It's a Gotcha Kind of Month

April is a very busy time in our household. A birthday, our anniversary, and a couple of "Gotcha" days. For those of you that don't know, the Gotcha day marks the day you adopted (or "got") your dog and/or cat (what are those?) from a rescue or shelter. (It doesn't count if you bought your dog from a pet store... but that's a discussion for another day.)

Last Tuesday, April 20, was Virginia's Gotcha day. Incredibly, it has been 10 years since our little girl came into our lives. It's been a decade of wonderful times. Though she may be 11 years old now, she's still as nutty as ever, doing rollies on her back every night after dinner. She still does puppy zoomies around the room, flies up a flight of stairs, and is as "Beaglie" as ever... translation: very food motivated.

The nicknames she goes by these days are "Little Girl", "VA", "Sweet Pea", "Puddin'", "Punkin", "Munchkin", "Miss Beagaloo" and a few hundred other variations (no one ever said we weren't nuts).

She does have some issues, namely a sensitive stomach and her hearing is not what it used to be. But she can still break into a refrigerator like nobody's business and she is still our puppy.


Today, April 29, marks six years of a house full of Tinker. Hard to believe. Not that it is six years already, but that it hasn't been longer. Tink seems like he's been here forever. We can't remember the time before he was here and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Right now, he's squealing like a pig Tink to come downstairs. (We still do not let him do stairs himself- we serve as his personal sherpa to keep his back in as good a shape as possible). He's one nutty, fun loving dude. I don't think there's a happier, more upbeat dog (or person for that matter) on the planet.

Every day is a great day for Tinker, even those days when his back gets a little stiff. He's 10 years old, going on 2 months. And he is overjoyed at this moment to finally be downstairs and licking his sister's ears (a daily ritual).

The nicknames he goes by these days are "Boo" (evolved from Tinker Boo), "Boobadeaux" (that's his Cajun name...no, we're not Cajun), "Billy Joe Boobadeaux" (I told you we were nuts), "Boo Boo" (seems to be a theme here), "Mr. Boy", and of course, he will aways be "The Dude".

These two monkeys enrich our lives every day and in so many ways. They are fun, stress relieving little kids with fur, and just a joy to be around. We couldn't love two animals more than we love them (maybe more than some relatives, too).

There's nothing like a chew

We present a video documentary of a Beagle boy
and his treat filled kong.


Starring Tinker as the Beagle boy

Co Starring Virginia as the sleeping Beagle girl

Director's note - The noise you hear in the background is the coffemaker,
not Virginia snoring.

Any port in a storm

Tinker loves a lot of things, but Tinker does not love thunderstorms. He's not bad until the thunder gets loud as the storm gets closer... and then he begins to quiver and pace. So out comes the Rescue Remedy. 3 squirts from the spray bottle works well, and we repeat it every 15-20 minutes if the storm lingers. That and finding a "safe spot" to den in, seems to help him to manage.

Just like people do, dogs can find ways to deal with their fears. In his case, it's under the living room end table. We bring out a comforter to snuggle in and his stuffed pal Ernie, and under he goes. Pretty soon the Rescue Remedy and relaxation kick in and he nods off to sleep.


And what is Virginia doing during the storm?


"Storm, what storm? I've got boneys to chew!"

For a dog who has separation anxiety, Virginia is amazingly unflappable about everything else. Riding in the car, thunder and lightning, loud noises, etc. - no problem. During a storm she'll continue doing whatever it was she was doing- chewing on a bone, sleeping, waiting for dinner. Occasionally, she will go and lay down with Tinker, but that usually happens much later.


See Tinker's little stuffed friend Ernie curled up next to him? :)

Time Certainly Flies

This past Saturday, March 1, was the 3rd anniversary of Tinker's return home following his disk surgery (Feb 23, 2005). It's hard to believe it has been 3 years since the whole nightmare occurred, but it is not hard to believe the progress Tinker has made since that day, because of his incredible spirit.

He never ceases to amaze us. He has walked unassisted since October, 2005. We actually have to discourage him from doing some things, such as jumping up and down while waiting for his food. It's incredible how high he can leap considering he had a back injury.















We have become Tinker's personal elevator service since we don't allow him to do stairs- in an attempt to lessen the risk of a future injury. He's allowed up on the futon, but not the couch or our bed, which are both considerably higher. And we monitor his rough housing with other dogs, since he basically loses his mind in play!

Most of all, we just let the boy be the boy. And make no mistake, it took some time for us to let go of our reservations and fears and let him be himself. It is very easy to be overprotective after such a devastating injury, but there's no stopping this 21 lb. bundle of Joy.

Tinker's Pals Needing Homes

Not every dog or dog owner is as lucky as Tinker and the two of us. There are other Beagles with the same or similar injuries that are looking for homes. Two of those dogs who are currently part of a Special Needs feature on Beagles on the Web, Trixie and Miss Haley, use carts to get around. Both of these dogs need loving, caring homes where they can just be themselves.

Just click on their pictures to view their Petfinder listings, and if you are interested in adopting or helping out one of these precious pups, please contact the appropriate rescue by phone or email.

Tinker says thanks! :)

Trixie











Miss Haley