We first picked up Beanie from Newlin Beagles on 27th Dec 2007. I fell in love with her as soon as I held her in my arms, and she showed how she felt about me by barfing all over my lap and the car seat. Since then, our crazy little girl has packed a lot into her first year with us. So far, she has:

• Out-wrestled a huge St. Bernard pup called Mowgli (though we ran into him again recently, and given his current size I wouldn’t fancy Beanie’s chances in a rematch)
• Been whisked to the vet on several occasions, apparently close to death, only to end up wagging her tail for Scotland as soon as she saw the nurses.
• Conquered her fear of fluffy pink pigs from Tesco
• Rolled in just about every pile of fox poo in a ten mile radius from our house
• Gained promotion to the Intermediate level at her obedience class, then tried her very best to get herself expelled
• Become a racing beagle and won an enviable collection of rosettes
• Learned to swim
• Climbed up Ben Lomond, and eaten the finest sheep poo the Lake District has to offer
• Romped around Irvine beach and harassed picknickers
• Run in Glasgow’s East End 5K for fun with me, and then again in the Big Fun Run with Susan for charity
• Got a mention on US cable TV
• Taken up agility
• Swallowed half of Glasgow, and had it surgically removed
• Worn away half the grass in her favorite parks while playing chases with her best buddies Kirby, Zak &Amber, Sophie, Robbie, Tess, Tara & Clara, Barney and Buster and of course her favorite sister, Bella.
• Gained an incredibly cute, affectionate little brother called Biggles who saves us the trouble of cleaning up her poo by eating it. In fact some mornings he’s so eager for a poo snack that he paces impatiently round Beanie while she’s squatting in the garden. Give him a breath freshening mint though, and he’d easily be the best little Beagle boy in the world. He’s already won an obedience competition against older pups at his training class!

To mark our first year of Beagledom we took them both to Muirshiel Park for a stimulating walk. They were beautifully well behaved at first.

Then there was a mad scramble when a tasty cache of sheep poo was discovered.

They both loved the change of surroundings, but I think Biggles enjoyed it best of all – it was all new territory for him.

When we got them home, they both fell into a peaceful sleep. Well that’s not quite true. They had a little squabble over a chew first, then went for a pee in the garden, then complained about their beds not being quite right, then fell into a peaceful sleep. The very next day it was back out to the park for some more frozen fun.

Dad this puddle is faulty! I can’t drink out of it or roll in it!

They met up with a great pair of JRTs and had some chases, until one of the terriers got a little too excited and was re-leaded.

You just can’t beat a bit of argy-bargy with a pair of Jack Russell Terriers

And as we were about to leave, a new chase started up with a stomach-churning carton of milk.

What do you mean this milk is off? It smells great!

And Biggles isn’t getting any of it!

Biggles did his best to keep up, but eventually he had to admit defeat and retire from the chase. In a few more months though, things may be very different!