Beagle Blog for Beagle Hounds

Adios, Amos

2011-11-26T02:53:00.000-08:00

Tonight we're saying goodbye to our dear "old man" dog Amos. His 16+ year-old body has given out due to age and kidney failure, although his spirit isn't quite ready to let go yet. So if morning comes and he still is in what must be purely instinctive survival mode, we'll give him the one final act of kindness and care we, as human guardians of our animal companions, can offer, a release from the struggle and the earthly bonds of suffering.

Although it seems like he's always been with us, we've only had the good fortune to enjoy Amos in our household for the past four years. But oh, what a fun and frustrating, at times exasperating but always entertaining few years they've been! His legend as Amos the Insatiable will live on.

UPDATE: Amos passed away peacefully in his dog bed, simply falling asleep one last time, saving us from "the decision" which would have been hard, no matter how appropriate.

The Book of Amos - His Life Story with us from 2007-2011

2011-11-26T01:08:00.000-08:00

Adios, Amos

November 26, 2011

On a cool October Saturday in 2007, the retired couple who had volunteered to drive the last leg of a rescue transport operation pulled into our driveway and let out the big, dark-furred and scruffy beagle mix that was to become our next foster dog for Young At Heart Pet Rescue. He had been a stray in rural western Illinois whose days at the shelter were numbered in the single digits due to his age and the perpetual lack of space to house the homeless pet population.

But this shelter is one that gives older dogs a chance by assessing their temperament and connecting with rescue organizations. This dog was presumed to be eight or nine years old, a beagle mixed with some basset to give him his stretched-out, 40-plus pound frame. Intact, no identification, no microchip, a patch of fur missing from his tail and a piece of one ear long gone, he needed a name so they called him Amos. Lucky for him, they observed his gentle demeanor and friendly approachability. He came with one caution: no pig ears (chewy rawhide treats) because he apparently was quite possessive of them!

And that was the first clue in the not-so-difficult puzzle that was this new dog Amos. Within the dog world it is an axiom that hounds in general and beagles in particular are fond of food. Our pre-existing beagles, Katie and Emily, are excellent examples of this, as had been each of the handful of beagles we had fostered to date. We thought we knew from “food focused.” We were about to enter a whole new world of fun and frustration from the one, the only, a true Food Hound, Amos the Insatiable!

No story of Amos would be complete without including the two failed adoption attempts. First was the assisted-living facility that wanted a house dog to live there among the residents. There is a lovely symmetry in having a senior dog living at a home full of senior humans. And Amos would love all that attention! He was generally obedient and very hardy, and wouldn’t be the least bit bothered by a wheelchair bumping his leg or a noisy piece of equipment humming away. We did a trial run for a day and all seemed well. We were a tad concerned that there would be too many food temptations but figured with just a bit of guidance, he’d learn that he had access to all the snacks he could ever want if he just buddied up to the right residents.

But, two weeks after he went to live there, they called and said it was just too hard to keep him from wanting to eat every morsel he could smell, and that they felt it was best that they get a dog less concerned with getting to food. Strike One.

A few weeks later, a lovely woman whose old beagle had just passed away inquired about adopting Amos. Frances was an active, spry 87-year-old in need of a companion and daily walk partner. It would be heaven for Amos to have regular visitors (a handyman, daughter, granddaughters, neighbors) and a doting owner who was home all day long.

This time it took almost three weeks before we got the call. Frances was beside herself with worry that by turning him back in he might be put down, but we assured her that wasn’t the case. She liked him just fine but her family felt he was just too much dog for her, too much to deal with. Among the stories we heard from her: she made a sandwich for herself, turned to get something out of the cupboard, turned back and her sandwich was gone. Another time she came into the kitchen to find him standing on the table. Her granddaughter brought in a container of Chinese food for lunch and set it on the table. A few minutes later, the moo goo gai pan was doggone long gone. Strike Two.

For several more months, we pretended that an understanding home would be found; one that could learn to manage around his uncanny ability to get to food and would find it if not charming and delightful at least entertaining and tolerable. But there weren’t even any more nibbles from folks inquiring about him through the rescue's website, petfinder.com, adoption events, etc. And so, almost exactly one year to the day he first came into our home, we officially adopted Amos ourselves. We paid $165 and got about a million dollars worth of stories in return.

The world according to Amos was a fairly simple place. It consisted of food, food and more food. To say he lived for one thing and one thing only would be too weak a description.

I always imagined a short record repeating in his head, playing just one song over and over, to the tune of “When will I get food, where will it come from, what if they don’t bring me food, is that food in your hand, is there food in that plastic bag you’re carrying, I wonder if that person has any food, is it time to eat yet, what is taking those people so long to get home and feed me, uh oh, I may have to fend for myself so I may as well just be on food alert 24/7 and eat whatever I find when- and wherever I find it just in case it runs out or they forget to feed me or someone else takes it or sniffsniffsniffsniff I think I smell food nearby slurpslurpslurp, chompchompchomp, food, food, food, when will I get food…” And repeat. Again. Forever.

I could fill pages with Amos’s food exploits, but there are some highlights.

As any guardian of a beagle worth its hound-hood can verify, counter tops, tables and any surfaces within tongue’s reach are fair game. So many things we placed waaaayyy back out of his reach only to find empty wrappers, baggies, and every kind of container imaginable in his dog bed. The list is nearly endless – bread (an entire loaf inhaled moments before we took him for a pre-scheduled vet appointment), leftovers, plates that had just held food, and on and on. He would consume virtually any food product.

And, of course, the garbage can is a perpetual source of discovery. We’re convinced that an Amos-proof trash container does not exist. And he’d grab and lick the plate left behind when your back was turned, pull napkins out from under cups and glasses, and eat used paper towels and tissues if you left them behind. He opened more plastic bags, foil wraps, Styrofoam shells and whatever else food might be found inside than we could begin to count.

But some of his ploys were a bit uncommon. Examples of his more impressive accomplishments:

Climbed onto a chair, then onto the counter, then from there had to ssttrreeeetttch way up to reach on top of the refrigerator where, as he so well knew, the dog treats reside. So I could truthfully say that my dog got himself treats off the top of the fridge!

Pulled pans off the top of the stove from the front burners, including, one time, a sheet cake which he enjoyed for a few moments until we could get there to intervene.

Got up on the kitchen table and, from the fruit basket pulled off ONE banana from the bunch, took it to his bed and ate out the fruit, leaving the peel in amazingly good shape. He did this a few times. The first two incidents took us a few days to figure out. We each had come home to find a banana peel in his dog bed, assuming the other had eaten a banana, tossed the peel which Amos grabbed out of the garbage. Only after we compared notes did we realize that neither of us had touched a banana. It was all Amos.

Rolled a cantaloupe, whole, off the counter, across the kitchen, into the living room to his bed, and ate off the top third of the melon.

Grabbed an avocado off the counter and peeled the skin off to eat most of the insides out. A similar fate was met by one orange, a nectarine or two, and several apples from the fruit basket on the table.

Found, stacked among other boxes, a sealed-with-plastic box of holiday rawhide candy canes, opened and ate them all while we were out one evening. We might not have noticed for a while except that they didn’t all stay down. Ewww.

Tore apart the cardboard of a twelve-pack of beer bottles, leaving them strewn about the kitchen floor. Amazingly none broke, and no, he didn’t get any open.

Pulled a box of pumpkin bread mix out of the cabinet, opened and ate it. Similarly, pulled out and ate a box of Cajun-seasoned rice mix. We believe that didn’t feel so great coming back out the other end, what with all the spices.

Gobbled up a large bunch of freshly-washed seedless grapes from a Ziploc bag (on the counter, from further back than he could possibly reach…sounding familiar?). Grapes can be toxic to dogs but luckily this happened while we were at home and we realized it quickly enough to administer the hydrogen peroxide procedure, thus bringing the grapes back up, whole!

One time Hector returned home while I was out of town to find several cookie sheets and baking pans on the kitchen floor, the oven storage drawer pulled out and some of the metal framework bent. Did I mention it’s a WALL oven, up higher than he should have been able to reach or pull?

A funny trait of his was a truly amazing ability to watch, watch, watch as you ate, eyeing the food in your hand, and the moment you looked away, in one silent, speed-of-light, superbly precise and perfectly timed motion he’d have YOUR food in HIS mouth, swallowing it virtually whole in one gulp.

And then, there’s his defining moment, his masterpiece if you will, when he ate the can of dog food.

He actually ATE the CAN, and the dog food contained therein. It was on the counter, way further back than he should have been able to reach, an unopened can. And we had never even fed him canned food at that point, so how did he know what it was? There was a can of pumpkin next to it that I was going to mix with the food and freeze as treats. The pumpkin he left alone and went for the Alpo. He managed to partially open the pull-top, proceeded to slurp out some food, then resorted to chewing the metal can down to squeeze out the rest. Not a cut on his paws or gums to show for it, but a few pieces of chewed can inside his intestinal tract, thanks to the x-ray taken by the emergency, late-night vet office. We opted for a no-surgery, hope-it-all-comes-out-well-in-the-end (ahem) approach, knowing he had an iron constitution (ahem), and in fact it did work out fine. So he truly did have abs of steel.

One of his favorite things to do was to get up on the kitchen table. Partly this was because he knew we sometimes kept fruit there, and also at any given time there would likely be a molecule of food still his for the taking. He would sometimes just lie down there and hang out, like it was just another place to rest. He could get up there, sniff around, take whatever he wanted, and not move anything else. He truly had a stealth approach. The weirdest part is that we pushed in all the chairs and even tilted some in, yet he would figure out how to get up and back down without moving them. Hmmm.

And when we ate at the table and one of us would get up, there he’d be, fast as a flash up sitting in the chair, looking for crumbs. All things considered, he had pretty good table manners, for a dog.

On the more positive side, he never chewed a single thing not related to food foraging. He never grabbed a shoe, socks, underwear, a table leg, nothing at all. Also he loved to ride shotgun in the car, and because of his size he could sit there and look out the window with his old-man features and seem all too human. Also, he was absolutely solidly house trained from the moment he walked in the door. He only went out when he had business to do, he did a lot of it very few times a day and he was utterly trustworthy for way more hours than a dog should have to be.

Over the years we decided that he was mostly beagle, with just enough basset in him to provide a little extra drool, legs a bit shorter than necessary, a slightly elongated torso, and a surprisingly deep, throaty RUUUFFFFF! That sound could echo across the neighborhood but fortunately he didn't feel the need to use it very often outdoors. Inside it was his way of pointing out to us that there was food on the counter and treats in the cupboard and WHY WEREN'T WE GIVING HIM ANY?????

Amos was a dog who had what I called “old man vibe.” He just seemed like he’d been born old. Not truly decrepit or cranky, just old. We never knew his exact age since he’d been a stray with no history. The shelter that picked him up put on the paperwork in 2007 that he was 8-9 years old. But everywhere we took him for grooming, and any time we were around people who know a lot about dogs, they all thought he was much older. Generally the consensus was that he was, to be just slightly vague, Very Old. Near the end, our veterinarian surmised that he was at least 16 and possibly even 17, which is pretty impressive for a hound.

I always used the word stoic in describing Amos. He never showed any sign of pain or discomfort when we knew he must be feeling it. Not once did we hear him utter a yelp or whimper. Not when it was discovered that he had completely torn ligaments in one knee, not after surgery to repair it, not if he took the slick wood stairs too quickly and landed in a heap at the bottom, and not in his last days when he must have been really uncomfortable. It haunts us that he may have been more miserable than we realized due to his “never let ‘em see you sweat” attitude, and that we should have intervened sooner. But he really didn’t seem ready to go so we didn’t want to force him, and in the end he went out on his own terms, gently and in his favorite dog bed, dozing off one last time.

Amos taught us many things, some very practical and most related to the futility of trying to keep food and food-like items out of a determined beagle’s reach. But transcending all of that, he taught us about the power of laser-like focus on a basic goal and how, with the simple gifts of focus, optimism and perseverance, you can Reach.The.Un.Reach.Able…JAR (or bag or box or can or container of any kind!).

Adios, Amos. It was a wild ride at times but we wouldn’t trade a moment of it for all the rice in China. Because you’d just eat it anyway. Vaya con Dios, nuestro perro dulce. AROOOO!

P.S. Much of this blog is about his various exploits and escapades. In other words, what food he got into when. Take a spin in older posts, particularly those from 2009 and early 2010. See the Blog Archive at left, then click the arrows to open to the titles of the posts to find those about Amos.

Kia, Our New Adoptable - beagle mix

2011-09-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Kia was adopted in mid November by Heather and her five year old son. All are doing well and Kia is thriving as the only dog!

Kia came into animal control as a stray. She was found in a small rural community south of St. Louis. Of course, she had no name at that point, but she was wearing a pink collar that said 'princess', so it surely seemed she had a home and family. She waited patiently at AC, just a sweet, quiet older girl biding her time. The volunteers and staff alike thought she was darling. :)

One day, when volunteers were working with the dogs giving treats, walks, playtime, etc., this little gal was walked in the general direction of the parking lot. As slow and easy going as she had been to this point, the volunteer was surprised when this senior beagle began to tug on the leash. Of course, the volunteer let her lead and she went right up to a blue van and stood there waiting for the door to be opened.....heartbreaking for the volunteer......little fur baby just wanted to get in that car and go home! So she was renamed KIA.

