Well it’s monsoon season again – otherwise known as Summer in Scotland – but in between the showers there has been the odd dry, even sunny, period. We got very lucky a few nights ago when we drove out to Portencross, a tiny village on the Ayrshire coastal path.

This was our first visit but it’s already high on Beanie & Biggles’ list of favorite places. Biggles likes it because he managed fish out a couple of tiny crabs from rock pools as we walked to the old pier. Crunchy, salty and wriggly, just the way he likes ’em! As for Beanie, well she managed to get her chewing gear round a whole dead raven . It went in head-first and by the time I spotted it only the tail feathers and feet were still protruding from her mouth. It certainly wasn’t her cutest look! I’m just glad I didn’t have to the corpse from her teeth with my bare fingers – I managed to yank her away from it when she dropped it briefly to re-align her grip. After this disgusting start the evening could only improve, and so it did. Soon Beanie & Biggles were bounding through tall grass and scrambling over rocks as we followed the coastal trail.

When we returned to the pier they sat surprisingly quietly and patiently while I took photos of the sunset..

Don’t be deceived by the following outwardly romantic shot though. While some Beagles love nothing more than to cosy up together, Beanie prefers her own company and would much rather play-fight with Biggles than snuggle up to him. She is however willing to compromise her principles for a biscuit or two..

Ever ordered something online and ended up wrestling with the packaging when it arrives? It can be hard enough for humans armed with a knife or a pair of scissors, but imagine how frustrating it can get if you’re lacking opposable digits and only have your mouth to work with? And to make things worse, what if your sniffing gear informs you that there’s something tasty hidden deep inside all the shrink-wrap and cardboard?

The Beagle Customs officer on duty decides that this package warrants closer inspection..

..but with not one but two layers of shrink-wrap to get through, it’s tough work

Frustration mounts but this customs officer isn’t about to give up! Just look at the determination!

Finally she’s through the shrink wrap, and now only the cardboard box stands in her way

Almost there..

On second thoughts maybe it’s the human that should be pitied; a sharp knife and a pair thumbs seems to be a poor substitute for a good set of gnashers and Beagle single-mindedness. I decided to stop this particular unwrapping frenzy just as Beanie tore the corner off the cardboard box. I wasn’t too worried about damage to the contents so much as rapid consumption of it, because what the box contained was very much a Beagle thing: 4kg of tasty Sea Jerky Squares from Fish4Dogs, bought during their two-for-one promotion.

I wonder how long it would have taken Beanie to chomp her way through the whole lot if I hadn’t rescued it?

Doggies shouldn’t eat human junkfood (and neither should humans, if truth be told), but this half-eaten hotdog comes with zero calories and plenty of squeak. It was also completely free! I spotted it when I was last in Pets At Home getting Biggles’ “Woof” bowl. It was all on its own, lying unpriced atop a pile of rather expensive full-sized hotdogs. As it was half the size of the others I figured it should be half the price, and took it to the checkout. Beanie & Biggles really turned on the charm as we waited to pay, and the awfully nice sales person let us have it free as it was the very last one in the store.

Back at home I expected that Biggles would go wild about it because he’s normally keen on squeaky things, but he showed no interest at all. Beanie on the other hand loved it to bits and immediately took it on a high-speed tour of the garden. That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about Beanie: when she’s happy, she really shows it. She pranced and bounded round the garden with the hotdog – all ears, paws and squeaks – for a solid 10 minutes just like a little pup! Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that she’s going to be 5 later this year; only the increasingly white fur round her eyes gives the game away.

When the victory laps of the garden finally did stop I had to move in quickly to rescue the hotdog before it got chewed to death, but that didn’t entirely stop Beanie’s celebrations…

Even if you’ve had a hotdog, you can still have an extra roll…

or two..