I know parents are not supposed to have favorites, but of all our animals - with the exception of Beatrice, whose relationship with me goes beyond pet/parent - this little fellow is probably my favorite. His name is Winston & despite his puppiness, he's not a puppy - he'll turn five this summer. He has a condition called Musladin-Lueke Syndrome - colloquially, & with a smattering of racism, called "Chinese Beagle Syndrome" - & he'll be this way for the rest of his life. A friend at KOOP called him a "perma-puppy."
He's had a lot of health issues associated with his sickness, & the wife calls him "our Prius," to joke about the amount of money we've spent on him. Occasionally people will say, when we tell them he's a dwarf, "I want one!" But the truth is, most breeders will kill beagles with this syndrome. That's why they're not common. (In addition, the same condition in other breeds is fatal after one year. They don't know why this is not so with beagles.)
He's been spoiled his whole life, so he's pushy & needy & a big pest, but I think that's why I love him so. He's been in generally good health - when he's not eating things he shouldn't, like cat poo or peach pits - but we fully expect to spend another Prius' worth of money on him during his lifetime. He's really worth it.
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