She is a beagle mix - perhaps some sheltie or Brittany spaniel? Very mellow and quiet. And SOOOO sweet.

Filbert: Finding A Forever Family

2011-07-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST!--

June 20

July 29

My Life So Far - A Story in Three Acts

by Filbert

ACT 1

Once upon a time I had a home where the people taught me things.

They taught me to do my business outside, and not to jump up on people, and definitely NOT to get up on the furniture. I learned that the refrigerator is something you want to be near when it opens, because there are good things in there and great smells.

I learned to love people and other dogs and to cuddle and snuggle and enjoy my humans. I learned not to bark much, usually not even at the mail carrier. I learned to like car rides and to walk gently on a leash. I learned that sometimes you need to bark at a random squirrel or passing dog, and that small, yappy dogs may need to be checked out closely, although no one told them this because they don’t seem to enjoy it that much.

I learned to turn in one circle when you see the full food bowl headed your way, and then to sit calmly before eating. I learned that people cannot resist petting you if you put your head in their lap or lay your body across theirs (with your back feet still on the floor – since furniture is a no-no!).

I must have been well cared for too, because I am healthy and in all this time I didn’t get bad teeth or yucky ears or flaky skin or mottle fur or anything like that. I was not neutered but I also wasn’t a humper or otherwise dominant type.

A mostly-Doberman mix, I don’t have what you may think is the classic Dobe look since my ears and tail were left natural – or uncropped. This means I don’t have that intense, intimidating look you think of when you think Doberman, and that I have a lovely, long fluffy tail and medium, floppy ears. Also I am what in Dobe-speak is known as “red,” which really means I’m a gorgeous chocolate brown tinged with caramel accents. That’s a little too dainty-sounding for a boy like me but it’s an accurate description!

Things went along pretty well for a while, maybe five or six years or so.

And then things changed.

I learned that people aren’t perfect.

ACT 2

Something went terribly wrong and I don’t understand it. All I know is that I was not being fed so I got really, really, REALLY skinny. Even for a breed that is generally thin and kind of bony, I was just a skeleton, a shell of my former self. I have seen pictures of myself at that time and they are sad.

I was taken to a place where there are rows and rows of cages full of other dogs that don’t have any place else to go. It was loud and chaotic. I heard my person say that I was sick and needed to be put down, whatever that means. But somehow I knew it wasn’t a good thing to hear.

Then a nice person who works at this place with all these homeless dogs said maybe I just needed some food! And sure enough when she offered I gobbled it up because I was super hungry! So Nice Person told not-so-nice-person(s) to leave me there and go away. So they left, I stayed, and then I got to eat every single day again!

One day, a group of people from Young At Heart Senior Pet Rescue came to the place with all the dogs and cages and gathered some of us up and took us away with them on an adventure! I didn’t know exactly what was up but I was very nice and friendly because somehow I just knew these were Very Nice People.

I rode in a crate in the car for a while then went to another place with cages and other dogs, but this was smaller and not as crazy. I stayed there for a couple of days so the Very Nice doctor could double check to make sure I was healthy, and I was.

Well, other than being nearly starved to death, that is.

I learned that hope springs eternal.

ACT 3

A week later I went to live with my foster family which includes a man, a woman and three beagles. I took to everyone immediately and we all get along great.

I am so good in the house. I prefer to be near my people and often curl up in a tight ball right by their feet or close by. One of my favorite places is right at the bottom of the stairs so I can see what’s happening all around me.

At night I curl up into a dog bed on the floor of the bedroom and I don’t get up until you do. If you happen to get up in the middle of the night, I’ll come with you to make sure you’re okay. Then I’ll go right back to sleep.

If you let me outside, I can just hang out there and enjoy myself. Sometimes I’ll just sit right on the back step and observe the world. When you leave I am content to just snooze somewhere loose in the house. But prepared to be greeted with great enthusiasm when you come home! I will squeal and bark just a little bit until you get in the door, then I really want to stand up and cling to you for a while.

I love everyone I meet! I love your rubs and scratches and pets. Every so often I will come up and ask for some attention by nudging your arm or leaning into you or just putting my head right smack into your lap. I like to be brushed but need no grooming other than an occasional nail trim. If you need to clean my ears or wipe my paws, I just sit quietly and let you take care of things. Not even a hint of annoyance from me.

Wow, these people are really treating me to the high life! I’ve been getting extra food and plenty of treats, which I can easily catch if you toss them my way. I am especially fond of canned pumpkin which is nutritious and filling. YUM-O. I gained 14 pounds in about one month!

The good news is that I gained the weight. The weird news is that meant I had to have a little procedure called neutering. But the best news of all is that it went great, I was myself again within a few hours and now I can be adopted to a new home!

I have such a gentle, loving soul. I would be such a good addition to your family.

I learned to never give up.

THE FINAL ACT

This is the audience-participation portion, because YOU get to play a part in this story now. The Final Act is yours to play.

You can to donate to Young At Heart Pet Rescue (www.yahpetrescue.com) on my behalf, or just in general to help other older pets who need your help.

Maybe you want to meet me to see how sweet I really am. We have adoption events all the time.

Or, if we’re both really lucky, maybe you’re Filbert’s Forever Family!

And together we can learn about unconditional love.
--
--

July 29

UPDATE: Filbert was adopted by a wonderful couple who love him dearly, and he has blossomed in their care. He is a truly gorgeous specimen of a dog now. Here he is with his new papa, Bruce.

October 2011

A Poem in Honor of the Young At Heart Senior Super Save

2011-07-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

A Baker’s Dozen Saved in Eleven

Of course, this tale of glad redemption needs a group with tax exemption.
Stepping in to play the part? A pet rescue called Young At Heart.

And so they organized a pull, at a shelter, cages full.
Off they drove with empty crates, determined to improve some fates.

The team of special volunteers walked down the hall, their mission clear:
Select a dozen dogs and cats to save their lives; how great is that?

Gazing from each furry face, two soulful eyes to plead their case,
“Help me find me a better place.” Those images won’t soon erase.

Oh, so many, sad but true. What’s one small rescue group to do?
No time to indulge regrets; let’s choose our homeless senior pets.

Among the cats and dogs galore, they picked out twelve and then one more.
Thirteen rescued; lucky, brave, in the Senior Super Save!

By Joyce Paschall
June 2011

Filbert on the day of the Senior Super Save

2011-07-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures of Filbert taken by the Young At Heart Senior Pet Rescue crew on June 20, 2011, when he was selected as part of the Senior Super Save from Animal Welfare League in Chicago - an open door shelter that takes in 5,000 lost, stray, unwanted or otherwise homeless pets a year. And here is a You Tube video which is also available on the YAH home page.

Young At Heart (YAH) and Trio Animal Foundation arranged a day for YAH to go in and select 12 dogs and cats aged 5 and older that would be rescued from a less than secure fate. Filbert, a doberman mix approximately 6 years old (who was previously called "Puppy") caught their eye and obviously had a sweet personality, but he was SO starved and skinny, it looked nearly hopeless. Of course they couldn't leave him behind, so he became one of the lucky baker's dozen of 13 older dogs and cats rescued that day by Young At Heart.

Each pet was vetted and amazingly they were a healthy lot, with just some respiratory infections here and there, and some spaying/neutering needed, along with a few dental cleanings. With help from Arlington Heights Animal Hospital, especially Dr. Darin Flaska, these medical needs will be handled, and all of this will be funded by YAH and Trio - which means via DONATIONS - gladly accepted - and each pet will be put up for adoption by YAH. Check their website under Adoptables to see these (when they're ready) and other wonderful adult dogs and cats just waiting for the rest of their life to begin.

As for Filbert, what's his story? Why was he there in the first place? His people brought him in saying he was sick and asking that he be put down. The shelter manager fed him a bowl of food which he gobbled happily and told the people to leave the dog and never get another one.

I am trying not to judge too harshly as I truly don't know them or their circumstances, and at least they did bring him in which gave him his first chance of a better life. And if they had him his whole life prior, they did something right because he is the SWEETEST dog, house trained, calm, loving, attentive and mannerly (except when you have a bowl of dog food in your hand, then he loses his poise!).

Adult male dobermans are usually around 70+ pounds according to the information I read. And at that weight you can usually still see their ribs and they still have bony structures, that's just their build. I don't think Filbert is meant to be quite that heavy, but he does need some meat on his bones. He was 32 pounds when rescued, 35 when we picked him up from the vet to foster him, and when he gains about 10 more (so around 45 pounds dripping wet) he'll be neutered and after that, he'll be ready for his new forever home too!

We're having fun with a dog that is SUPPOSED to overeat, rather than trying to keep them from eating too much and getting fat, which is the more normal order of things in beagle-ville. Here we go...

Filbert Gets Frisky

2011-07-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

So, here are the two money shots that we thought would be so cute, then when we looked at them full-screen, we realized it looks a bit, um, for mature audiences only! He totally did this totally on his own (I'm afraid to pull on him or pick him up in his skinny state for fear of hurting him anyway). So here, without further ado, are The Embarrassing Photos...

Filbert the Foster - Thinks He's a Lap Dog

2011-07-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well, Filbert on day 3 is just more of the same sweet temperament we saw from the beginning. He is quiet, gentle, low key. Wants to be around people but doesn't get pushy. He doesn't even beg for food. But when you pick up the dog food bowl, boy does he know what that's all about! He's super excited then and can't wait to eat.

Tonight I was sitting on the lounge chair when the first little firecrackers went off in the neighborhood. Katie our original beagle got a little worried, and since Hector's lap was full with a computer on it, she came over and jumped onto me. Filbert saw this and assumed he should do the same, so he started to climb up on me, Katie climbed higher and higher, until she was straddling my head with her paws on both of my shoulders, sideways (back paws on one shoulder, front on the other).

Filbert just kept climbing and I told Hector to run in for the camera, hoping he'd stay put for a shot or two. Katie jumped off to follow Hector but luckily Filbert stayed and then started snuggling in even more!

Introducing...Filbert the Foster Wannabeagle

2011-06-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our most recent foster beagle, Pax, was adopted this past weekend to a wonderful home in the western suburbs. Pax was the easiest dog we've ever had, and happyhappyhappy all the time.

Young At Heart Pet Rescue, the group we foster for that saves adult/senior dogs and cats, did a "Super Senior Save" last week where they took in 13 dogs and cats from one shelter at one time. This is an open door shelter which basically means they take whatever comes in and have to euthanize when there's no room at the inn.

Surprisingly there were no beagles or beagle mixes there at the time of the Save, but there was this beautiful, sweet, starving dog Filbert. The best guess is that he's a hound/doberman mix. Originally the guess was that he's 8 years old, but the doctor who checked him out and has been observing him for a week now thinks he may be only 5 or 6. The owners brought him in, said he was sick and to put him down. The shelter manager fed him a bowl of food which of course he gobbled, told the people to leave the dog and never get another one. If he's sick neither he nor his blood work shows it.

He weighed 32 pounds when brought in, gained 3 in one week so when we got him to foster starting tonight, he is already up to 35. He needs to gain about 10 more pounds, which he should do within a month if we're any good at all at this fattening-up gig (pretty unfamiliar turf for beagle people!), so he can be neutered. Then he'll be available for adoption to a new forever home, where he will be FED, for crying out loud, and loved and cherished.

So, here is a recap of day (night) 1 with Filbert.

He wasn't sure about getting into the car so I had to kind of shove him in. But once there he was pretty good; a bit curious and moved around some, but not bad at all.

His first short walk before going into the house or yard was just a couple of blocks in the neighborhood. He was VERY gentle on leash, matching my pace and kind of hesitating to be sure I wanted him to move forward. Showed no sign of knowing any commands, but didn't pull at all.

In the yard he was curious and checked the whole place out, but came to me now and then. In the house he was antsy for the first hour or two, walking around and not standing still or sitting down. I fed him outside, figuring I'll get to know him better and can decide if we can feed him with the other dogs or not. I gave him a big bowl of two dry and one canned types of food, which he ate heartily! Before that when I put water in a bowl, he was so excited about me having a bowl of something in my hand that he jumped up and made me spill some! Poor thing.

At one point I didn't see him for a couple of minutes and went to check things out to find that he had grabbed a plum off the counter and was happily noshing away! Stone fruit pits contain a substance that is TOXIC to dogs so I said "no" and "leave it" and pulled him up by the collar a bit, and he readily let it go and allowed me to take it away. He ate about half of it but had not swallowed the pit yet, yay! But it was a good reminder that he is SUPER HUNGRY and has longer legs and a much longer body that we're used to, which means he can reach all kinds of things we thing are out of bounds. YIKES.

Mostly this evening he has curled up on a tiny rug on the floor at the bottom of the stairs in the living room. He somehow loops his long legs and full body into an unexpectedly small ball of dog. We did discover that he had urinated on a garbage can in the laundry room. Hmm. Maybe a smell enticed him or he just had to go and doesn't know what to do to tell us. Sure hope it's not that he's not house trained. That would be a drag that we've never had to deal with really. Fingers crossed on that.

