Lucy and Tate

We gotten a few e-mails from Baxter look-a-likes in the past. I have to say, these two take the cake. Their coloring, their general expressions, and even the markings between the eyes resemble Baxter.

Lucy is now a year old and lives in Australia. She's super hyper and loves to run around and chew on random things. As you can see, she ate through the wire-mesh screen door at her house.






Tate is 2 years old and lives in Boston. He not only looks like Baxter, but he has the same half-beagle bark and apparently has heightened architectural skills like Baxter as well. I'm not sure if that comes from the Beagle side or the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel side, but I know if Baxter's not happy with his sleeping arrangements, he'll make it right. Here's a picture of Tate taking a break on a comfy bench.

Fortress of Solitude

Baxter has been known to curl up in a tight ball when he gets chilled. As the temperature drops outside, our old house gets pretty cold. Recently, as I was getting ready for work one morning, Baxter began scratching and making a lot of noise on our guest bed. I checked in on him a few times, but he wasn't causing any damage, so I let him do his thing. A few minutes later I noticed the noise had stopped, so I checked up on him again only to find this fabulous fortress he had built all by himself.


Another angle to show the depth of this architectural wonder:


Apparently, it's VERY cold in our house. Since this was taken, we've cranked on the heating.

Behold the Power of Baxter

This weekend, Trista bought Baxter a Petstages Orka Bone, since he's been chewing through a few other products, like his Blue Hippo and the Hartz Dental Bone (shown in the picture above).

The packaging on the Orka suggested that it was durable and made for large dogs who liked to chew. One Web site we visited after Baxter started ripping it apart said the following.

This unique toy is made of a durable, non-toxic, synthetic rubber that is pliable enough to satisfy your dog's urge to chew. The Orka's heavy-duty material will last through hours of chewing fun, while multiple textures massage gums.

Apparently, this is not entirely true. Our eight-month, 30 pound, furry ball of fun caused the damage in the picture below in less than 30 minutes. I don't want to give the Orka a bad review based solely on Baxter's performance, but if anyone reading this has a dog whose only purpose is to chew, you might shy away from this one.

Baxter's Twin?

I got an e-mail the other day from Nancy in Vancouver Island, BC with a few surprising pictures. It turns out Nancy's dog, Chloe, looks (and acts) very similar to my favorite Beaglier.

I believe we have twins. It seems our "Chloe" has the same colouring (right down to her spotted belly) and personality. She likes to lie on the cushion on the back of the couch, lies in the sunbeam on the floor and has that "crazy" spell every once in a while when she runs around like a lunatic and then crashes. I couldn't believe the similarities. She is always getting into trouble but we love her dearly. We are even going to go to puppy school at Petsmart.

See for yourself:




I'd say Chloe and Baxter were separated at birth, but Chloe is just a few months younger and lives roughly 2500 miles away. The way we came across our Beagliers is eerily similar as well. Trista and I were originally looking for a Puggle when we came across the Beaglier mix. Nancy's experience wasn't much different.

I had looked at breeds of dogs such as a Boston Terrier, Pug, the Cavalier and the Beagle with each having some characteristics I liked but not necessarily all. When I saw the Beaglier I thought..."that's it"!! I had never seen this cross before until I saw her and knew I just had to have her.

It's nice to know we're not the only ones who get to live with all the "quirky" personality traits of a Beaglier.

Typical Baxter - "Crazy Dog"

Baxter tends to surprise us during the day with an impromptu running spree around the house. It can last for a few seconds, as he quickly runs into each room with an open door. Sometimes it can last for a few minutes. This often results in random items all over the floor, furniture out of whack, and a very tired dog afterward. I really don't mind picking up his toys or the occasional shoe or even moving the ottoman back where it's supposed to be when he's finished. In fact, I get a kick out of it, because there's nothing that really precedes this behavior. It's completely random. I think he just gets bored with his surroundings and decides to entertain himself.

The only problem I have is that we can never get it on video. Anytime we try to watch from a decent vantage point, he wants us to join in. He'll stop and beg for help in chasing a toy, or sometimes he'll simply chase us!

I was lucky enough today to have the camera ready for whenever he felt the need to play Crazy Dog. Of course, he immediately involved me in his little game. Below is just a little snippet of his insanity.

And here are a couple pictures just moments after. It's almost as if he stopped and fell right where he was.

What is a Beaglier?

A Beaglier, classified as a hybrid breed of dog, is a mix of a beagle and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKC). The mix is recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club.

Beagliers may not always be a 50-50 mix between the two breeds, and we believe Baxter shows a few more traits of the beagle than of the CKC. He simply looks more like a beagle, and his personality (so far) more resembles that of a beagle pup.

Temperament:
When considering hybrid breeds, it’s important to learn about behavioral traits for all breeds in the mix. In our Beaglier, we’ve noticed a very strong sense of smell, taken from the beagle side. Baxter loves to sniff, and he’s constantly finding new things he probably shouldn’t. He’s also a horrible guard dog. Whenever someone comes to the door, or even when we come home from work, he simply sits and stares at the door. Often his nose can be seen sniffing the air for a familiar scent. He also seems to be very smart, which can sometimes be a nuisance. If he wants something, and he’s very determined to get it, he’ll find a way.

Baxter does have his fair share of CKC traits as well. Although Baxter is still a young puppy, it appears as though he may be smaller than a pure bred beagle. He is extremely social, and he whimpers almost as soon as someone leaves the room. While walking through the house or through the park, Baxter is always at our ankles, ready to be rubbed or scratched or picked up. CKCs also often show traits similar to cats, which we’ve seen in Baxter. He loves to pounce on his unsuspecting toys, and he’s always in search of a higher place to sit; usually on the couch.

Health:
Both the beagle and the CKC have relatively large, floppy ears. Beagliers are no different. At only 8 weeks old, Baxter was diagnosed with a yeast infection in his ears. Our vet says this is not uncommon. According to Wikipedia, Beagliers may suffer from a list of ailments handed down from both breeds, including epilepsy, hip dysplasia, and a range of eye conditions.

For more information about Beagliers, visit the following links.
http://beaglier.org/
http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/breeds/1100334/

For more information about beagles or CKCs, visit these links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle
http://www.akc.org/breeds/beagle/index.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalier_King_Charles_Spaniel
http://www.akc.org/breeds/cavalier_king_charles_spaniel/