The Indomitable Bebe

 The Indomitable Bebe

Bebe, Bebes, The Bebester, Queen B or just B, whatever you called her she was a most amazing little dog. She was 7 pounds of white silky hair and big black eyes and whole lot of heart and attitude. Bebe was a dog who instantly stole our hearts. The very definition of a lap dog, she preferred being carried and would whine at Kristen’s feet until she was picked up.  

When she did walk, we marveled at the lightening speed of those tiny little legs.  She peed like a boy dog.  Bebe was tolerant of our other dogs, but conveyed a somewhat disdainful opinion of their dogginess. When Bebe ran, her ears would spread wide like airplane wings.  

Sometimes she would forget she didn’t believe she was a dog, and would attack toys, chase small sticks or balls, or maul slippers - but always with far more grace and aplomb than other dogs.

Occasionally she would forget where the bathroom was too.  I’ll never forget the time she left a little poop, perfectly swirled as soft serve ice cream in a cone, in the cup of Caitlins bra!

Bebe adored sleeping on the back of sofas, with a view out the window.  
 In the years that she stayed with us while Kristen was at college, she would be so excited to see Kristen pull up to the house, and would watch out that window hopefully for hours when Kristen was gone. Of course Bebe moved out and went with Kristen when she got married, and the sofa seemed empty and cold when I had to curl up for my naps after work without her fuzzy warmth.  Whenever Kristen and Brad visited the first thing we would ask them was “where’s Bebe?” as if a visit to us without her was not quite good enough.

With Bebe in her arms you’d better be nice to Kristen.  If you tapped Kristen’s arm Bebe would show her teeth and growl like she meant business.  If you kept it up she would pounce, ready to rip you to shreds. 

Bebe got to come stay in the Red House in NH a few times, and had a favorite spot on the upstairs windowsill overlooking the parking ledge in front of the house. 

When a car with Kristen in it would appear her tail would suddenly go into motion with a joyful vigorous wagging.  Of course we placed a pillow on the sill to make her more comfortable.  And sometimes she would accompany us on hikes, and make her way along waterfalls or up trails out onto rocky cliffs.  The last time we went up Rattlesnake together she got her little legs so covered in black mud that it looked as if she were wearing boots! We stopped on a flooded section of the dirt road to wash her on the way home. Although she did not enjoy bathing in a tub she was not above wading in a NH river!

Baths were a regular routine for her but no matter how many times she was bathed and dried she never gave up on her quest to kill the blow dryer.  When her hair was long she would appear to be rather plump and shaggy and the vet even suggested she needed to lose a few ounces before he saw that her body only accounted for about 1/10 of what he was looking at. 

When her hair was trimmed she was sleek and perky looking, and when she was wet she was hilarious. 

.  Although Bebe owned a few very cute little outfits she was not really that into dressing up unless it was for a photo shoot.  This however did not stop her from posing for some calendar photos or from giving fashion and other advice on her own blog, Queen B the Dog

(Bhttp://queenbthedog.blogspot.com/2015/07/suit-up.html?m=0)

As Bebes got older, one of her ears would stick up, giving her a comical quizzical appearance that did not detract at all from her appeal.  

There were not too many other signs of her aging.  Bebe enjoyed walks and outings right up until near the end when moving became difficult for her due to some cancerous tumors.  She loved to ride on Kristen’s lap, paws up on Kristen’s arm, looking out the window.  She was fearless and adorable, comical and dignified, and she had us all wrapped around her little paw. Although with great sorrow and heart break we now bid her farewell from our lives, she will remain in our hearts and our fondest memories as a most special little dog who touched us all with her big presence while she was here.  Bebe, we love you, we’ll miss you, and we’ll never forget you.