Oh, also, all the dogs were fine with him and vice versa. Katie howled her super loud screech a couple of times, Emily shrieked at him twice when he dared to get too close to her on the bed, and Amos completely ignored his very existence. Our former foster and current house guest Twister seemed a bit more intrigued. The two of them almost started to play, and they have both hung out on that darned rug at the same time. If only I could get a photo of that...

Katie the Beagle Caught in Mid-Howl...."AROOOOOOO!"

2011-04-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Jake is Getting Adopted!

2011-01-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

HAPPY AND SAD...

Our current foster beagle, 9-year-old Jake, the sweetest, mellowest beagle ever, is being adopted later this week! The family includes two young and one older daughter, along with an extra large beagle/basset mix adopted from Young At Heart 5 years ago, also super mellow. We hope they'll join the group and attend some meetups so we can see Jake now and then, and also Bailey, their big one, is just a huge hunk of beagle love, everyone should get to meet him :)

Jake did great with his knee surgery and is totally healed. THANKS AGAIN from all of our hearts for those who donated to support that expense for Young At Heart rescue. It means so much and he's such a sweetheart dog worth helping.

Above is a photo of Jake waiting for his new forever family to come get him.

Below are some cute shots...snuggling with Hector and Katie; looking like he came home drunk and missed the bed; playing in the crate with holiday guest puppy Trixie; snuggling with her on the sofa.

Amos on Banana Guard Duty

2010-11-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

I was on the laptop just a few feet away from the kitchen. Did not hear a thing. Turned to see Amos lying happily ON TOP OF THE KITCHEN TABLE as if he belongs there. How he got up there is a bit of a mystery as the chairs were either pushed or tilted in (we've at least learned to do that to keep him off!). However he managed it, he did it silently from start to finish. Notice that he didn't even knock over the flashlight!

Hmmm, I Wonder What Jake Wants...

2010-10-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

You have to love a clever beagle. Jake picked up his harness and was carrying it around, walking up to us then to the back door, standing there with it in his mouth, staring at the door. You could just see the words forming in his doggie brain..."Hey, you creatures with the supposedly superior intelligence, what does a guy have to do around here to get taken on a walk????"

Jake the Foster Dog - help him pay for knee surgery!

2010-09-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

NEW UPDATE: Jake's neutering went fine. He had two teeth removed in one area but the rest cleaned up well. And since then his appetite has become, well, normal for a beagle! He'll now eat whatever we put in his bowl, morning and evening, dry food, veggies, etc. He still isn't a real fast gobbler, but at least he's eating well.

So far there are 4 parties interested in adopting him! He has an appointment for his knee on October 21, and once that's healing well he'll be available to one lucky family.

UPDATE: Jake will be neutered (they call it "castrated" at the vet office but I hate the sound of that!) and have his teeth cleaned (we're paying for that part ourselves) this Wednesday. Luckily his liver enzymes went down to a more normal level which means he can go under anesthesia.

His teeth look pretty bad and we expect he'll have some pulled. But that should also help reduce bacteria which will be better for when he has his knee ligament fixed - as soon as we find a veterinary surgeon who will do it at a reduced rate that the rescue can afford.

In the meantime, he is becoming even cuddlier and more of a curl-up-on-you and follow-you-around-the-house type of cutie pie. He'll make an excellent pet for someone - old, young, anything in between - once he's all fixed up!

Well, we got 9-year-old Jake, our latest foster beagle, a few days ago. He is a low-key but occasionally playful, sweet, friendly, mellow boy. Totally house trained, can be left loose, good with dogs (as long as they don't challenge his food bowl), not a marker even though intact, just a good all-around dog.

His story is a common one: he and his "brother" were turned in to animal control in Terra Haute, IN, due to "cannot afford." They had eaten only bread for 4 days prior. I don't know what happened to his brother Roscoe, or if he was a beagle or not. But Jake came with his breeder papers and AKC form so he's a purebred beagle.

And he looks the part. He's well formed and is a lovely combination of black and deep, deep reddish brown on top, with the requisite 4 white paws and belly, and just the tiniest tuft of white on the tip of his tail! He's really tiny and actually a few pounds underweight, probably because he had not been fed well of late.

Luckily he was heartworm negative which is TRULY lucky because he had not been kept up to date on shots either, so we know they wouldn't have been able to afford HW preventive. Close call for Jake.

His liver enzymes are elevated so he has to get that cleared up (with a supplement and a specific med for one month) before he can go in to be neutered and have his teeth cleaned, which is needed.

We noticed he didn't want to jump up on anything, although he loves being on the bed, chair, couch, etc. He just didn't want to push off, and that included getting into the car, which, once in he loves. He also was a bit uncertain about stairs, especially the ones we have that go down (Fiddler on the Roof song reference, anybody get it?).

He's very mellow and low key in general so we thought maybe he's just not a jumpin' kind of guy. But then the other night he was using the Down staircase (repeated reference as above!) and must have slid or twisted a bit and was yelping (in his very oddly low-pitched voice, it's truly unusual coming out of a tiny body!). Turns out he has a torn ACL and needs surgery for that too. We figure, based on his original hesitance to push off, that it was at least partially torn already, and the stair slip just make the final rip. In other words, we did NOT break our 15th foster dog in the first week!

So now he hops around on three legs and it's pathetic but also pretty cute, I am embarrassed to admit. He actually goes up and down the stairs when he really needs to, hopping along each step. He tried to scratch himself with his bad leg and couldn't make it work. He wanted to stretch, you know, that cute body stretch thing dogs do, but that was a flop as well. Otherwise he's doing the best he can until he can be put back together.

So, as soon as his liver enzymes are in an appropriate range to allow surgery, he will have his knee repaired, his teeth cleaned and his manhood removed, and once recovered from all of that trauma, he'll be ready for adoption to a loving, lucky home. Even with discounts the rescue receives, they'll end up spending WELL over $1,000 for this sweet dog who will command the extreme price of...$165.

You can see the problem here. Young At Heart is a nonprofit organization that operates wholly on donations to save senior dogs and cats who otherwise would be at the front of the euthanasia line at overcrowded shelters that have to put animals down regularly for no other reason than space. Because the shelter Jake was in happens to have staff who do a good job of assessing older dogs they think are worth saving, he is in rescue now, awaiting a new forever home. But Young At Heart will get $165 in revenue for this $1,000++++ expense, not a tenable business model.

So, please, if you are able, donate to Young At Heart to help support Jake's surgery. Lacking opposable thumbs, it's unlikely he'll be able to come up with the funds on his own by working, or even begging for them.

http://yahpetrescue.com/; click on "donate."

Here he is resting his hurt leg...AWWWWW...

Beagles Witness Owner's Murder!

2010-08-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

I am sharing this wild and sad story that was posted by BREW Midwest (Beagle Rescue, Education and Welfare; a beagle rescue group).

Wally at left, lying down; Woody sitting (with basset legs!); Whisper the shepherd mix, well, duh, you know which one that is.

-----------------------------------------------
(August 18, 2010) Hello All!

We have just recently found out about a terrible situation in Ohio. Animal Control officers were called to a crime scene to impound 3 dogs on the property. Two beagles and one mix breed were found with their murdered owner! The sheriff’s department believes that the dogs witnessed their owners robbery and gruesome death; staying with his body for over a week! Unfortunately, no family members have come forward to reclaim these loved and cared for dogs.

When BREW Midwest found out that all three were to be euthanized today, August 18th, we jumped to their assistance!

Wally, Woody and Whisper are all SAFE now but need an urgent forever home! The shelter has preformed full temperament assessments which they have passed with flying colors, even with being so scared and confused. Wally and Woody, 8-10 year old beagles, are very bonded to each other and presumed to be brothers. The shelter staff commented, “the boys are like Larry and Squiggy, funny antics all the time. They cant help but make you smile”. Whisper, 2-3 year old shepherd mix, is being sponsored by BREW as well.

Our ultimate goal is to move the boys into a permanent home together, if at all possible. We have been assured that with our sponsorship of Whisper she too is safe and will receive basic medical needs/ check-up. (We did learn late this afternoon a local family has expressed interest in adopting her!)

BREW will have possession of Wally and Woody next week. They will be immediately assessed for any/ all medical needs. We do hope to have them “available” on or around September 1st. We are certain their Dad will be smiling from above if we are able to place them together! Please do consider opening your heart and home to these very deserving beagle boys!

Toscha Clausen
Co-Director
BREW Inc., Midwest Region

www.brewbeagles.org

Amos - Caught in the Act! The Great Hot Dog Bun Caper

2010-08-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

So, it's about 30 minutes past the time of evening when Amos decides he's going to starve to death momentarily and needs to fend for himself, as his people are clearly not realizing his desperate plight, oblivious to him wasting away before their very eyes.

I was taking pictures of our new foster dog Jake, who happened to be perched cutely on a stool, looking out the window.

I hear a slight commotion in the kitchen and look in to see Amos walking toward me with a bag of hot dog buns in his mouth! He lowered his head and tucked in his chin as if that would keep me from seeing the bag, and walked veeerrryyyy sslloowwllyy, as if that would make me not notice him at all! I happened to have my phone in hand with the camera ready so I snapped a couple of shots before removing the bag and remaining two-and-a-half (from the original three) buns from his mouth.

And here is Jake, our current foster beagle, whom I was trying to capture in a cute spot:

Amos's Pumpkin Bread for Easter 2010

2010-04-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it appears that Amos has his holidays mixed up. On Easter Sunday he decided to make pumpkin bread in his belly. He accomplished this by grabbing a box of mix off the counter, tearing it open and eating the entire contents! He was quiet about it because Hector was home but in another room. He came upstairs to find box parts strewn around the living room and lots of mix dust on the floor and in Amos's go-to doggy bed, the one he uses to scarf down his ill-gotten gains.

Aside from it being mostly sugar, I'm not too worried about any side effects. He'll probably be extra thirsty for a day or two from all the flour and other dry stuff. And now he's happily snoozing it off in a sugar coma.

Amos's Recent Exploits

2010-01-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

Just a few things Amos has been up to lately:

1. Grabbed and scarfed a large slice of pizza off our guest's plate in one very smooth move. She was most impressed!

2. Took a full bunch of bananas out of the fruit container on the kitchen table (how he got up there with all the chairs pushed or tilted in is a mystery). Ate two out of their skins before our neighbor girl - dog helper came in to let them out and caught him banana-handed...

3. After eating two Kleenexes by sneaking up to the table from the side and just snatching them, when I went about eight feet away with my back turned, he pulled the paper towel out from under the half-full glass of pop, to eat it too. Spilling the cola, of course. Apparently he was trying that old comedy ploy of pulling the tablecloth out from under the place settings...

Amos's Impromptu Avocado and Citrus Salad Recipe

2009-11-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

While your humans are away, pull two avocados out of the bag on the counter that is far enough back that you technically cannot reach it but somehow you do, through your SuperCanine stretching abilities. Take them one at a time (presumably) to your doggie bed.

Slice the skins with your nail? or teeth? Heck, just pull the skin off somehow.

Remove pit somehow. If you need to split it in half, do so. Somehow.

Eat contents after rolling it in remnants of the clementine you snatched off the table earlier and tried to eat but couldn't quite figure out how or if it was worth the effort.

Serves 1 beagle/basset. Prep time probably 3 minutes or less. Calories, fat, vitamins, minerals, etc., who cares? Unexpected yet delicious snack? Priceless!

Lick your lips repeatedly and feel thankful that you live in a house full of wonderful, accessible (sort of) surprises like this for your eating pleasure.

Life is good. Avocado salad makes it better.

Amen. Burp!

Howloween 2009

2009-10-25T20:44:00.001-07:00

Petey Petey, Beagle Sweetie

2009-10-07T17:31:00.001-07:00

Here's our newest foster dog, Petey. He is six years old and gorgeous! You should see his golden yellow eyes in person. Apparently his owner was elderly and could no longer care for him. He's very playful, almost puppy-ish, but not overwhelming. He's in good shape with no physical or health issues, nice soft fur and wonderful, long, floppy hound ears.

Petey LOVES people and kids, fine with dogs. Has the funniest little squeaking sound when he wants something or when you play with or pet him. Then when he needs to actually let out his beagle AROOO, it's much deeper than you'd expect! He's a bit on the thin side, weighing 25 pounds. He walks well on a leash and isn't a big puller but he does the serpentine thing so you have to be careful not to trip on him. In the car he just sits still or curls up in a tight ball.

Oh, when he does do his AROOO, he really tosses his head back with his nose way up, it's so cute. I'll have to try to catch in on video and post it.

Petey, Petey, beagle sweetie,

How'd you get to be so needy?

Owner's old and can't keep up

With this precious beagle pup.

Won't you help him find a home,

So he won't be so all alone?

Bubbles the Beagle - temporary housing needed

2009-09-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Bubbles has found an extended-stay arrangement and all is well.

This is Bubbles, our former foster who is looking for a kind-hearted family to take her in for a few weeks while her family adjusts to the new human baby that seems to need SOOO much attention.

These photos don't do her justice. She is GORGEOUS and looks like she stepped out of a photo spread on perfectly colored beagles. Contrary to popular belief in the human population, as skinny as she is, she snores! She's clever, food-driven and will get into garbage if it's available, but if you've had a beagle you know all about that already! In the video she's the one in the red harness.

