"The little French Bulldog who can…but won't"

Check out his photo site.

Take a look at Snuffles, the children's book about him by Rob Newbold.

THE EARLY YEARS

Bix was born February 13th 1996 into an extremely large litter (for frenchies) of eight pups. He was brought home to the Avon, Connecticut household of Susan Treadway and Jay Lichtmann on an unusually cold and snowy Easter afternoon. People are always asking Bix; "Where'd you get such a funny name?" Actually his name has to do with the fact that Susan is a registered dental hygienist and Jay is a professional trumpeter. You see, Sue wanted to name the pup after a famous dental hygienist, but because there are none, they ended up naming him after the legendary jazz trumpeter of the '20s: Bix Beiderbecke. He was (by any standard) an adorable puppy.

EDUCATION

Bix started his schooling in the early summer of '96 with Beverly Kidd of Roaring Brook Kennels in Avon. He showed not even a hint of obedience in those early puppy classes and spent most of his time being dragged, by the leash, across the lawn. He did end up making miniscule progress, and finally graduated to "Puppy II" at the Tails You Win campus in Simsbury. The move to the Simsbury school system ignited a little spark in Bix, (we all know how important the proper educational environment is to a young, impressionable mind) and on December 3rd '96 - after 6 grueling weeks - the little Frenchman graduated from Simsbury T.Y.W. with a Canine Good Citizen Award (Cum Laude). Sue & Jay had considered ending his education then and there, but Bix insisted that he go on to do post-graduate work. Monica Land, a patient of Sue's, told her about the Hartford Obedience Training Club and thought that Bix might be accepted there. Though Bix received no scholarship money, he decided to attend the H.O.T.C. classes in the Spring of '97. Although his academic studies at H.O.T.C. have been a little lax, Bix's social life on campus has been stellar. He received 3rd prize in the '97 Halloween costume contest and 1st prize in that same event the following year. He has also been voted "Most Likely To Fall Asleep in a Long Down Stay" by the H.O.T.C. students and faculty.

INTERESTS

Bix has many interests outside of school. He is actually in excellent shape for a frenchie and enjoys (demands!) a 3-mile walk every day. He is especially interested in guns (dart guns, disk guns, squirt guns etc.) and has considered joining the N.R.A. He is fond of travel, water sports and meeting people. Because he does thrive on encounters with new people, Sue & Jay feel he would make an excellent Wal Mart greeter, but like most frenchies, he has a hard time holding down a job. He has done some acting work though, and was featured in the Discovery Channel documentary: "It's A Dogs Life" filmed at Diane Dodge's estate in Harwinton. The documentary should be shown soon, so check your TV listings! Sorry, Bix does not give autographs.

STAFF

Bix would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little about the "little people" who spend a great deal of time trying to attend to his needs, but usually fall far short of the mark…in his estimation:

Susan Treadway , besides being Bix's full time chef, chauffeur and groomer, is a registered dental hygienist at a thriving West Hartford practice. Sue grew up in Bloomfield, CT with a totally untrained beagle named Finnigan who, by his own admission, "bit everyone." She is an avid skier, bicyclist & swimmer and enjoys hiking on the wooded trails near her home. Sue also enjoys travel & gardening and has a passion for crossword puzzles & mystery novels.

Jay Lichtmann is Bix's personal trainer and entertainment coordinator. In his spare time he plays principal trumpet with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and is a professor at the Hartt School. Jay grew up in southern California, also with untrained beagles who were named Princess and Spotty. He remembers them as "howling, roaming, rotten little dogs, that snapped at everyone." Jay is enthusiastic about outdoor athletics, and enjoys jogging, bicycling, swimming and hiking. He spends six weeks every summer in New Hampshire enjoying these endeavors (chaperoned by Bix of course) and playing with the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra.