Like most people of her time, Queen Elizabeth I wasn’t big on regular bathing. Like most contemporary Beagles, Princess Beanie is even less keen on bath time; in fact the last time she and Biggles had a proper all-over wash was two years ago.

Nevertheless, the Beanster has recently developed an obsession with getting into the bath. Don’t go thinking this indicates a sudden desire to smell of something other than poo and dead things however! Nope, this has nothing to do with cleanliness, and everything to do with cocoa. You see Susan often likes a cup of hot chocolate with her post-training bath; sometimes (well, pretty often it turns out) she leaves the mostly drained mug on the ledge of the bathtub, where it’s just begging for Beagle attention.

Traditionally something about the shape of the bath or its association with a good scrubbing has kept Beanie from tapping this sugary food source, but not anymore! A few days ago we heard scrabbling followed by a thud, followed by lapping, and discovered Beanie in the bath with her snout in Susan’s cocoa mug. Since then Beanie has apparently honed her technique for bath entry because there’s no longer any scrabbling noise; it’s just “thud” and “lap-lap-lap”, but still neither of us has actually seen her getting in there.

This weekend I decided to remedy this. Some time after Susan’s bath I opened the bedroom door, got my camera, and camped out on the loo seat to see what would transpire. As it happened, I didn’t have long to wait before our floppy-eared cocoa hunter made an appearance..

Beanie’s entry was certainly confident if not particularly elegant

There was still some foam and water on the bath floor which made the going slippy, but this didn’t deter the intrepid Beanster

She paused briefly above the mug for sniffs, like a wine expert checking out the “nose” of a fine vintage

Then the snout went in and the lapping started.

I think my presence was cramping Beanie’s style a bit; as I took more photos the lapping grew more hurried and the mug fell off the ledge and into the bath. The remaining cocoa mixed with the bath foam, but apparently this did nothing to lessen its desirability.

Eventually all the lapping that was to be done had been done, and we came to the bit that Beanie hasn’t quite worked out yet: exiting the bath without human assistance.

Whoa, that looks a bit tricky!

Er Dad, a little help please!