2009-09-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hi beagle hounds (note the clever double entendre)!! Our beagles Katie, Emily and Amos are walking for senior pets, specifically OLDER BEAGLES, in the Young at Heart Mutt Mosey on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Twin Lakes in Palatine. Please support them and all the senior beagles they've helped us foster - plus the ones yet to come - by donating to Team Beagle Hounds!

http://www.firstgiving.com/beaglehounds

We're walking in honor of Chloe - Louie - Griffin - Sammy - Bubbles - Shiloh - Bubba - Amos - Francie, and in memory of Maggie and Summer. (If Amos isn't careful, he'll be a memory too - HA!). By the way, our beloved Francie was adopted this week by group member Katie's parents, right here in Palatine!!!

To donate online with a few clicks to:

http://www.firstgiving.com/beaglehounds

For additional information on the walk, go to Young At Heart's site. You can come and walk too if you want. Details here:

http://www.yahpetrescue.com/events/

I thank you and the beagles thank you even more for your support. I know times are tough and we're all watching our dollars and cents more closely, which is exactly why there is so much need for the unlucky pets, especially the older ones, right now.

Joyce

2009-09-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

YOU can make a difference, and it's so easy.
YOUNG AT HEART PET RESCUE (www.yahpetrescue.com)
2009 MUTT MOSEY – Saturday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m.
Twin Lakes, Palatine, IL

The 2009 Mutt Mosey is Saturday, September 26th, 2009. If you believe in what Young at Heart is doing for older pets, we ask that you help in one of the ways below:

1. Join us at the walk. Your $25 and an hour of your time will help save the life of a senior pet. You don't need to fundraise, you don't need to have a pet, just come and walk. Wear the Mutt Mosey shirt you will receive as a thank you and show people you support what Young at Heart does. Your donation is tax-deductible and 100% of the proceeds goes directly towards saving the lives of senior homeless animals. And if you want to fundraise, great! The top 3 fundraisers for adults and the top 3 fundraisers for kids will get prizes on the day of the walk! Register now!

http://www.yahpetrescue.com/events/

2. Donate to the walk. Don't know someone who is walking? Don't worry! Our Executive Director, Dawn Kemper, is walking for those who cannot. You do not have to donate a lot. Want to see what your money can do?
$5- one kennel cough vaccine
$10- one distemper vaccine
$15- one rabies vaccine or full wellness exam
$25- one Heartworm or Felv/FIV test or one round antibiotics
$50- one geriatric blood panel or one spay/neuter
$75- one dental
$100- one mass removal

Even if you only have $5 to give, $5 covers one vaccine. It makes a difference!

3. Share this information with your friends, family, and other animal lovers who feel the same way that you do- that senior animals deserve a chance to find their happily ever afters, too!

As always, we cannot thank you enough for your support and encouragement. You are all such a huge part of this little rescue. Please help us make this year's Mutt Mosey a huge success! A lot of senior dogs and cats are counting on us!

Thank you!!!!!

MORE DETAILS:

Get your walking shoes ready because it's time for Young at Heart Pet Rescue's 2009 Mutt Mosey! Each step you take that benefits a Young at Heart pet bring us one step closer to being able to help hundreds of more senior pets each year. What are we walking for? A Senior Pet Adoption Center and Sanctuary! Why is this needed so badly? Because the majority of traditional shelters and rescues can't help senior dogs and cats find homes, which is why Young at Heart was created in the first place. If your heart has ever been melted by an older dog with a grey muzzle or your lap has been warmed by a calm older cat, you know the love that an older pet can provide! Older pets deserve loving homes, too!

So each step you take this year in the Mutt Mosey will make a huge difference. And each walker you support will be step towards many lives saved! This year we walk the beautiful Twin Lakes Golf Course & Recreation Area, a mild one mile path with gorgeous scenery for you and your dogs to enjoy.

The funds raised will help us get one step closer to purchasing property where we can establish an adoption center and sanctuary. A cageless haven for the voiceless, who until Young at Heart was created, did not have many options in the Chicago suburbs. Now our adoptees, or "alumni" as we prefer to call them, are warming hearts and laps all around the Midwest. Many are therapy and assisted living pets, visiting children and adults in hospitals and nursing homes, bringing smiles to the faces of those lives that they touch. All of these dogs and cats would have been euthanized if not for Young at Heart Pet Rescue. And we do all of this with an all-volunteer staff and a small army of private foster homes.

Getting started is easy! Visit http://www.firstgiving.com/yahpetrescue to register, create your team, or donate to the walk. T-shirts are guaranteed to the first 250 registrants, so register today! Prizes for the top three individual fundraisers and the top three fundraisers teams! Kids under 12 also have their own prize category, so make it a family affair! Get started today!

ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSES SEPTEMBER 20, 2009 AT NOON.
$25 adults/ $15 Kids (12 & under)

DAY OF EVENT REGISTRATION (Registration will open at 9am on the day of the walk. Please allow at least 30 minutes for registration that morning!)
$30 Adults/$20 Kids (12 & under)

Adventures of Amos - Pans in the Oven

2009-09-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

While I was out of town on two short trips in a row recently, Amos was very busy. This one is the most interesting to us. He decided to rearrange the pans we keep in the drawer beneath the oven.

We think the reason he did this is because we sometimes put treats up on top of the oven door ledge, since that's way out of reach, and our neighbor girl uses them when she lets the dogs out after school. This way we know she's been here because the treats are gone. Plus when she was younger she couldn't reach on top of the fridge where we keep the container. Obviously we can't use that space for treats any more, now that he knows he can open the drawer!

So we figure he got desperate and tried anything he could to get at the top of the oven. Mind you, ours is a wall oven so the storage drawer beneath it is not at ground level. He had to have been standing up bracing himself against the wall for quite some time to accomplish this feat (arthritic joints and all). We found evidence of biting on the metal under the bottom lip of the drawer, and a bent piece of metal on the edge that attaches to the wall. But otherwise you can't tell by looking at the oven or wall that anything happened (luckily!).

Anyway, Hector came home to find the drawer open AND the pans we keep there placed on the floor. So it seems Amos didn't like the way I had them arranged in the drawer and was trying to reorganize them for me!

Hector called me at the airport as I awaited my return flight and I said I didn't believe him. Then I thought he meant the cabinet under the cooktop, where we also keep pans, which would have been much easier since it is at ground level. So Hector took a photo (we had just both gotten new phones with much better picture quality and ease of sharing!). I was sitting in the airport laughing at my phone. My fellow travelers probably thought I was a nut.

My Name is Amos and I am an Alcoholic...

2009-09-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

So another day while I was out of town, Hector came home to find a 12-pack of beer strewn about the kitchen floor!

We had had the pack sitting there on the floor, intact, for a week or so. Who'd expect a dog to get into that? But Amos did. He tore up the cardboard, releasing the bottles to roll here and there. Amazingly, none broke on the tile floor. If they had, I'm sure he'd have lapped up the beer, glass and all. And we'd have had a drunk dog with glass in his gut! Taking him to the vet would have set in motion the pet version of a DCFS investigation.

Do we need to stage an intervention? Send him to rehab? If we come home to find a bottle of wine on the floor, we'll really wonder!

Amos Takes the Cake

2009-09-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, this was the first incident while I was out of town recently. No actual photos of it unfortunately.

I had made a (white) cake a day or two earlier, and about half of it was left in the pan, covered with foil at the back of the stove, definitely out of Amos's reach. So what did he do? He pulled the burner grid/cover off, which brought the pan of cake right down to the floor for easy snacking!

These grids are metal and are NOT light. They just lay on the surface of the stove in little indentations, so the do just lift off, but not that easily, for heaven's sake. But it worked really well, netting the booty he was after, so clearly we can no longer leave anything up there. He's no dummy - he'll go back to the scene of the crime and try to replicate his previous success!

My Dog Ate a Can of Dog Food - Literally!

2009-08-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

Adventures in Amosland...

Okay, this may take the proverbial cake (which I'm sure he'd eat too if he could).

I purchased a can of Pedigree low-cal dog food to try as filler in kongs and bones. TIP: use canned dog food or canned pumpkin as filler then freeze the filled bone/item to make it take longer to eat (plus it'll last longer). A friend just gave me the idea recently.

I had the can on the counter where I didn't think he could reach, but also, for pete's sake it's a METAL CAN, hermetically sealed, next to a can of pumpkin. We've never fed him canned food. There is just no way he could know that a particular can was full of dog food, or that it was a better choice than the other can next to it. NO WAY!

Except that I came home to find CHEWED SHARDS OF THE CAN in his dog bed, along with a piece of the label and the intact pull-top. HOW IN THE WORLD DID HE DO THIS??????? His mouth isn't bloody, he isn't in distress at all, he just has a full belly. FULL OF FOOD AND METAL! It makes no sense.

Apparently he really does have an iron stomach and abs of steel. Ha!

I looked again at the remains of the can and realized how little there was and knew I had to take him in to see the vet and get an x-ray just in case something was lodged. So off we go to the after-hours, weekend emergency vet, of course - this stuff never happens during normal business hours. Play this out in your head:

Receptionist: "What's the problem?"

Me: "My dog ate a can of dog food."

Receptionist (eyeing me with suspicion and thinking how much she hates these weekend shifts when all the nuts come out): "Uh huh, and..."

Me: "I mean he literally ate the CAN OF the dog food (and the food too). See?" (With this I show her the plastic bag of can remnants). Scurrying ensues.

So, two hours and $285 later, after filling out paperwork, seeing a vet tech, a vet, x-rays being taken and consulting with the doctor, the verdict is that there are only a few small pieces inside that will very likely come out on their own without any problem. I was advised to give him some whole wheat bread with meals the next couple of days, as the fiber will nudge things along and help along the path out.

You may think the story is nearly over, but wait, there's more!

I had looked all over the house initially to see if there were more parts and in case he had barfed some of it up already, but found nothing. Now back home, I was still thinking there had to be more than what was in his dog bed and on the x-ray. And sure enough, when I head into my bedroom, what do I find on the bed? A crumpled aluminum can! Turns out he probably crushed it himself, then one of the other dogs took the biggest piece up to see what was left and hid it in the bed when I came home the first time.

I swear it looks like a wad of foil, not a can. I still can't believe he did it.

But all's well that ends well, even if it was a really expensive can of dog food!

My Dog Ate a Can of Dog Food - Literally! MORE PHOTOS

2009-08-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

I still cannot believe he crushed the can like it was aluminum foil. I bought another can (which I will keep in a top cabinet!) to see if it felt unusually flimsy or perhaps seemed to be made of thin metal, but no, it feels like any other canned item.

So here's a shot of an intact can of the same brand, next to Amos's modern art sculpture. And there's the guilty party himself, pondering a way to work off his $285 bill!

Wanna See a $285 Can of Dog Food? X-RAYS!

2009-08-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

See that little cluster of bright pieces to the left of his spine on the one shot? That's all he actually ingested.

Whew!

Voracious Amos II - The Grapeful Bread

2009-08-01T15:06:00.001-07:00

What, you may ask, has Amos been up to lately? Well, within the past two weeks he accomplished the following.

First, one evening he somehow managed to grab a baggie out of the back area of the sink, behind other stuff, far enough back that there is no way he can technically reach there. But through his super powers of canine foodaholism, he did. A baggie of what?, you may ask. Well, a big bag of green grapes! GRAPES - which are potentially toxic to dogs!!! Fabulous! Luckily I found the empty bag on the floor minutes later.

So, I quickly googled "my dog ate a bunch of grapes" to see what the general wisdom of the web would tell me. For the record it's a mixed message, with some sites saying grapes are deadly, others saying not ideal but not terrible, and still others saying it depends on the dog. Liver problems, kidney failure, upset stomach, or, no problem at all, my dog had grapes all his life as a treat, and so on. So who knows?

And although Amos has a stomach of steel, (a phrase that will take on new meaning a bit later in another post), we felt it was best to eliminate the problem quickly, since the quantity he ate was fairly large and it had just happened, so the grapes would not have traveled far yet.

Note to hound owners: if you ever need to make your dog toss his cookies (or grapes or chocolate cake or cantaloupe or whatever RECENTLY EATEN, non-caustic food-like item he has inside that isn't supposed to be there), and chances are you will, it is easily done by giving the dog a swallow of hydrogen peroxide. I say easily in that it works well and quickly, almost instantly sometimes. Getting it down the dog's throat is another matter, but in an adrenalin-fueled quasi-panic, you can definitely do it. This I know for sure.

So we forced maybe a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide down Amos, and sure enough, within moments the grapes made a repeat appearance - whole. And for the next two days, whole green grapes were still coming out the other end. Vintage 2009.

But wait, that's not all! This IS Amos we're talking about, the insatiable bagel - insatiabagel? (Note to self: look into trademarking the new word...also "foodaholism" while you're at it).

The other night Hector came home with just a couple of items from the store which he set on the counter before going downstairs to the bathroom for maybe one minute, to come back up to the kitchen to find an empty plastic bread sleeve. Amos had eaten an entire loaf of bread in less time than it takes the average man to empty his bladder. He may have had some help from our foster dog Francie, but basically he ate the loaf whole. Unstoppable!

I'm Francie the Fabulous Foster!

2009-07-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Sept. 2009 - Francie was adopted and is much loved by her new family nearby. We see her now and then and she's doing great!

