Trapper the Bagle hound

BY SARAH NIGBOR

I forgot how much work having a puppy is. It’s almost more work than a newborn child. At least a newborn baby doesn’t chew on everything in sight, torment the cat, pee on the floor and run circles around the house barking.

I also forgot how much fun having a puppy is. There’s nothing like snuggling a warm, wiggly puppy who thinks you are the best thing in the whole world. It makes all of the extra work and inconvenience worth it when those big puppy eyes look up adoringly.

Around the 4th of July, we adopted an 8-week-old Bagle hound, meaning half-Beagle half-Basset hound. The minute we saw his deep brown eyes, floppy black ears and wrinkled brown face, we knew we’d found our next dog. Welcome to the family, Trapper Nigbor!

He is extremely cuddly and an auectionate little pup, but very fierce and ferocious when attacking his stuued bunny or his bed. One of his favorite games is getting stuck underneath his bed and writhing across the floor, barking pitifully until we save him or he manages to get out. He has gigantic paws for such a little guy, and they thunder back and forth in our living room as he chases poor Snuggles the cat to and fro or viciously defends his territory against his sloth toys.

He definitely has the Beagle/Basset ba roo down pat. His favorite outdoor pastime is shoving his nose down into the backyard sod and barooing frantically at the moles he knows are underground but doesn’t quite know how to get. He’s also made friends with the birds and squirrels who frequent our yard (he thinks). Luckily, we have no close neighbors, because the barooing might not be well-received.

When we first got him, I was getting up with him every three or so hours to take him out to do his business. Puppies have little bladders. During the day we had a few accidents, but now we’re getting a routine down. My husband has been working hard to train him, and it’s amazing to see the progress they’ve made in one short month. Trapper can sit, come when told, tell us when he has to go outside, trot on a leash and go to bed in his kennel.

We’ve only lost a few possessions to puppy teeth; luckily nothing has been too disastrous. My daily planner has Trapper tooth impressions and a few tears. A living room lamp went end over end and now its shade sits askew. Carolina’s poor terrarium was a casualty and dirt was flung all over the sun room; her big brother kindly rescued all the charms but the plant was a goner. I’ve pried open puppy jaws a few times to pluck wrap- pers or stuued animals or a book jacket from the slobbery abyss. And he also likes to bite the bottom of my dress, which one day almost gave the mailman a show as he yanked it down. Luckily he was saved from that sight.

I’m not sure what Snuggles the cat thinks of his new little brother. He’s used to being king of the castle and suddenly a noisy little puppy is invading his space and taking over his humans. He aptly defends himself by swatting his fuzzy little paws at Trapper when he gets too close and he loves skulking around taunting the dog. I’m hoping they eventually become good friends. I see glimmers of hope every now and then that are becoming more frequent. Having a dog is good for the kids. I believe if at all possible, every kid should grow up with a loyal pup for a friend. It teaches them responsibility, caring for a pet who depends on them. I didn’t have a dog growing up, but I took care of the barn cats, helped Grandpa with the cows, and raised my 4-H bunny. I often wished for a dog, but I wasn’t able to have one. Here’s to making up for lost time.