Droopy

[L Verge]

Shortly before I left for college years ago, a beagle (first cousin to a Bassett in many traits) strolled onto our lawn and decided to adopt us. His howl was the most mournful sound you could ever imagine. My father quickly named him Moaning Marvin, and he took good care of us for about 5-6 years before old age got him.

My daughter has a nine-year-old Puggle (pug and beagle mix), and he has the hound howl down pat -- especially at 6 pm each evening when he stands in front of his food dish and announces that it's time to eat. He has his own stocking at Christmas (a real one, not one of those cheesy net things), and he is the opening act - literally - on Christmas morning. No one dares open a present until he is finished diving into that stocking head first and retrieving each and every toy and treat. Talk about photo-ops... By the time the rest of us have opened presents, he has usually devoured or decapitated his presents.