Oh my, this one is a sweetie. Quite the catch for any person or family.

------------------------------

Hello, they call me Francie but I could just as easily be known as Smiley or Waggy, since I am super friendly and I wag my little tail and smile all the time. Hey, if you got a second chance like I did, you'd be happy too! If you adopt me and become my new forever home, you can call me whatever name you like. The vet thinks I'm about 7 years old. I think I'm the perfect blend - young enough to be fun and playful, and old enough to be calm and cool.

I can't explain why but I was found running loose in Central Illinois. But I can tell you that I was previously a cherished house pet because, as I've heard my foster mom say over and over to everyone we meet on our walks: I am impeccably house trained (I even scratch at the door sometimes if I want out or in); my coat is soft and in great condition; I have no marks or bumps or any sign of a hard road; my checkup and all my tests at the vet's office came back squeaky clean; I was already spayed. And now I'm sporting a brand new microchip so I can't get lost or separated from my people again.

Plus I know that when a refrigerator door opens, you need to stand right there in front of it in case something wonderful falls out. I will nose around a garbage can if given the chance, but hey, what beagle worth its houndliness wouldn't? I will sit for a treat but that's all my foster family is smart enough to get me to do so far. I have not been tested in a crate but really there's no need for that as I am trustworthy when you are gone (at least I am with other trustworthy dogs in the house).

Some of my favorite things are hanging around outside; going for walks; going for car rides; being in the same room as my people but sitting quietly in a dog bed or on the floor or sometimes on a chair or sofa. I get really excited when I see the leashes come out! YAY! That means an adventure is coming. I walk nicely by myself (although I zig zag back and forth a bit). When I'm with my foster siblings I pull just a little to be at or near the front of the pack. If you open a car door, I'll jump right in! I stay put in the back seat quite well.

Foster mom tells everyone I am an excellent indoor dog who can do the couch potato thing with the best of them, but I absolutely LOVE to hang out in the yard, milling around, dozing in the grass, sniffing various exciting scents, or just sitting on the back step quietly. So although I would be excellent in an apartment/condo situation, I will admit that I'd miss having a yard available.

I am good with other dogs. I may bark the first time I meet them through a fence, but mostly I want to play. I keep trying to play with my foster pals but they just ignore me. I play bow and cock my head up and do the cutest, soft beagle AROOOOO! My foster family just cracks up when I do that. Then I snort and dance and howl again, and then I give up. I will play with a squeaky toy now and then as a substitute.

Okay, this is difficult to admit but I am a bit, um, full-figured. I am the smaller sized beagle (13 inch) and weighed 34 pounds when I came up here - a few too many. Foster family is working on this by skimping a bit on my food, which I really don't mind, and daily walks. I think these extra tummy rolls will just melt away soon! I am not particularly photogenic, because I always look worried in pictures which is the opposite of my personality. I am very happy all the time and extra happy to see you come through the door!

Interested? NW Suburban/Northern Illinois-area residents can contact Young At Heart Pet Rescue, http://www.yahpetrescue.com/ for an application to adopt me!

Voracious Amos (Update--See Epilogue at End)

2009-07-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

Adventures in Amosland

--A True Story--

Chapter 1

Hector takes our foster dog Francie for a late night walk since she needs to, ahem, regain her girlish figure. He does not take our other dogs since it's just a short outing.

Chapter 2

Amos, our "I live for food and nothing else" bagle (beagle/basset mix) realizes he's been left behind from an outing. Grr.

Chapter 3

Amos goes to the kitchen garbage can and noses the latched lid up just enough to snag something wonderful! One small square of leftover sausage pizza we had finally tossed. In a small Ziploc bag.

Chapter 4

I hear him, figure he's up to no good and start to come down the stairs to check it out. I see something in his mouth. I start to realize what it is. He starts to realize that he'd better CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP really really fast before I can get to him to try to take it away. Luckily he has lots of experience with this. He could run seminars for other dogs. (If you have a beagle you are likely familiar with the hurry-and-inhale-this-food-like-item-in-one-or-two-gulps method.)

Chapter 5

I get to him in his doggy bed just as he swallows the piece of pizza basically whole, INCLUDING THE PLASTIC BAG. He looks up at me and I swear he grins.

Chapter 6

We await the passing of the baggy, or its re-emergence, or heaven forbid the rush to the emergency vet clinic in the middle of the night (of course) if it gets caught somewhere on the way through. We're not too worried as we believe he has a Stomach of Steel that has seen its fair share of unexpected items pass by for a visit.

The End? We'll see...

EPILOGUE

Three days after the incident, and after three days of scanning his poop for evidence of a plastic bag, there it was, twisted in kind of a spiral of poop and plastic. Once again he ingests something bad and suffers no ill consequence. Only we suffer - with worry. So, all's well that comes out in the end well. Literally.

The Great Cantaloupe Caper - aka Melon-Collie Bagle

2009-07-04T21:01:00.001-07:00

Amos, our bagle (beagle/basset mix) foster failure, has been on a roll lately.

Those who know about some of his escapades already know that this dog will eat ANYTHING and will do amazing feats to get to anything remotely edible. Especially considering he's old, arthritic, clumsy and no specimen of athleticism. Except when it comes to getting to food or something that might possibly be food. In that arena, he's the Tiger Woods of his field. He's Venus and Serena Williams. Kobe and Shaq. You get the picture.

He has pulled open the kitchen garbage twice lately when we weren't looking, spreading coffee grounds and all sorts of messy items all over the kitchen floor in search of something, anything edible, scoring leftover lasagna, moldy tortillas and mango peels among other delectables. He has a particular fondness for fruit. I could write a month of posts just about his fruit fetish.

A new skill: a few days ago he used a chair to get onto the counter, from which he reached up ON TOP OF THE REFRIGERATOR to pull down the basket of treats and ate a full bag of dry snacks. All the stuff on the counter (TV, papers, pens, keys, etc.) were on the floor. I did mention that he's clumsy, right? Amazingly, nothing broke.

Recently he figured out how to open the bottom cupboard where he found a bag of rice, crackers and some nuts. I swear he is just one neuro synapse away from actually using tools like a primate to assist with his culinary activities. If he actually starts moving furniture around to facilitate his ability to reach things, I won't be that surprised.

I came in from the back yard the other day to find him standing on the kitchen table. This in itself is old news, and we keep the chairs tilted in to prevent it. But we had blithely left a cooler next to the table which he was pleased to use as a step stool. We can be very helpful to him at times! So I walked in to see him standing there on the table, and he looked right at me as if to day, "Can I get you something from the fruit basket? I'm just up here grabbing myself a nectarine." And then sure enough, he grabbed ONE nectarine from a bowl of various fruits (including bananas, his favorite), turned and jumped back down using the "stooler" (stool/cooler) again.

So tonight we returned from seeing fireworks to find a few things pulled off the table and counter, but nothing major was amiss and there didn't seem to be food lying around. Until we saw the partially eaten cantaloupe in his dog bed. He had pulled, or probably rolled it off the counter, carried it (or rolled it again) to his bed in the living room, and bit through the rind, chewing it off to get to the fruit inside. Yum! But I bet that rind won't feel so good coming out the other end...!

Great Idea for Dog Toy - according to our beagle Katie

2009-05-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Want to treat your beagle with the latest and greatest dog toy? Look no further than that expensive foam pad you have on your bed under the mattress cover! Provides hours of endless fun (if you don't catch them sooner), with a surface that's sure to intrigue even the pickiest digger!

This is the second time Katie has discovered the irresistible lure of that spongy texture as a fun substance to dig into. Besides all the little pieces of foam we're still finding in the room, there's now a hole the size of a shoebox in our fancy foam pad. I guess we don't really know if she loves the foam or hates it, but either way she sure can make a quick hole. And she's not a digger outside at all. The photos above show her with some of the remnants. Her pose ranges from the ever-familiar "Who, me?" to "Maybe if I look away they'll ignore the situation" to "Well alright, I did it, but you couldn't possibly be mad at a cutie like me, now could you?" In other words, typical beagle body language!

There's just something about that foam...

BEAGLE on Letterman's Pet Tricks

2009-05-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

This has made the rounds on You Tube, apparently it aired in March. It's really funny in an unexpected way, plus it really made Dave cackle! It's so simple but cute. Enjoy...

BREW's Midwest Beaglefest is May 16!!!

2009-05-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

For those in the Chicago area in particular, you can't miss this annual beagleful day.

BREW Mid-West - www.brewbeagles.org
(look for "Midwest" from the menu if this is not right on the home page).

Saturday, May 16, 2009
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hinkley Park, Busse Hwy & Morris Street, Park Ridge, IL 60068
(use MapQuest or Google Maps if you're not familiar with the area).

For the Love of Beagle... Join us for BREW Midwest’s 7th Annual Beaglefest!
Get ready to experience BREW Midwest's most exciting event of the year.

Our spring Beaglefest in Chicago last year was a huge success and we hope this one will be even better... so please join us, bring your beagles, family and friends, and support BREW Midwest all at the same time! Beaglefest is a wonderful opportunity to run with the hounds, or sit with the hounds, or play with the hounds. It is a laugh filled afternoon of family entertainment. It is a chance to give back, for all of that beagle love you enjoy, to contribute to our efforts to save more of these wonderful creatures. So, bring your folding chairs or blankets and come and relax, hang out with all the beagles, and have a great afternoon. Whether you are an owner, previous adopter, interested in adopting or just love beagles, this is the place to be!

And since this is our main fundraiser for the year, please don’t forget your wallet or checkbook (we can only accept cash or checks.) We will be selling hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and soft drinks as well as several BREW items (T-shirts, bandanas, bumper stickers, etc.). We will also have games, raffles, and some other surprises!

UPDATE: (July 09) Madison Found a New Home...

2009-05-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

I just got the good news from Madison's former guardian that she found a new home and all is well! Thanks to all for your concern and well wishes.

Another beautiful beagle awaiting a more appropriate setting. If interested and if you are in the Chicago or North or Central Indiana area, contact me via this blog and I will connect you to the current owner, Amanda.

Madison is a two-year old tri-color beagle, on the small side at under 13 inches, weighing in at a healthy 25 pounds. Current/original owner was told she was purebred but does not have papers.

She is spayed, fairly up to date on vaccinations, definitely up to day on heartworm meds.

Reasons for giving up: With current owner's busy schedule (student with job, living in apartment, etc.), Madison spends far too much time alone and locked up in her crate. In her own words from here on:

I love her dearly, and I hate more than anything to do this, but I think its only fair to her to be with someone who can give her the attention and time that she deserves. Not only that, but after doing some research, I am 99.9% certain that she has canine epilepsy. However, I do not have the money to get the blood work done or buy her the medication that she needs.

Info about her (assumed) Epilepsy: Symptoms just started within the last three months. She doesn’t have full out seizures, she just looks as If she’s sniffing the air repetitively, having hallucinations, eyes roll upward, and smacks lips when having an episode. This happens about 3-5 times a day and last several minutes. It’s really not a big issue yet, but is in the early stages and if not treated I can only assume it will get worse.

House-trained? Yes. However she does have accidents usually when left alone for a period of time- I am convinced she does it out of anger).

Additional information: She is adorable, thankful, and very loving. She does bark, typical for a hound, when people pass by the window. She gets along with other dogs, cats, etc. of all sizes and temperaments just fine. She's great as far as companionship. She senses when people are upset and does her best to cheer them up. She has always slept in bed with me and likes to curl up next to me under the blankets. (beware she tends to snore like an old man!)

I just want her to go somewhere that she will be loved as much as she is now. A family would be ideal. And a yard is pretty much a must, she loves to be outside (another things she is deprived of as I live in an apartment in a college town with no yard).

Bernie the Disposable Senior Beagle - ADOPTED!

2009-02-27T22:35:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Just learned that Bernie has been adopted into a new home! YAY BERNIE!
--------------------------
This is Bernie, a 10-year old beagle looking for a loving home in which to live out his remaining years. Currently located in Milwaukee, WI, he was recently returned to a shelter after EIGHT YEARS of living in a home with a family, where, when the kids grew up and moved out, the "adults" decided they no longer had time for Bernie. I guess they just figured he was disposable, like a bag of outdated clothing you'd donate to the Salvation Army. How selfish.

The local beagle rescue is over-maxed with older beagles right now (and turning several away weekly, they tell me), so they cannot take him in. Because he is older and has a grade III heart murmur, the shelter vets do not feel comfortable having him placed into general adoption or rescue/foster, feeling that he needs to be directly adopted once into his last and forever home. If someone steps up, the rescue will pull him from the shelter for the adopter, saving his life.

The shelter says he passed all of their temperament evaluations, he knows "sit" and loves his walks outside - nose to the ground, just like a proper beagle! Take a look at these photos. He's clearly and old guy, but that smile is priceless! He is blissfully unaware of his dire straits, thankfully.

How about letting Bernie spend the weekend (and probably a few more years) at your place?

