Archie's first year

Happy Birthday Archie! We really don't know what his exact day of his birth is since we no nothing of his pedigree. He is supposed to be a purebred Beagle, but with no papers or birth records, we just don't know, nor do we care. We fell in love with this little guy the minute we laid eyes on him. So to determine a birthday, I decided to count backwards 9 weeks from the time we got him and came up with Jan 2nd.

As you can see, not only was he the cutest puppy ever, he is also very good at making friends. It didn't take any time at all for Boo to become his best buddy and playmate. Watching those two play and wrestle has been so fun and entertaining.

We knew he was going to be a smart dog because he is always interested in reading the newspaper, or books, or just about anything he can carry off. His chewing has been a pain, and he has ruined countless items, but when I look at his cute little face, I can't help but forgive him.

When he was about 4 months old we realized that Archie has a medical condition which gave us quite a scare. He was put on medication for 4 months and has made a remarkable recovery. Along with his condition, which will always be a concern, he also has poor eyesight and enlarged pads, which alters the way he walks. We refer to Archie as our "special" puppy but to him, he has no idea and doesn't let his disabilities get him down. He is happy, energetic, curious, playful and loving. It's no wonder why we brought this Beagle in to our lives.

I've learned a lot about Beagles through Archie. They will eat anything, not just chew, but eat and ingest. I've had to get creative with what toys he can have. They are extremely curious and food oriented which means they sniff their way into trouble, and to things they shouldn't eat. We have to keep close eye on Archie when he is out and about.

He is unlike any dog I have ever owned, and I am so glad I went against my better judgement when I was first introduced to his breeder. The red flags were everywhere the day we met the lady in a parking lot, but if I was to do it again, I would. I couldn't imagine our life with out Archie.

Happy Birthday little guy, and many more to come!!