68 Saber Tails Fall 2018
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America
Rowdy has always loved his stuffed toys and has nev-
er torn any of them up. Now TuX, on the other hand,
would destuff a toy in a second! Rowdy had his fa-
vorite toys and never wanted TuX to play with them.
Flirt has never been a toy dog so he didn’t mind if she
checked them out occasionally. Once he realized ZZ-
TuX would totally demolish his faves, he would gath-
er them up, put them in his crate, and close the door
with his paw. Rowdy still keeps his special toys in his
crate and always sleeps with them at night. He will
bring them out to play and parade with and put them
back. Now he protects them from Willett!
Flirt may never have cared for toys that much but
she has a little mischievous streak in her and you
always know when Flirt is not happy with you. You
may never figure out what you did to have the “ire
of Flirt” and her take it out on your possessions but
you would know she was upset with you. How would
you know? When she ate your reading glasses (I quit
counting at 24 pairs) or, in Tony’s case, a new GPS and
about 15 TV remotes. This was back in the days before
all cars had a GPS in them. One January day as I left
for the museum I noticed Tony’s new GPS I had given
him for Christmas laying on the table by the door. I
mentioned it to him and he said he had updated it
and was going to put it back in his car when he left.
I said “looks like something for Flirt to eat if you have
done her wrong this morning. I strongly suggest you
put it somewhere Flirt can’t get to it.” Tony replied (as
he loved on Flirt) – “my baby girl Flirt would never eat
my new GPS.” When I came home from work, the new
GPS was in pieces laying in the kitchen. (By the way…doing Flirt “wrong” could be her not getting an extra treat or being
in a hurry and not giving her enough attention.)
Rowdy has always been our sweet and finicky boy. Rowdy likes to have his day organized and likes to get up leisurely.
One morning Tony and I got the hounds up about 5 a.m. (not to hunt) but to appear on TV. As Rowdy is “famous in
Anderson” he had been invited to do some promos for Howlin’ For Hope for the Cancer Association of Anderson. Tony
and I decided to take everyone in case Rowdy didn’t want to perform at 6 a.m. You guessed it, when the cameras were
on, Rowdy laid down on the job. Flirt was no better – saying her hair wasn’t ready for a close up that early. ZZTuX to the
rescue. At almost 13 years old, he was a pro with people. He sat up on the trolley and, when the lights and camera came
on, pretended he was talking to the host of the show as someone off camera was the voice for ZZTuX. TuX was the star.
When the host asked a question TuX looked at the host and when the off camera person was talking for TuX he looked
straight in the camera. ZZTuX was the talk of Upstate SC! That was the last appearance for ZZTuX. Two weeks later he
passed away.
Now we have sweet Willett at the Stone House Hounds to cause crazy chaos. I will save those stories for another time!!!
Beverly Childs of StoneHouseHounds has been a member of the PBGVCA and a member of the Carolina PBGV Club since 2006.
She participates in club activities with the StoneHouseHounds and enjoys the hunts, conformation and some obedience and
scent work. In her other life, she is Executive Director of the Anderson County Museum and has been a fundraiser and in the
non-profit world for more than 40 years.