More Photos of Bernie the Smiler

2009-02-27T22:08:00.000-08:00

Beagle Bailout Plan

2009-02-19T19:40:00.000-08:00

PUDGY the 13-year old beagle boy was turned in to a rural Illinois animal control facility, along with his 13-year old black lab life-long companion, by a crying elderly man who is moving into assisted living and cannot take his dogs with him. This seven-day-max kill "shelter" was the only option the owner had in his area. Rescue groups, already beyond capacity with other displaced dogs, are hard-pressed to make a case for taking in such an oldster. A foster home is his only chance. If a foster home is available, a rescue group will accept him. For whatever time he has left, he deserves a warm, loving home, a belly full of food and a soft spot to curl up at night. If you were in this circumstance, you'd want someone to take YOUR beagle in, right?

Okay, I've mentioned this before but I cannot--WILL NOT --let it go.

SO many of my fellow beagle aficionados fall into the oh-so-common trap of human nature - they talk the talk but don't walk the walk. What do I mean? People get information about dogs in need, whether it's a home situation not working out, a dog in a high-kill shelter about to be put down, an older dog whose owner becomes ill, a family knocked down by job loss or foreclosure who can no longer afford to keep their pet. Whatever the situation, the quick way to feel like you're doing something about it is to tell someone else. Someone else who can do something.

Well guess what? YOU ARE SOMEONE, and maybe you're THE someone that particular dog needs. Of course you're too busy. Of course it's bad timing, of course you need to look out for your own home/family/kids/pets first. But you may be the only chance that dog has and if you walk away, you seal its fate.

The ONE thing all rescues and animal welfare groups need is FOSTER HOMES. That's what makes the whole process work. It's that simple and that difficult at the same time. Go ahead and donate money, participate in their activities, offer an hour or two of your time at an event, make some blankets or toys or treats for them to sell, but really, someone else can do all of that too. That's the easy stuff. What you can do that really makes a difference is become a foster home. Bail out a beagle. The payoff is a return on investment far beyond any stock market rebound.

UPDATE: Roxanne Found a New Home!

2009-01-20T21:03:00.001-08:00

All is well; Roxanne went to her new home last night. A friend of the family adopted her!

This gorgeous beagle girl needs to move on. She is located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. If you are local to that area and interested, respond to this post and I will put you in contact with her current owner if she has not yet been adopted.

Roxanne’s Story - in the words of her current owner:

Roxanne is a beautiful tri-color female beagle who will be four years old in March 09. She is 24 pounds and is the smaller 13 inch size. She was born with a bent tail. It bothers her when people touch it or a leash gets caught on it. She came from a breeder in Missouri when she was a few weeks old and we have been her only family since then.

She is very good with other dogs but tends to be the dominate one. She is good around a lot of people but not so much around little children ranging the ages of 1 to about 4. Roxanne is house trained and kennel trained as well. She does well around cats also.

Roxanne is spayed and up to day on shots as of Labor Day weekend in 2008, including rabies and bordatella. She has not had any illnesses or problems and is very healthy. She gained a lot of weight at one point so we put her on diet dog food and it came off nicely.

Roxanne is calm most of the time but loves to play every now and then. She likes to go on walks but hates the snow and cold. She is kennel trained like but does not really like to go in her kennel so it would be best for her to be in a home where crating isn’t necessary.

The reason we need to find a new home for Roxanne is because my husband is in the Navy and we have a toddler and it gets too hard to give Roxanne the love and affection she needs. Also we have had a couple of incidents where she has nipped (but not bitten) our now-walking-at-dog-level toddler. It has been recent that she has done this and otherwise she is great with older children and adults.

Third Annual Beagle Howloween - a howling success!

2008-11-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

Well, once again we had perfect weather and a great turnout. Over thirty beagles and their people came to our house on Sunday, with the dogs in costume (some more willingly than others). We walked a few blocks around the neighborhood trick-or-treating (for dog treats) to five houses, most of whom have beagles too. It was quite a parade!

Afterwards we hung out in our back yard for some more socializing and a bit of puppy play among some of the younger, more energetic dogs. I KNOW there were some very tired beagles heading home that night. Our three and the two we're dog-sitting for friends (yes, we have five beagles in our house this whole week!) were all absolutely WIPED OUT. They barely stirred other than to eat dinner.

Can't wait till next year!!!

McGraw the Beagle Needs a Home

2008-10-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is McGraw, as in Dr. Phil. And the "human" (or "inhuman" in my view) who gave him up needs psychological counseling if that's an option for curing jerkiness.

McGraw is eight years old, neutered and up to date on shots. He's one of those dogs who seems to have a smile on his face at all times. He was perfectly docile and comfortable coming into our house with our three other dogs, and really no one seemed to mind the other being there. He is good with kids, not easily rattled and generally a delight to have around.

It's funny that he REALLY does not like to be photographed. Maybe his religion forbids it, or maybe he's media shy. But he just will not look at the camera! These pictures are the best I could do, and he's better looking in person. He's pretty much the classic tri-color beagle with the black saddle then brown then white below. He has some lovely brown (red) ticking on his legs, a cute white spot on top of his head and long, low ears. I haven't heard him actually bark or howl yet, so I don't know what if he has the classic beagle AROOO or some other voice.

He is a smidge heavy and could lose a few pounds, for which careful food intake and walks are already showing results (we should all be so lucky). He's probably under 40 pounds already and is right around the larger 15-inch size anyway, so he would be about perfect in the 35 pound range.

He has a nice temperament and loves being with people. My neighbor, who has temporary custody, says he is a bit needy in terms of attention, so he probably wouldn't do well as an only dog or if the people are gone a lot. He is VERY excited when on a leash and could use a bit of leadership to reduce his tendency to pull pretty hard.

He sits on command and gives his paw (either one, he doesn't seem to have a favorite!). He may have some other tricks up his sleeve that we don't know about. He was clearly well cared for as he has a name tag, village tag and rabies tag on his collar.

So why is he homeless? His family had to move out of their home, and they left McGraw in the care of a family member who moved into the house. And that was supposed to be that, but the family member decided he doesn't want to keep McGraw as he'd "rather get a younger dog" to play with his other dog and/or kids.

I hope when this person is older, someone subjects him to age discrimination in payback. McGraw seems perfectly lively so maybe it's just a bad fit and I shouldn't be so quick to judge, I guess. But this dog is sweet and loving and house trained and only eight years old, which is prime middle age for a dog, for goodness sake.

We're working on finding him a forever home in the area, and whoever takes him in will be lucky. Wish him luck!

UPDATE: Bassy the Beagle FOUND a New Home

2008-10-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

Update October 30:

Bassy has a new home! Someone in our beagle meetup group adopted her. Thanks to everyone for their good wishes and idea.

October 18 - original post FYI:
A local person in our northwest suburban Chicago area has a beautiful young beagle she wishes to find a new home for. Judy has provided good information about her dog Bassy and the circumstances below, and provided the attached photos. The breeder she came from is to my knowledge a reputable, serious beagle breeding operation, not a puppy mill. You will note that Bassy has been outdoors a bit more than some pets. And keep in mind that behavioral traits are often situational to some degree and will come forward or recede with the dog in a different environment.

If you are in this geographic area and are interested or know someone who is, contact me via this blog and I will forward your inquiry to Judy. Here is the story and info:

"I had gotten the dog after our basset hound had died. I thought she'd be good company for my mother who lived with us as well as my young sons missed having a dog around. Unfortunately my mother died last November and my sons and I are not home much due to work and school so Bassy really misses being with people. It's just not fair to her to be in a cage most of the time and we feel it's best for her to be with another family who can attend to her more. Thanks for your help!"

Bassy is 1 and 1/2 years old, 21 pounds.

She came from the Beagle Barn (an area breeder) at 7 weeks old.

She is spayed and current on all shots. Takes the recommended heartworm preventive. In great health. Not microchipped. Currently eats Purina One Lamb & Rice - 1 cup twice a day.

She is on an electric fence and roams the yard most of the day. She gets walked once a day and still pulls a bit but is getting better. She barks at any animal or person that passes by. She is a barker and therefore has been on a bark collar lately which has helped.

Bassy is shy when first meeting people but is generally friendly with all people. The mailman stops to pet her every day. Numerous people in the neighborhood stop to pet her when they are walking around and she enjoys that. She is friendly with bigger dogs but not as friendly with little dogs. She has never seen a cat.

She is crate trained. She has some separation anxiety so she is not trusted at this time to be alone roaming the house. She is outside or in the crate when we are gone.

I am giving her away for free, and the crate and her bed can go with her. She sleeps either in the crate or in the family room on a rocker chair. She is good in the car--likes to have her head out the window. She has a playful personality and enjoys walks and lying in the sun in the yard.

Amos: The Foster Dog Who Never Left

2008-09-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official, we've had our first foster failure on our tenth dog. Amos, the 10-year-old (we guess) beagle/basset mix (known as a BAGEL!) who escaped death row at a kill shelter in rural Downstate Illinois only to come up to the suburbs and have his unusually long boy parts snipped, has become part of our pack for good.

We've had him for a year and no one has even nibbled on him lately through the rescue group. We don't understand why because he is SO sweet and SO easy to have around the house. He is the most reliably house-trained foster dog we've had, from the MINUTE he arrived. Nothing bothers him - we have to vacuum and sweep the floors around him in his dog bed because he won't move! He squeals and cries when we come home after being away for a few hours, barks once to be let back in, but is otherwise very quiet.

His only "flaw" is that he does bark and growl intensely at the mailman and would probably do the same if a stranger, particularly a man, were to approach the house unwanted, at least until we greet the person to signal that it's okay. We don't really need that protection and I find it annoying, but the odd thing is that most folks would actually appreciate just that tiny touch of "stranger danger" response in a dog - their loss for not adopting him themselves!

Oh, his other charming trait is his Will-Do-Anything-for-Food-and-I-Mean-Anything nature. He can perform acrobatic feats far outside what should be possible for an older, clumsy, bad-knee dog to get to food, both actual and possible. He has grabbed sandwiches right out of our hands, even our mouths! so gently and quickly that we barely noticed, except that our food was suddenly gone. He loves fruit and learned how to climb up on the kitchen table to get bananas and apples which he takes to his dog bed to snack on. He will easily catch blueberries in his mouth as we toss them to him over and over. He somehow got up onto a high counter in our family room to get to a single small chewy treat that we had no clue he knew was there. He sits on my desk chair when I walk away, in case I've left a crumb behind. It looks like he's working at the laptop. He learned how to open the "pet proof" garbage can we have in the kitchen. He cleverly got into a double sealed HUGE full container of almonds from Costco that we left where we thought would be way out of reach. He ate four of the six donuts I bought the other morning when he came inside while the door was slow to close and I didn't realize he had scampered back in. The list goes on, and you'd think we'd have learned by now how to keep things out of his reach, but apparently we have not! And the superior species award goes to....AMOS!

"But What Can I Do?" BE A FOSTER HOME

2008-05-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

With the recent spotlight that is otherwise known as The Oprah Effect casting its harsh rays upon the closely-related issues of puppy mills and the general over-population of dogs, I know many well-meaning folks are thinking, "But what (more) can I do?"

a) I already have x number of dogs; b) we got our dogs at a shelter/rescue already; c) we will get all future dogs from a shelter/rescue; d) I donate money every year during the holiday season; e) we drop off newspapers or other requested supplies at a local shelter; f) we bought a bumper sticker from a local rescue group at a fair; etc.

So what more CAN you do? In the unoriginal words of Jack Palance as Curly in the movie "City Slickers," the answer is: Just One Thing. And in this case, it's already figured out for you.

Make room in your life to be a foster home. Lack of foster homes is the single most limiting factor for all rescues in saving wonderful dogs from euthanasia in kill shelters.

The rewards far outweigh the incremental increase in time and effort. We are currently caring for our twelfth foster dog. Of course we fall for each one and yes, it's hard to let them go, but fostering is about the dog, not the human. Saving a dog's life and giving it a chance vs. a selfish period of sadness for myself? No contest. The dog wins every time.

So that's what (more) you can do. Please consider it. It WILL make a difference. For the problem, for you and certainly for the dog you save. Contact a local rescue group today.

Greening the Brown Stuff

2008-04-16T09:24:00.001-07:00

I saw this interesting article in a publication (it comes out in print and online) called Tails magazine (http://www.tailsinc.com/). I have read in other places that actually the best thing environmentally is to flush our dogs' "stuff" like we do our own. I'm not ready to do that yet, it just involves too much intimate interaction with the offending material for me, and with two of our own dogs and one or more fosters at a time, I'd be on elimination overload pretty quickly. But it is worth at least thinking about. I do fret about the overall volume and its contribution to environmental problems.

This makes it even more annoying when you're on a walk and you see so much un-picked-up droppings. I just don't understand it. And why is it the super huge dogs whose owners just ignore it and walk on? Sigh!

SOLVING POOP PROBLEMS THE GREEN WAY

Nobody likes to be on “doodie duty,” but did you know that what we don’t pick up can actually hurt us? Contrary to popular belief, dog poop is not a fertilizer. It is full of bacteria that can contaminate water because it is not treated like our waste. Luckily, there are easy and eco-friendly ways to dispose of your best friend’s droppings. One way to properly procure the poop is to pick it up with a biodegradable bag instead of a plastic bag, which can sit in a landfill for hundreds of years. You can buy eco-friendly bags from various retailers and websites, such as BioBagUSA.com, PoopBags.com, and PetHabitats.com. You can also simply flush the waste down the toilet so it is treated. If you’re feeling a little craftier, you can make your very own composter in your backyard using an old trash can. CityFarmer.org offers step-by-step photo instructions.

