Loving Starsky

We lost our beloved Starsky this week. An escape artist from birth, he finally met his match when he darted in front of a truck. It happened fast, and unfortunately, right in front of my and Gavin's eyes. He died on impact and did not suffer long. We are all heartbroken and miss him terribly.

We got Starsky in August of 2003. We had just closed on the purchase of our first home. Adam claims that we had an agreement to wait six months before getting a dog. He was not at all amused when I had him driving up Sedro Woolley to look at a litter of beagle puppies just two weeks after closing. We fought about it the whole way, even having to pull over so I could throw a massive tantrum. I sobbed and wailed, "I've always wanted a dog and couldn't have one when I was little! You can't tell me that I can't have a dog!" Adam didn't stand a chance. The puppies we went to look at were six weeks old and would be ready to go in a few weeks. However, we were looking for a black male pup and these pups were all light colored females. Wasn't it convenient that there were two little 9 week old male pups, both black- running around, cute as can be? Before Adam knew it, he was driving 20 minutes to the nearest ATM to get our $300. We came home with Starsky that very night.

He was a great dog from the beginning- so much personality. We tried to train Starsky, and he had the basics covered. He'd sit on command or lay down. But, ask him to shake or roll over- he'd look at you like, "you're kidding, right?" Beagles are funny dogs. They will love you unconditionally, but don't necessarily want to impress you. Starsky made his presence known at all times. He was pretty needy, which is why nine months after getting him, we came home with Max. Starsky and Max could not have been more different, yet they complimented each other perfectly. There was no question that Starsky was the alpha dog, but he let Max get his way almost all of the time. He loved the companionship so much that it was worth being pushed off the dog bed. He'd just let Max get comfortable, and squeeze in next to him. They were partners in crime, too. Starsky had the agility to grab food off of the counters that Max just does not have. I'm not sure how Max is handling the loss of his buddy. We can't tell if he is moping or just being himself. We are giving him lots of love and hope that he is ok.

Starsky was my first dog and I learned a lot about the less glamorous aspects of dog ownership. I now know more about canine anal glands than I ever would have imagined. Starsky had a chronic smell that led me to google, "my dog's butt stinks." That search informed me that Starsky had an anal gland issue which made him smell funky. So, after a few visits to the vet for relief at $20 a pop, Adam went on YouTube and learned how to take care of it himself. If that's not love, what is? We even had a family song for the event, "Defunk the butt, gotta defunk the butt." Not much funnier than hearing a three year old sing that along with his dad. This is a totally inappropriate paragraph for our dog's eulogy, but I felt we all could use a little comic relief.

This has been a hard week, but as Adam said, Starsky died happy. He loved nothing more than making an escape and running like hell. I can't count how many escapes he made in the eight years we had him. He loved to be chased. When we'd take him to the dog park, he always got a chase going. Somehow, he'd get 5 to 10 dogs to chase him all in a line. He'd be at the front, letting out his beagle howl, tail wagging at full speed. He was a punk, and he fit into this family perfectly. He loved this family and wanted nothing more than to be loved in return. He was sweet to our kids, even though he lost out on some attention when they came along. I hope that where ever he is now, he's got wide open spaces to run and also a nice, sunny space in a garden to nap, preferably a garden full of fresh, stinky compost. Goodbye, Starsky. We'll love you always.

Max, the Culinary Beagle

Our youngest beagle Max, has never been a thin dog. He is barrel chested and stout. In hindsight, we really should have named him Wilbur. When he is sleeping, his belly hangs to the side and he truly does resemble a pig. They say that beagles are one of the more food-obsessed breeds, which is why it is recommended to only feed them dog food and no table scraps. We have been very good about this, but nonetheless, Max struggles with his weight. Although we joke, he really is a sweet dog. His love of food has led him to become my kitchen companion.

When we lived in Seattle, our house was set up differently, with the family room downstairs. We kept the beagles down there and they were not allowed in the kitchen. When we moved to Albany, the rules had to change because our house has a completely different floor plan. Now, the beagles basically have full range of the house. They are older now and better behaved, so this hasn't been too big of an issue. Because they are now allowed in the kitchen, Max has taken to watching me cook every meal. He stands by my feet the entire time. It used to drive me insane, and sometimes still does. But, it is also sort of endearing. I refer to him as my useless sous chef. I am sure that he is just waiting for me to drop something, and occasionally I do. But, to his frequent disappointment, I mostly drop chopped onions.

Lately, we have been making up stories to tell to Gavin at bedtime. He loves stories about Buzz and the Toy Story gang. But, he also loves stories about Starsky and Max. I often tell him stories about Max, the culinary beagle. I think these up while I am making dinner. I sometimes imagine Max narrating my cooking, like Alton Brown narrates Iron Chef. "Hmm... not sure what she's going to do with that fennel bulb." Or, taking on an Emerilesque quality, "Oh yeah, babe- more butter!" I imagine if Max could make himself a gourmet meal, it would involve a ribeye, blue cheese, and a loaded baked potato (with bacon, of course.) The stories often involve Max whipping up pancakes in the middle of the night, or convincing Starsky to make a trip to Five Guys for a burger, in which case, they ride skateboards. It's become a fun exercise and Gavin makes up some funny stories himself. Here is a picture of Max, our culinary beagle. I've been thinking that I should get him a collar that says, "Bon Appetit!"

Puppy Love

Last Saturday we puppy-sat our friends' new dog, Tuck. Tuck is a Golden Lab and is just over 9 weeks old. He is adorable! I was a little unsure about this adventure because Adam was on a 24 hour shift at the hospital- so that left me with Gavin, Starsky, Max, and Tuck! Oh boy! Fortunately the weather was nice so we all ran around in the backyard.
Animal instincts are very interesting. Starsky quickly assumed the alpha-dog role and Tuck knew to not push his patience too much. Max, on the other hand, must give off a wimp vibe because Tuck pretty much wouldn't leave him alone!
Gavin chased the dogs around and threw sticks for them to fetch. He is such a little boy!
Max and his new shadow...
Gavin- reassuring Max that he is his doggy!

Max just didn't know what to make of this dog...
More reassurance for Max as Gavin cuddled him and said, "good doggy!" (or some sort of baby babble that sounded close to it)

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship...

There's not much sweeter than watching our little boys play! Gavin loves his "daw!" As difficult as Starsky has been these last few months, he's redeemed himself entirely by being so good with Gavin. He's extremely patient and takes a lot of abuse from his new pal. Now if we could just keep Gavin out of the dog's water bowl...

Dear Starsky and Max, Please stop shedding and while you're at it, please quit CRAPPING on my floor!

There is this rumor going around that when couples get married, they should start with a dog to get them ready for having children. I think this is completely backwards- have the kid first, then get the dog! Because let me tell ya, I spend more time online researching about my dog's mental issues than I do looking up the development of my child! We have been in our house now for nearly 2 months. Gavin has been around for nearly 1 year- it is time to let it go dogs!! Seriously, can we not find some common ground??? For all of my friends considering a dog- please think long and hard because it is no easier than a child. They even talk back and sulk around the house when they are unhappy with you. Don't get me wrong, I love my dogs dearly but today is one of the days when the dog poop has hit the fan! Sit down, chew your bone and pour mama a glass of wine!

Gavin loves his beagles!

Gavin is going to have a very strong immune system with all the dog kisses he shares! He is very close to saying "Dog"- right now it's "Daw"