[Dailydrool] Beauford Martin

[Jennifer Martin]

Beauford

1-2-2009 to 5-18-2021

Beauford entered our lives at 9 weeks of age as a rescue from Guardian
Angel Basset Rescue. His mom and dad were relinquished literally hours
before his mom went into labor. She was only a year old and had no
vaccinations, much less prenatal care. They let all previous adopters know
before the litter was advertised on the internet. As soon as I saw the
email, I checked with the vet to make sure the current two bassets would be
okay with a new addition. Then I talked to Tim. I was in shock when Tim so
readily said yes! The last task was to convince the rescue that we needed a
puppy and were fully capable of taking care of one. Fortunately we did!

We drove to Decatur, IL to meet with three males from the litter. We took
the other two bassets with us, Elwood (13) and Blitzen (4). Our big concern
was that the new puppy needed to get along with Elwood and not overwhelm
our beloved senior. The other two puppies were maniacs and were grabbing
Elwood’s ears and biting. They were driving Blitzen nuts. Beauford just
sniffed out Elwood and laid down next to him and took a nap. He didn’t
challenge Blitzen. We instantly fell in love with this sweet boy and took
him home!

Beauford was a wonderful puppy! He thought everything was hilarious. He was
unique in that he thought dog bed placement was merely a suggestion. He
liked to move them where he could see everyone and so he could be more
comfortable while chewing the handles on the cabinets. He was a serious
chewer. If he wasn’t given appropriate things to chew, he would chew on the
woodstove apron bricks, rocks outside, the computer charger cable, etc. We
went through a phase where he chewed the zipper off of every dog bed we
had! I finally got smart and found some dog beds that would go into the
washing machine in one piece. If the dog bed didn’t have a zipper, he was
content to not chew it.

He started sleeping through the night pretty early. Unfortunately, he
really wasn’t. He just didn’t make any noise. So, he would wad up his towel
and make a dam at the front of the crate, pee in the very front and then
move to the back to stay nice and clean. It was nice to get to sleep
through the night, but I had a crate to clean every morning. I guess I
should be thankful that he always peed in the front of the crate where it
was easier to clean up any mess. Fortunately, he outgrew needing to go in
the middle of the night sooner than any of our previous puppies.

Poor Beauford experienced a lot of loss at a very young age. Elwood died 3
weeks after we got him. Then Blitzen got a brain tumor and died six months
to the day after Elwood died. Beauford adjusted and went on with his life
of being a carefree puppy.

After Beauford became an only basset, Tim and I decided that Beauford
needed to get used to boarding for our vacations. At this point, I don’t
even remember where we went. I called to see how Beauford was doing. I was
told he was doing great and was in surgery with them. I started to freak
out. They clarified. Beauford was being such a beautiful gentleman that
they let him out of his crate while they were preforming surgery!
Apparently, he was just sitting on a throw rug in front of the sink
watching them do surgery. He behaved perfectly, and his description of
being a quiet gentleman began.

Beauford’s nickname of baby at home started because he decided he had to be
carried up and down the steps. He wouldn’t even attempt them. He was over 6
months old and still wanted to be carried up and down stairs. He loved to
be held and carried everywhere. Unfortunately, he is a basset. Bassets get
too big for this to be sustainable.

Beauford is the only basset I have ever had that enjoyed cleaning house
with me. It started when he was a puppy. I was doing a thorough clean on
the hardwood floors. I was sitting on the floor and cleaning with a rag.
Beauford went and grabbed a rag off the pile and brought it to me to spray
with cleaner. Then he sat across from me and rubbed his rag on the floor
with me. This was something he did with me anytime I cleaned. He had to
have his own rag and it had to be sprayed with the same stuff as my rag or
he got frustrated. It really made me clean up what we used to clean the
house because all cleaners ended up in Beauford’s mouth or he got upset and
pouted. This is the thing I am going to miss most about Beauford. It will
be very strange having to clean the house by myself and not have my
cleaning buddy with me at all times.

In June of 2010, we got Beauford a little brother to keep him company.
Beauford’s foster mom had show bassets and one of her females had a litter
of puppies. I asked to go on the list since I met these dogs when we picked
out Beauford. I was very impressed with their temperaments. Since I was not
on the waiting list before Wegi was even pregnant and I had no desire to
show, I got the second to the last pick. That is okay though. Bugsey was
the one I wanted from the very first skype meeting. Beauford and Bugsey hit
it off as soon as they met! Beauford was such a big help in training
Bugsey. Beauford made puppy training a snap! He loved taking care of his
puppy and making sure I knew anytime Bugsey was about to get in trouble.

About a year and a half later, we got a call from Guardian Angel Basset
Rescue. They had a little girl for us. I said that we had to meet her and
Beauford would decide if we got her or not. We had to wait 2 extra months
while we waited for her to recover from kennel cough and parvo. We met her
at a fellow GABR alumni’s house. There were 6 dogs. They all had leashes on
so we could grab a dog if needed. The puppy was running all over the place.
Beauford kept coming to get us to watch the puppy. Finally, he decided it
was his job to take care of her. She grabbed Beauford and Bugsey’s leashes
and took them outside to play with her. They were having a fantastic time.
So, Browyn the Fairy Princess joined the household. I put a wire crate in
the living room. The plan was for her to be there when I couldn’t actively
watch her, and she would be able to see us and interact with us until she
was more trustworthy in the housebreaking department. Beauford hated this
plan. He cried and cried every time she was in a crate and he wasn’t. I
finally caved telling him it was his job to take care of her. So, he did.
He taught her how to play and got her to the door and rang the bells for
her when she needed outside.

Believe it or not, Beauford was the alpha at home. He was not a domineering
alpha who had to remind everyone that he was boss several times a day. He
was a mellow ruler. He pretty much let everyone live and let live. He did
have a few concrete rules. If Browyn or Bugsey broke the rules, the
punishment was always the same. Beauford would roll them over, stand on
their ears, and bark in their faces. When he wanted something from his
parents, he would put a paw on a leg and push for all he was worth while
barking or moaning. He demanded that the house run on a strict schedule and
expected it to be followed.

In October of 2019, Beauford was diagnosed with an anal gland tumor. He
never really even knew he had cancer. We got back from a trip and picked up
Beauford and Browyn on May 15. Something weird was going on with Beauford.
On Tuesday May 18, Beauford was not doing well at all. He spent the day at
the vet where they got him really stable. They sent him home and he crashed
and burned very quickly. Unfortunately, he didn’t survive the trip to the
ER. Our sweet gentleman, the Beautiful Baby Beauford went to the Rainbow
Bridge. Snoopy Rutz was there to receive him. Snoopy found Bugsey
immediately. Bugsey introduced Beauford to the Bridge and got him all
settled in, and had him meet the ones who went before him. We miss Beauford
terribly. He was such a constant force in the family. I miss seeing him
prepare the couch and dog beds for sleeping. I miss him helping me clean. I
miss him helping me take care of Browyn. Beauford has left a huge hole in
our hearts. We miss him terribly. He is survived by his parents, Tim and
Jennifer, and his sister Browyn. His brother Bugsey died before him as well
as his dog parents and all of the siblings in his original litter.
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