But what about kitty litter? Cat guardians should avoid clay-based litter at all costs, according to TreeHugger.com. The litter is not only bad for the environment, but it can be harmful to your cat. The clay sediment is coated with a dust that can coat your feline’s lungs, and the material used as a clumping agent can be poisonous if ingested. There are plenty of plant-based, biodegradable litters that are eco-friendly. You can also get creative and make your own from organic items such as corncobs, ground wheat, wood pulp, orange peels, and recycled paper.

http://www.tailsinc.com/site/epage/54327_551.htm

Our Largest Beagle Meetup Yet!

2008-04-04T09:18:00.001-07:00

We had about 60 beagles and at least as many people on March 30, 2008, at The Dog House of Barrington, a wonderful new doggie day care and spa facility, set up perfectly for gatherings such as ours. I'll let the photos do the talking...it was treat time!

Access = Opportunity = Responsibility = Reward

2008-04-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

Our local suburban paper, the Daily Herald, did an excellent three-part series earlier this week on the animal shelters in rural Downstate Illinois (where I grew up) that are in such dire need of support from the far more populated suburbs. The articles focused on the transport component of dedicated people who, at their own expense, orchestrate regular van and car trips to bring dogs and cats up to our suburban Chicago area to rescue groups and no-kill shelters, where they have a much better chance of adoption. This is due in large part to the much higher population in this area, and also to the more advanced network of support that exists here. Kudos to the kind people and organizations that help with this.

As a regular foster home for beagles for a local rescue group and an occasional transport helper for dogs, I am continually surprised so many people still believe that all shelter/rescue pets are old, sick or ill-tempered, undesirably flawed or some combination thereof. NOTHING could be further from the truth. Many, especially those that do make it out of the euthanasia line, are friendly, healthy (or have easily-managed conditions), and span the full spectrum of age. There are puppies and there are dogs of obvious single breed, in addition to wonderful mystery mixes. The "problems" with dogs in rescue are sometimes attributable to the humans in the equation.

In addition to spaying/neutering, the best action anyone can take - and can pass along to all who will hear -- is to rescue from a shelter or rescue group any time a pet is being added to the family. I hope this series helps raise awareness of the incredible ACCESS we have in this area to pets of all types through so many organizations and groups, and what an OPPORTUNITY that gives us to make a difference. I would go further and say we have an obligation, a RESPONSIBILITY to take advantage of this to the benefit of the animals, for which the (spiritual) REWARD is immeasurable.

Dog Lovers Unite - Puppy Mills Exposed on Oprah!

2008-04-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

On Friday, April 4, The Oprah Winfrey Show will air a piece on puppy mills featuring reporter Lisa Ling. I'm sure it's terribly disturbing, but it shouldn't really be news - it's "old news" at best, but with Oprah's power of exposure, it will educate people about some of the realities behind puppy sales, and the brutal truth that it's a supply-and-demand issue that we consumers support, perhaps unwittingly but I hope less so after the show. And maybe it will convince more people to consider adopting their next dog or puppy from a shelter or rescue group (YES, you can get puppies there too).

http://www2.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200804/tows_past_20080404.jhtml?promocode=HP51

Great Source for Beagle Q&A

2008-03-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

Here is an EXCELLENT resource for general information about beagles. Go to the FAQ area in particular. I am asked these exact questions pretty often. Especially if you are a new beagle owner or know someone who is considering adopting a beagle (PREFERABLY FROM A RESCUE OR SHELTER!!!!!), give them this link.

http://www.beagles-on-the-web.com/

Resources Regarding Pet Food Safety

2008-03-14T21:00:00.001-07:00

After all the hubbub last year (one year ago this week) with the pet food industry and the horrible results for some pets, it's easy to think that every problem will get that much attention and you'll be aware of it, but that's not always the case. Unfortunately all kinds of consumable items are recalled periodically for various reasons. There are many Web sites that maintain information about pet food safety in general and recalls in particular. Here are some for reference.

http://www.petfoodtracker.com/
They site provides lists of recalled pet food and non-recalled foods that tested positive and are still on the market.

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=recall
This is maintained by the ASPCA and was updated as recently as March 12 ("Hartz Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats").

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html
This site is from the FDA and contains all kinds of information past and present, FAQs, links, insight into what the FDA does in this area, etc.

Mint Cookie Dog Treat Recipe

2008-03-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe in the March 2008 issue of Chicagoland Tails Pet Magazine, a publication for pet lovers that encourages responsible pet guardianship. The paper is distributed free at pet supply stores, vet offices, etc., in our area.

This recipe is credited to Bill Klein, owner of Galloping Gourmutts dog bakery in Chicago (2736 N. Lincoln Ave, http://www.gallopinggourmutts.com/), and uses human-grade ingredients, no salt, no sugar, no preservatives. He developed this recipe himself, and it has a side benefit of freshening your dog's breath, always appreciated by the humans in the pack! Try it as a spring treat.

MINT COOKIES (for canines!)

8 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup ground up oats
1 capful pure peppermint extract
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup baking powder
1/8 cup parsley flakes
4 cups water

--Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
--Spray large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
--Mix ingredients together in large bowl.
--Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet.
--Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes. Let cool.
Makes approximately 24 cookies depending on size you made them.
--Administer generously for good behavior!!

(Best used quickly because, with no preservatives, they won't have a long shelf-life. And frankly, your dog wants them all RIGHT NOW anyway).

UNO THE BEAGLE Day Declared in Illinois!

2008-03-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

Uno has become the unofficial rep for Beagles, Hounds, Illinois, basically whatever he is connected to! So I wonder what his official title should be?

--ambassabeagle

--beagleassador

--spokesbeagle (I think this is the one)

--symbeagle

--others?

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=5997806

BEAGLE-IRIUM: A Poem

2008-02-27T10:40:00.000-08:00

We had our monthly suburban beagle meetup this past Sunday with record attendance of over 35 beagles and people. Talk about tired dogs that evening! So I penned this little rhyme as a way to capture the aftermath of an outing with your dogs. We've all seen how they just CRASH after an activity that is outside their usual daily routine, and it's pretty funny.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEAGLE-IRIUM

‘Twas the night after Meetup
And all over town,
Not a beagle was stirring,
Not one single hound.

The pooches were pooped
From their beagle play date.
Their bellies were filled
With the treats that they ate.

They dozed in the car
As their people drove home,
Then crashed on the sofa
“Just leave me alone!”

Snoozing and snoring
And running in place,
While dreaming of rabbits
And giving them chase.

With memories stored
Of the butts they had sniffed,
So many great scents there--
It’s really a gift!

Tri-color, blue tick
Short ears and long,
Some “big-boned,” some skinny
And all have that song.

It can mean “Hello there,”
And “How do you do?”
“Good morning,” “Good evening,”
“Goodbye and adieu.”

To our ears it’s music,
Not all share our view,
That there’s no sweeter sound
Than a beagle AROOOOO!

Joyce Paschall
February 25, 2008

PACK-DEMONIUM

2008-02-26T13:26:00.000-08:00

Wow.

After the big beagle win at Westminster by Uno recently, the local suburban newspaper here, the Daily Herald, found me and called for a long interview about all things beagle. When the article finally ran a few days later, it was pretty short but did mention our upcoming beagle Meetup gathering (held in late February). I had over twenty new folks request to be in our Meetup Group, and all were local to our immediate area and most wanted to come to our event! Great! Except I already had higher-than-usual turnout due to everyone and their beagles having major cabin fever in this most annoying winter we're having. I didn't have time to find an alternate location, so we met at our usual winter indoor place, a local dog training room.

And boy did we pack the place! We had well over 30 humans and over 30 dogs. It was wall to wall, with people sitting all around the perimeter of the room, and the beagles doing their thing in the middle. What fun!

Since then I found a FABULOUS new facility nearby that we used for the first time this past Sunday where we had WELL OVER 50 BEAGLES AND PEOPLE - probably closer to 60 of each! Watch for a recap and photos of that to come soon!

PUP QUIZ: How Many Beagles Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?

2008-02-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

You've probably seen this before as it has made the rounds on the Web in recent times. As far as I can tell, the author is not known. I found it in many places without attribution.

Trouble is, there's a glaring oversight in that it doesn't include the BEAGLE, one of the all-time most popular breeds, as we all know and totally understand :) It only has a generic "hound dog" answer which is not even legiti-, oh, all right, it IS pretty true to form, but it's not specific enough for beagle people.

So I made up a few at the end. Here's your chance to play too - reply with what you think the beagle would say.

--------------------------------------------------------------

How many dogs does it take to change a light bulb?

· GOLDEN RETRIEVER: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned out bulb?

· BORDER COLLIE: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.

· DACHSHUND: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!

· ROTTWEILER: Make me.

· LAB: Oh, me, me!!!! Pleeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I?

· TIBETAN TERRIER:Let the Border Collie do it. You can feed me while he's busy!

· JACK RUSSELL TERRIER: I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.

· POODLE: I'll just blow in the Border Collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

· COCKER SPANIEL: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.

· DOBERMAN: While it's dark, I'm going to sleep on the couch.

· BOXER: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark......

· CHIHUAHUA: Yo quiero Taco Bulb.

· IRISH WOLFHOUND: Can somebody else do it? I've got this hangover....

· POINTER: I see it, there it is, there it is, right there....

· GREYHOUND: It isn't moving. Who cares?

· AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle..

· OLD ENGLISH SHEEP DOG: Light bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light bulb?

· HOUND DOG: ZZZZZZzzzzz.z.z.z..z..z..z...z

----------------------------------------------

BEAGLE:

--If it's not edible, why would I bother?

--Cover it with peanut butter and I'm there!

--Who needs light? I can find whatever I need by sniffing!

--AROOOOO! AROOOOO! AROOOOO! Hey, why isn't this working? It's so effective for all other situations...

UNO THE BEAGLE WON BEST IN SHOW!!!!!

2008-02-12T20:09:00.000-08:00

Yes he can and he just did - UNO the 15-inch camera hound (pun intended - if you watched you saw him hamming it up for the camera, no kidding) was just named Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York. He was OBVIOUSLY the best of the bunch by a huge, unbiased margin in my opinion :) He was by far the audience favorite too and got an unheard of standing O when he was named the winner. At which point he adroitly tossed back his beautiful beagle head and AROOOOO'd with a smile!

Yippee!

Can a Beagle Win Westminster?

2008-02-11T20:57:00.000-08:00

You may have heard that a BEAGLE is in the running to win big at a major dog show this week! This 15-inch cutie's official name is much longer but they call him Uno. If you google something like "uno beagle westminster dog show" you'll find all kinds of articles and info. Believe it or not, a beagle has not even won the hound group since 1939 - scandalous!

http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2008/results/group/hound.html -- this is the show's official web site; there is a gorgeous photo of him there if you click on Photos under the winner's information.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2008-02-10-beagle-dog_N.htm -- here is an excerpt from the USA Today article link:
One of America's beloved dogs, the beagle, has never won Best in Show at Westminster. In fact, no beagle has even won the hound group since 1939, and it's been 25 years since any kind of hound has been chosen as the overall winner. But could a charmer named Uno make history at New York's Madison Square Garden in the 132nd Westminster Dog Show?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23096596/ -- and you have to love this from MSNBC (I've pulled out a few of my favorite sentences from the article):

NEW YORK - Uno barked at his handler, bayed at the crowd, tried to grab his leash and took a flying leap at a piece of filet mignon. Oh, and he gnawed away at a newly printed sign.

Now that's one great beagle.

His white-tipped tail in perpetual motion, Uno turned the green carpet of Madison Square Garden into his own personal backyard. On Monday night, he became the first beagle to win the hound group at the Westminster Kennel Club show since 1939 - that's 483 years, in dog years.

"Snoopy would be proud," handler Aaron Wilkerson said earlier. "He was being his merry little hound self."
"Ah-rooo!" his howls echoed all over the arena. It didn't take much to get Uno going, either. A click of a spectator's pen, a wave of the judge's hand, any effort by Wilkerson to hush him. "Ah-rooo!"

LET'S ALL WISH UNO OUR BEST BEAGLE LUCK! Ah-ROOOOOO!!!!

Resolved - To Read These New Year's Resolutions!

2008-02-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

From the current (February 2008) newsletter of Cesar Millan, aka the Dog Whisperer, here are some new year resolutions from other dog guardians. Note that several involve taking more walks and/or taking some weight off their dog. Hmmm. Sounds eerily familiar to the most common human resolutions, eh? It's scary that we are transferring so many of our own problems onto our dogs...

http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/features/resolutions.php

PETFINDER - Another New TV Show - on Animal Planet

2008-02-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Another new cable TV show is coming that may be of interest to those of us in the animal/dog rescue realm. It's called Petfinder, on Animal Planet:

"Based on the popular Web site Petfinder.com, this Animal Planet series matches shelter animals with families searching for their perfect pet. As family members duke it out over which pet they think is best, the show keeps the peace by finding a pet that will meet everyone's needs. Before each episode is over, the fur will fly and the poop will hit the fan as a new pet is chosen!"

The first episode will air on Saturday, February 9, 2008, at 9:00 p.m. (I'm sure that's Eastern time). Here's a link with more info:

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/petfinder/about/about.html

ARRROOOOMMM Full of Beagles - What Could Be Better?

