But for such a short haired breed, they do shed a lot. They do that about twice a year.
• They are good dogs for families. They are patient with kids. They are gentle creatures and most of all they don't lose their playfulness. Kids love them because they are cute and beagles are tolerant to children. Of course, just to be safe, don't let your kids play with any dogs when they are feeding. That's when most of dog bites occur. Dogs are extremely territorial when it comes to  their food. But other than that, they should be fine.
• As adults, they are the most loyal companions you will ever have. I have a shih tzu, a husky and a dachschund, but it's my beagle who would stay beside me the most. I don't have to call them to me, if Pippa sees me sit on the couch, she will automatically go and sit or lie down by my feet waiting for me to pat their head.

Pippa: Baby Girl

Guys, I'd like you to meet my baby girl Pippa.

She is the naughtiest among my four babies. My youngest as well.

This beagle, like any other puppy is full of energy. I have no idea where they get it from. She would run around the house for hours trying to find anything it can chew.

She's ruined a lot of boxes inside the house and I think her next project is our kitchen curtain.

She's not the last puppy I had. A week after I got her, I also got a female dachshund (which I will tell you more on another post). They are the partners in crime in our house. They would tag team in biting our boxes and towels.

My mom wanted these two to be the last pups that I'll get.

But little do they know that Pippa's husband to be was born the day before Christmas.

Good News

It is going to be a merry Christmas for me and my family.

Last week, we found and got Cookie back.

She was cared for by someone in the neighborhood.

And was returned to us.

It has been two months.

My mom never stopped saying sorry to the poor bird. I think my dad blamed her for the bird flying away.

It is a good thing, because we all thought that she was eaten by a cat or something.

But like I said, I'm just happy that Cookie is back.
This is the best Christmas gift for our family.

The Mongrels 1: Dagul

He's the last mongrel pup our household has. At three, he's our youngest among our three local dogs.

He got his name because when he was still a puppy, he was a really big dog. He actually looked like a labrador's baby.

I don't know what happened after, why he stopped growing.

As short as his life has been, he's actually been through something traumatic. The time his mother brought out her pups, we had another dog that had babies. Naturally, two moms that gives birth is not a good idea. One afternoon, the other mom sneaked into Dagul's pen and brutally murdered his brother. He would have been the other victim if I hadn't stopped her.

He's still playful, but having two elder dogs, he's taken over the role of alpha dog in our household.

The Beagles Are Coming

I wasn't able to get Penny last week.

Unfortunately, she died even before I got her.

So Neeto and Noggin won't have a love triangle after all.

But the good thing is that, the female Beagle that I have reserved was born yesterday.

Hopefully, I will get her before Christmas.

And my boy Beagle, he'll come out within the next two weeks.

So yay for Beagles!!! :)

Neeto Groomed

Shih Tzu's have really long hair.

And I'm a guy who doesn't really have that much time (as much as I want to) to make my puppies look like the ones in dog shows.

And you know how pups are, they're like kids. They don't really care about their looks too much. They just want to play.

Recently, Neeto's hair just got incredibly messy. And just like his father, his fur has a life of its own and does not follow what the brush asks it to do. I have a picture where he looks just like Big Foot.

So I decided to have him groomed.

I think the poor dog got traumatized. It took 2 hours for his grooming to be completed.

Fortunately, he looks much better when you can see his eyes.

What do you think?

For My Favorite Pet Of All Time

I know this is supposed to be a post for the dogs, but this is the only way I can honor my most loved pet.

Cookie, our parrot flew away yesterday and we can't find him anymore.

He's been our pet for the past sixteen years. All those times he never failed to bring happiness to our lives.

Yeah, he's not the most talented animal there is. Apart from his name, he only knows how to say 1 word. But he's been great to us. He always likes to show off when we have guests.

I love that bird so much, he is my avatar. I don't think I'm going to change that anymore.

He flew away.

I hope that whoever finds you would give you a good home.

Or give you back to us.

I love you Cookie.

I love you Pikoy.

You will never be forgotten.

We miss you so much.

I hope you're in a better place right now.