For the Beagle that has everything

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Susan

We’ve been racking our brains to find the perfect Christmas pressie for Beanie and Biggles and we think we’ve done it! It’s a two part pressie and I’m embarrassed to admit that we got a bit excited and let them play with the first half. It was a big hit.

Beanie and Biggles favorite thing in all the world is chasing. Last year we got them a portable lure and whilst they think that’s the bee’s knees it’s not suitable for smaller spaces. We wanted something that was as much fun as chasing a lure but that could eventually be used as a super exciting reward to make sports like agility more fun. Currently we use food rewards but the problem with that is that scraps of food found on the ground, in other peoples pockets or on stalls at an agility competition are every bit as appealing and we tend to lose control if there’s nosh within a 2 mile radius! We want something super-exciting that the pups know they won’t find anywhere except with us.

So, back to the pressie. The first part sounds a bit strange – it’s a lunge whip. The type they use for training horses. It’s a long, flexible pole with a ‘rope’ attached to the end. It cost about £5. Now it might not sound like fun but attach a rope to the end and wiggle it about a bit and you’ll be any Beagle’s best friend.

Here it is in action:

And some piccies:

The second part of the pressie is something a bit nicer than an old rag to chase and kill. A JML ‘crazy critter’ fox and racoon as advertised on TV:

These are just perfect for attaching to lunge whip – they’re all slinky and fluffy with squeakers in the head and tail that’ll make lots of lovely noise when the critters are being killed.

Anything that’s been attached to the lunge whip becomes exciting in it’s own right so in time I’m guessing that we’ll be able to stuff a ‘crazy critter’ in our jackets and whip it out at the end of an agility run to drive our pups wild with excitement.

Run Santa, Run!

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Paul

What’s the most surreal thing you can think of doing on a clear but cold Sunday afternoon in November? How about running along Ayr’s sea front with 100+ other people in a Santa suit? Yep, today was the day of the annual Santa Charity Dash in aid of Ayrshire Cancer Support, and the four of us were part of it.

The course was around 5K long and totally hill-free, but perhaps best of all, the race kicked off at the very civilized time of 3pm so there was plenty of time for the traditional Sunday lie-in. Once we’d finally emerged from the safety of our warm bed our thoughts turned first to breakfast, then to preparation for the run. Beanie and Biggles felt that their prep time would be best served by a rigorous warm up run round the garden:

Meanwhile we got our running gear together. The entry fee for the run gets you a cheap and cheerful one-size-fits-all paper thin Santa costume, but the pants looked a bit on the small side so we decided to try them on before the race to avoid any embarrassing surprises. The costumes were a bit tight in places though we did fit into them OK, but they certainly gave our pups a shock when they came in from the garden. Beanie threw her head back and howled for all she was worth, then having got over the shock, ran over to Susan and promptly tried to rip the bobble off her Santa hat!

That’s not the first bobble that Beanie’s attacked. Earlier in the week I got a doggy Santa hat and scarf set from Poundland for Biggles (Beanie already has her own full Santa jacket) and almost the moment I came in the door she snatched at the poly bag it was in. I wrestled it free and called Biggles for a test fitting, then noticed that his little hat was bobble-free. I turned around and Beanie was lying on the floor with the missing bobble between her paws, tearing it to shreds.

A sombre moment for Biggles, who now faces life without a bobble on his Santa hat

It was justified revenge I guess; last year when Beanie first went out in her posh winter jacket Biggles peed on it. Anyway, I took great care to protect Biggles’ scarf from damage. Speaking of Biggles, he used Beanie’s distraction to launch his own attack on Susan’s Santa beard:

Since he was doing so well with the beard, Beanie decided to join in:

Once the preparations were complete (and Susan’s beard was an inch and a half longer) we headed off to Ayr to join the growing crowd of Santas at the amphitheatre – the starting point of the race.