2008-01-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

Maybe a BIGGER room full of MORE!?

Today we had a gathering of our beagle meetup group. We met at a local dog training facility where there is a dog-friendly, heated indoor room and a fenced yard - a perfect combo for these winter months when there's snow on the ground and being outside in our back yard isn't too appealing.

We had about 20 beagles!!! So much fun having a room full of them. And they were so well-behaved. Yes there were a couple of humping incidents, a few squeals when someone wanted to play with someone who didn't, a snap or two at treat time as all fought for position, and not everyone bothered to inform their human when nature called. But all in all, it was a very civilized event as always. And almost NO barking.

Since we've had beagles (about six years now), as we run into people while out and about with our dogs, I have learned a few things. First, everyone either had a beagle at some point when they were a kid, or they lived next door to one. The latter group must have all lived in the same place, because they ALL say, "It was a real barker, just loud and wouldn't be quiet. Don't they all bark a lot?" And the answer is a resounding NO!!

Some do bark, sometimes a lot, it's true. But so do other breeds. It is just that beagles tend to have a recognizable ARRROOOOO howl kind of sound. And they are so social, hey, I'd bark too if I was left outside alone all the time when all I want is to be inside with my "peeps." But most beagles are quiet except when there's a reason to bark. Like when you come home at night (which can be easily squelched by simply ignoring them, turning your back and being silent when you come in), or when you pull the leashes out for a walk, or when dinner is getting into the food bowl too slowly. Barking can really help in all those situations--duh :)

Our second dog, Emily, didn't make a sound for the first few months we had her. We could tell she wasn't deaf but we seriously wondered if she was mute! She did find her voice after a while and now will howl when she's really excited. And all of our fosters have been on a need-to-bark basis or nearly silent.

Also, people will often say, "Aren't beagles really hyper?" Meanwhile our two, and any foster we may have, are standing or sitting calmly right in front of them waiting for the walk to continue. We say no, this is pretty much how they are most of the time, they're really couch potatoes except when something important is happening. In other words, we try to inform people so they don't have such a negative impression.

But the ugly truth is that when a beagle is turned in by its owner, a common reason is that the dog barks uncontrollably, or is too "high energy" for that family. And a trainer we highly respect said that when he gets beagles in for one of his doggie boot camps, it's usually a barking problem. So why are some so mellow and quiet, while others are loud and active? Who knows for sure, but I'm convinced the humans are an important part of the equation. Ideas for dealing with a noisy, energetic beagle will come in another post.

Seven Thousand Pleas Under the Tree

2008-01-23T21:47:00.001-08:00

Right now at this moment on Petfinder.com, there are 6,974, let's just call it SEVEN THOUSAND, nationwide listings for beagles. And this includes only those shelters and rescue groups that choose to include their listings on Petfinder, not all available dogs by a long shot.

Beagles are the fourth largest group on Petfinder, after Labradors, pit bulls/Staffordshire terriers and the various shepherd flavors.

It is SO important when you are in the market for a canine companion to think FIRST of adopting a rescue/shelter dog, and to encourage others to do the same. You are literally saving a life. Maybe the life of the particular dog you adopt, or maybe by making room for another one to take its place, one that otherwise might not have even one more day left.

Contrary to what some uninformed people still believe, a dog in rescue or in a shelter is not necessarily "bad" and does not necessarily have "issues." Some do, of course. Sometimes it's situational and in a different home the dog won't even exhibit whatever it was turned in for. And the behavior seen in the shelter environment is often not that dog's normal personality at all. For some dogs, a shelter is a very stressful place, and for all it's an artificial one lacking in the all-important security of a pack. As a pack-oriented species, dogs simply must be in some kind of group (which can include other dogs, other animals and humans of all ages) to simulate the pack structure that serves as their Society.

Sadly, many dogs in shelter or rescue are there for reasons that are no reflection on them. Some people just get tired of the responsibility of a dog and let it loose or turn it in. Sometimes an owner becomes ill or dies, or the family's finances or living arrangements cannot support having a pet any longer. And yes, occasionally a dog HAS acted out in a less than stellar way, but that is more likely due to lack of training and leadership, or poor treatment from the humans, than some innate problem within the dog.

Think of all the people you know who have a purebred dog "with papers!" they proudly state, that they got as a tiny puppy from a breeder or a pet shop. Is every single one of those dogs perfect? Of course not. I bet you know someone with a dog that barks constantly, or one that chews things up long after the puppy stage, one that can't be contained, one that can't be trusted with other dogs (or cats or kids or whatever), one that has separation anxiety when left alone, the list goes on. All these things can occur no matter the pedigree or lack thereof.

So choose to disrupt the sad cycle with one small act by adopting a dog whose only chance may be you, and whose only crime was to be inconvenient. The rewards may be subtle but the results will be powerful in ways that are difficult to express. Call it karma, call it "pay it forward," call it "whatsoever you do for the least...", I call it "putting something more positive than negative into the Universe." And my personal universe is so much richer because of it.

2008-01-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

A Poem to My Foster Dog

by Diane Morgan

I am the bridge between what was and what can be.

I am the pathway to a new life.

I am made of mush, because my heart melted when I saw you,

Matted and sore, limping, depressed, lonely, unwanted, afraid to love.

For one little time you are mine.

I will feed you with my own hand and I will love you with my whole heart.

I will make you whole.

I am made of steel.

Because when the time comes, when you are well, and sleek,

When your eyes shine and your tail wags with joy,

Then comes the hard part.

I will let you go--not without a tear, but without a regret.

For you are safe forever-- a new dog needs me now.

This was written by Diane Morgan who does basset rescue in addition to writing dog breed and other books, including "The Beagle," available in pet supply stores and on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Beagle-Terra-Nova-Diane-Morgan/dp/0793836271/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200500307&sr=1-2

Book Description: The beagle is a very smart dog with a high level of trainability. Learn the best training methods for embracing the beagle's cheerful, fun-loving nature while also managing his somewhat stubborn tendencies. Discover a whole new world of dogs with these revolutionary, breed-specific guides accompanied by a free DVD.

Also see a post from my other blog on the topic of fostering:

http://palatinebeagleblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/we-dont-have-time.html

"Is He Really Our Dog Now?"

2008-01-15T21:42:00.000-08:00

A Senior Dog for Senior People

Well, our wonderful, sweet foster dog, a beagle/basset mix named Amos who came from a rural kill shelter and is around 9 years old, whom we saw through a neutering and ACL surgery yet he never so much as issued a single whimper, was adopted today to a nearby assisted living facility.

Yes, it was hard to let him go (we REALLY fell for the guy), but our sadness was more than matched by the joy on the faces and in the words of the residents when I took him there. He had been for visits a few times so people remembered him and some had been waiting for him to arrive.

"Does he get to stay this time?"
"Is he really ours?"
"What's his name?"
"I see it's a boy dog."
"Oh, he's SOOO pretty!"
"So he's really going to live here?"
"Look at him wag that tail, he's happy to see us."
"Come here and see me, Amos."

And the staff members were competing to see who gets to be responsible for him at what times. So he will not lack for attention and kind words and hands eager to pet. And he probably won't lack for treats either. A pretty good gig for an old guy, don't you think?

He is a great car dog - just sits pretty right in a seat and looks out the window like a person. So they plan to take him now and then in the van when they go on outings. And the variety of ever-changing smells will fuel his scent hound nature and keep him occupied. He'll do his share of garbage can treasure-hunting and will probably get into some things better left out of his surprisingly high reach, and everyone will learn together how to hound-proof the place.

Enjoy them as much as they will enjoy you, Amos, and as much as we did while you were with us. We'd love to keep you but you have a job to do there and we need to let the next one come in from the cold. There are so many more where you came from, and they're dying, literally, to get in.

Hasta luego, sr. Amos.

Check out my other beagle blog too!

2008-01-14T21:55:00.001-08:00

I have two beagle blogs going right now - I plan to merge them soon but just haven't made it happen yet. So also check out the other one at

http://palatinebeagleblog.blogspot.com

Winterize Your Beagle - BRRRR - cold weather tips

2008-01-10T09:41:00.000-08:00

Suggestions and reminders:

--Don't let your dog off leash in ice or snow and be absolutely sure your dog is wearing an ID tag. There can be hidden dangers under the snow - things they could step on and injure their paws. But more important, especially for a beagle, is that they rely so much on their scenting ability, and the snow/ice can reduce or eliminate that. More dogs are lost in the winter than any other time.

--Used dog-safe melting products and avoid your dog spending too much time walking on treated surfaces. For your own home, use only "salt" products that say they are pet-safe. These do cost more and sometimes are harder to find. There are two concerns with commercial melting products: a) they can lodge in between your beagle's paw pads which is very painful and can cause cuts; b) residue can collect on the paws and then the dog licks the paws, ingesting chemicals ranging from just not good for them to possibly harmful to truly poisonous.

--Be sure to wipe paws after they've been out in bad weather, to remove any salt or antifreeze or other residue, and to dislodge snow or ice pieces.

--Store antifreeze safely. Antifreeze is a notorious poison for dogs, because it is sometimes sitting right in the garage and apparently has an appealing, almost sweet taste to them. If you have any, make sure it is inaccessible and double-sealed, perhaps inside a plastic bin, so that if the container leaks it doesn't run off onto the floor where it can be licked up. And make sure your car is not leaking it onto the garage floor or driveway.

--Dogs can get frostbite. And beagles, with their shorter fur, are not designed to withstand super cold temperatures for long periods of time. Being in a cold car can quickly become dangerous. Also, just like us, they can have dry, flaky skin. You might consider a fatty acid supplement, and don't over-bathe your beagle during the winter.

Chicago-Area Dog Events: Seminar Feb 7; Expo March 14-16

2008-01-06T19:44:00.000-08:00

I am excited about two upcoming events here in my area (suburban Chicago).

First is an evening seminar in Evanston, IL, on Thursday, February 7, by Jan Fennell, a woman from the UK who calls herself "The Dog Listener," and uses a method she developed called Amichien Bonding. I am not familiar with her other than having heard of this method, and I plan to attend. Here is the info I received to circulate:

-----------------------------------------
Jan Fennell, known affectionately as the "Dog Listener", will be in the Chicagoland area to present "An Evening with the Dog Listener" at Northwestern University's Evanston campus on February 7 at 6:30 p.m. Her nonviolent, no force approach to working with dogs continues to gain respect worldwide. She is the author of five international bestsellers, including The Dog Listener and The Practical Dog Listener, and had a television series in the UK in which she visited dog owners' homes to help them solve behavior issues ranging from nuisance to life-threatening. Jan's course schedule, speaking engagements worldwide, private consultations and breeding of English Springer Spaniels in the UK prevent frequent travel to the US, so the opportunity to hear her speak may not present itself again soon. This event will combine a talk on her method - Amichien Bonding - a question and answer session, and a book signing.

Further details about the event can be found at www.peacefulpaws.us. Please feel free to pass along this information to anyone who might find it of interest.

What is Amichien® Bonding?Amichien Bonding is a unique, holistic method of working with dogs devised by Jan Fennell, the "Dog Listener", based on kindness and cooperation. It is a way of communicating with dogs, using their own instinctive language, that is simple and effective, yet involves no pain, no force and no special gadgets. The word "Amichien" is a combination of two French words - "ami" (friend), and "chien" (dog). www.janfennellthedoglistener.com

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SECOND is the annual Pet Expo. This is a fun event with lots of pet-related activities and tons of exhibits ranging from pet products to rescue groups. You can buy things, gather information, make donations and meet available dogs and cats. (But you cannot bring your own pet). We usually work the booth for RobDar's Houndsong Rescue. For those in our area, details are at:

http://www.petchicago.com/

Attend the 2008 Chicagoland Family Pet Expo!
Fun for the whole family, but please leave your own pet at home. Only attendees who are pre-registered for a contest are allowed to bring their pet.
300+ exhibits of products and services for pets and pet lovers plus...speakers, demos, contests and more!

The Chicagoland Family Pet Expo is a pet lovers paradise. You can shop for your favorite pet or pet lover at more than 300 exhibit booths of pet-related products & services. Enjoy entertaining shows and competitions, and you may even enter your dog or cat in several different contests (pre-registration required). Plus get "up close and personal" with hundreds of pets of all kinds.

March 14, 15 & 16, 2008
Friday 2pm to 7pm; Saturday 9am to 8pm; Sunday 10am to 5pm
Arlington Park Racecourse2200 W. Euclid Ave.Arlington Heights, IL 60006

Your Daily Click Can Help Feed Animals in Need

2008-01-02T21:59:00.000-08:00

Some will already be familiar with this as is isn't new. I received this reminder recently from a friend who is very involved in the dog and horse rescue arenas. I originally added the site to my Favorites and just click it every day that I remember to. It has been around awhile and it is, from all reports, legit. Here is the message:
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Subject: Your Daily Click Can Help Feed Abused and Neglected Animals

This is not a scam as verified by snopes.com: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/charity/animalrescue.asp

Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple... Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute (actually just seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box "fund food for animals" for free. This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising. It's also a great place to shop... and that donates even more food to the animals! Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://theanimalrescuesite.com

AGAIN, PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS!!!