The Sound of Socks

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Paul

There was another Glasgow Dog Training Club pool party at Allers Farm Kennels on Saturday, and our two Beagles were booked in for a slot. As usual Beanie got the lion’s share the swimming time, while Biggles hung around at the side of the pool and amused himself with one of the toys.

This next clip is my favorite of the whole bunch. Look how affectionate Beanie is as she rests her sweet little head on Susan’s arm as she’s swimming. The truth of the situation becomes apparent by the end of the video though!

Yep, it’s all about the piece of sausage in that tennis ball. The power of the sausage also motivated her to do a few dives into the water from the ramp. OK, it’s not exactly a triple backward somersault with pike, but it’s a big deal for a little Beagle who wasn’t keen on water until fairly recently!

By now Biggles had grown tired of the pool toys, and was getting bored. He tried nibbling on the poles and nets in the corner, but I pulled him away. He tried to chew on my camera case sitting on the floor, but again I caught him in time and pulled him away. Boredom turned to frustration. As I readied the camera to film another Olympic diving performance from Beanie, Biggles saw that my attention was diverted and made a grab for one of our towels. He got it, and as he pulled it away he saw that it was covering an even greater treasure – Susan’s shoes, and inside them, socks! Our sock-crazed little boy thought it was Christmas all over again and lunged straight for them. They might have been a lowly cotton/polyester mix, but to him they couldn’t have been sweeter if they’d been made out of month-old sausages that had been left out in the sun. But then fate dealt him a cruel blow – his lead was just fractionally too short to reach them. It was truly a tragedy of Big Les proportions. Unfortunately you can’t actually see any of this happening on the next clip, but you can certainly hear our Biggly Boy’s desperate cries.

Finally, here are a few shots I took of the park session on Sunday with Beanie:

Kirby and Beanie agree to disagree on the course the chase should take

So Beanie and Skye (The Yeti) join forces for a bit of bum biting

A “Condor” moment with a tasty stick

A great chase with Bonnie (a pal from the previous day’s swimming)

Perhaps Beanie could do with a breath-freshening mint?

You tell her Bonnie!

Beagle Racing : new season starting 29th March

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Paul

Beagle Racing is starting up again on Sunday 29th March, at the earlier time of 2.15. If you’ve got a Beagle and you’re within reasonable travelling distance of Kincardine Bridge then it’s not to be missed! The great thing about it is that every dog has a chance of winning something sooner or later – whether they’re a speed demon or not – because some races are handicapped. You can see photos and video clips of last season’s racing by browsing our Beagle Racing category here (there are quite a few pages, so keep hitting the Previous Entries link at the bottom of the page to work back through them).

The races are held on a short, straight & fenced track at Inch Farm, which is pretty close to Longannet Power Station ( FK10 4AA). Here are rough directions if you’re coming from the Glasgow/Edinburgh side of the Firth of Forth:

After you cross Kincardine bridge keep following the road around to the right (following the coast). After a short distance you’ll come to a roundabout. Take the third exit (towards Longannet Power Station). A short distance down the road (perhaps 100m) you’ll see a farm road on the right. There will be cars parked in the field and Whippets & Beagles. Turn down the farm road and then an immediate left onto a muddy, bumpy track. Go straight past the little bit of parking on the left and drive into the field to park.

You can also take a look through the club’s forums here. Don’t be alarmed by all the Whippet stuff, you’ve got the right place! The track is used primarily by the Caledonian Thistle Pedigree Whippet Racing Club, but they let the Beaglers have a go too.

Fast Progress!

Posted on February 15, 2009 by Susan

Here’s another little clip of Beanie showing off her new found skill with the weave poles. She’s now chaining on other bits of equipment and will happily tackle the poles without me beside her – which is great news for an out-of-shape old handler (me) trying to keep up with a super-fast little doggie!

And yes, once again that is the Biggley Boy in the background complaining about being left out of the fun. We do play with him too….although listening to the fuss he makes when it’s someone elses turn you wouldn’t think so!