Life Stages of a Party Beagle
  • Stage one: Oliver Twist, or Learning the Trade -- At puppyhood, (we have found that there is typically only one per litter). the PB is often a bit bigger and sturdier than his or her siblings, but not freakishly so. His eating habits will often be the first tip-off that you are dealing with a party beagle. Rarely first to the table, PBP (party beagle puppy) learns rapidly to identify the optimal location -- for example, if a party beagle's sibling is a sloppy eater, he will take care to place himself so he can catch any stray food. (If a PB of any age comes last to the table, it is because he has found an alternative food source and is reluctant to abandon it, even for a regular scheduled meal.) Finally, look for a puppy with sleepy eyes and a slightly dazed expression -- if he always seems to be around when an opportunity presents itself, that is also a tip-off that you might be dealing with a PB.

The Non-Elusive Party Beagle

A party beagle is exactly what it sounds like: a beagle who loves to have a good time, and who doesn't care who knows it. Like all beagles, party beagles are greedy, vocal and self-interested; however, the party beagle takes these things and turns them into the stuff of legend.
Deuce, pictured above at left, is a legend to the members of Hedgesville Hounds. Here he shows the patented "Sleepy and Not Too Smart" look that is typical of party beagles. Suds, a much-beloved party beagle, clearly knew the club's secret handshake.
Two Falstaffian party beagles, Snoopy and Killer, illustrate their great love of bedding.
Snoopy was the first party beagle we ever encountered. When we got him, he was living in a Volkswagen Bus in a towing yard where he lived on the double cheeseburgers the drivers would bring him. We got him into a foster home, put him on a sensible diet and took him to the vet for shots, neutering and treatment for numerous small health problems. Despite this, he forgave us.
  • Stage three: Falstaff, or The Poetic Party Beagle -- At this phase, a party beagle has developed an almost otherworldly ability to put himself exactly where he needs to be to get what he wants, while expending minimal effort. Often quite plump at this stage, the PB will nonetheless prove himself capable of athleticism beyond anyone's imagination -- for example, we have known of one PB who managed to open up a small tupperware hidden underneath a car seat. Big deal, you say, well did we mention that the PB in question just had surgery? And was wearing an Elizabethan Collar? And was extremely fat? And that the car was a hatchback? And that he did it in fewer than 2 minutes, without detection? And that there was another dog in the car? (At this point, you probably realize why the Falstaffian party beagle is often described in hushed tones.) The party beagle physically is likely to have assorted scars, bumps, lumps, scuffs and fraying from small incidents involving getting to something he wants. Yet, despite this somewhat tattered exterior, there is a nobility to the PB in his prime -- he has elevated the practice of happy self-indulgence to the level of art, and he has gained a sort of philosophical wisdom. This is not to say he has completely mellowed. He is still likely to croon with excessive happiness but it is more likely to be at your return or at seeing a friend than at the excitement of finding a french fry on a walk. It is at this stage, too, that the PB will truly reveal himself to be an expert in the art of fine bedding, and you will find that he will claim the best and the softest areas in the house for his own, and will often do elaborate circling and plumping and scratching to make sure that his bed is fluffed "just so."

Identify the Party Beagle

These three beagles were taken from a situation of profound neglect. Can you tell which one is the Party Beagle? In the left hand picture, it's the dog who, despite the trauma he was just taken from, is already getting pets from the staff at the vet's office. On the right hand photo, the PB is actively sniffing the ground because he smells a treat, or senses that at one point, there was a treat near there. In contrast, his colleagues appear far less engaged.
April 15, 2008

It's been several years since we first put up the Party Beagle description, and we've been delighted with the feedback we've received. People have written us to share their party beagle stories, and we've been honored to hear them.

There are a few things we've learned since then, and this is the most important -- we've found that despite their selfishness and their seemingly all-encompassing joie de vivre, Party Beagles, especially Falstaffian ones, are distinguished in their infinite kindness to their other, more timid canine siblings. Although Party Beagles are born, not made, these dogs used their self-confidence and enthusiasm to set an example for their peers.

It's another reason why these dogs bring us such extraordinary joy.
Do you have a party beagle? If so, and you'd like to share your pictures or stories, please send an email to Hedgesvillehound@aol.com.
Damian is a Party Beagle at the Bluto stage. Note the complete abandon on his face while he is sleeping. Party beagle dream research shows that approximately 75% of party beagle dreams are about stealing or finding sandwiches. The other 25% are about people giving them sandwiches.

This is George, a party beagle puppy (PBP). You'll notice that, in addition to his excessive cuteness, George has the slightly dazed expression and cartoonish appearance that causes people to repeatedly underestimate the PBP. Although technically, yes, butter wouldn't melt in his mouth,  that's because any PBP worth his salt would swallow the stick whole.
This picture could be of any party beagle, really, but in fact, it's a picture of George, then in his "Bluto" phase. Experienced party beagle watchers will note that George's body language is not at all furtive or stressed -- he's "in the moment" where there is no good or bad, only food. (By the time dogs reach the Falstaff phase, they are permanently in this moment.)