Biggles wore his Santa scarf proudly, and Beanie looked great in her Santa coat so I squatted down to get a photo:

As I did so I heard a brief “pop” from down below, and when I stood up again things felt kind of breezy around my groin. Yep, my economy sized bum had torn the stitches of my one-size-fits-everyone-else-but-me Santa pants. Fortunately I had shorts on underneath, and anyway I didn’t feel that my dignity had been compromised because I was already standing around like a tool dressed in a Santa suit in the middle of November.

In due course the race got under way, and things went pretty well apart from a short stop for a Biggle poo. I could hardly hold that against him given that our roles had been reversed last weekend (see previous post) but he still bayed like crazy when I delayed us further by fumbling with the poo bag.

The race finished in the town center to the sound of bagpipes, and after collecting our medal and water, we found a good position to wait for Susan and Beanie. We didn’t have to wait too long; Susan had a decent run after being thwarted last week by cramped calf muscles. As they headed up the street towards us, Beanie – who up to that point had been very well behaved – suddenly went into “spider-beagle” mode. She darted about from side to side, stretching out long and low to reach something by the gutter. Pizza! Yep, she’d scored a chunk a of discarded pizza, and now she was on the hunt for more. Me and Biggles joined Susan and Beanie for their last few yards, but Beanie barely noticed. Anything and everything within range ended up in her mouth, and soon she lucked out again with a couple of prawn crackers. Not a bad haul for a little Beagle dressed in a Santa costume! She was a nightmare on the way back to the car, so we went part of the way via the beach – less to pick up there!

I have to admit that this experience has given me new respect for the real Santa Claus. He never complains about how itchy his beard is, never loses the bobble on his hat, and never splits his pants. Let’s hear it for Santa!

Here’s a little video of the highlights from the day:

If you go down to the woods today you’d better watch where you’re putting your feet!

Posted on November 13, 2010 by Paul

Since there are so few proper Cani-X races in Scotland at the moment, we’re supplementing with Park Runs – organized, timed but free-to-join 5k runs around parks. Dogs are allowed so long as they’re on lead and well controlled, and Beanie & Biggles – despite all their faults – are actually really well behaved on a run with other people to follow.

This morning we went along to a park run in Glasgow, and against all odds got to run in sunshine. It still wasn’t exactly dry – the paths we were running on were waterlogged from the gales and monsoons of the last week – but this unexpected gift from the weather gods was certainly appreciated, and there was a good turnout – well over 200 runners.

Things started well for me and Biggles; I’ve been doing a bit more running of late and I felt pretty good as we headed off. We overtook lots of people – which Biggles loves – and we looked set to improve on our previous time, but then as we reached the half way point I felt a grumbling from down below. From my abdomen that is, not from Biggles. It started off as a polite request from the bowel department, but in the space of a minute it turned into a demand at gunpoint! When I spotted a break in the trees, I had no choice but to leave the path to go do what bears do in the woods.

In a way it wasn’t entirely unexpected; earlier last week Susan and Biggles had been hit by a tummy bug (funny how human and doggy illnesses often coincide!) and it was probably only a matter of time before it claimed me as another victim. It was pretty embarrassing though – I mean you expect to have to stop running occasionally to deal with a doggy number two, but not with one of your own! Anyway, there I am, squatting on my imaginary throne, hoping to stay hidden in the trees, when Biggles realizes that the other runners are passing him by. Being the Bigglet, his immediate response was to start baying at full volume, unwittingly doing everything he could to call attention to my misfortune! Thankfully no-one responded and we were able to return to the course without being arrested, though all hopes of getting a decent time had been dashed.

Susan & Beanie’s run didn’t go too well either; Susan’s calves cramped up early on and that severely limited her pace. Little Beanie did her best to help though, and as they approached the finish Susan managed a sprint to the line alongside another runner and her dog:

So it may not have been our best park run ever, and it was memorable to me for all the wrong reasons, but at least one half of our team got to finish in style!