For the Love of Beagles

I have always been a dog person. I grew up in a house with family dogs, and as soon as I got married and left home, that did not change. My husband Todd and I have always had a dog, sometimes two or three at a time.

We have had big dogs, little dogs, purebreds and mixed mutts. We have had lab mixes and shepherd mixes, golden retrievers and now have a great pyrenees cross. But my love affair with four-legged furry companions started with a beagle. 

Honey and I (I'm the one in the polka dots)

My first furry love was Honey, my mom and dad’s beagle. Their first baby, she was very patient with me when I came on the scene. Beagles are known for being very good with children, wonderful family dogs. I can vouch for that, and from what my mother has told me, Honey was no exception to that rule. I think that this is where my love affair with beagles began, with this tri-colour cutie. 

Beagles are affectionate, active and playful dogs. They love being part of the family, and love to cuddle. If you take out the “active” part, this actually describes me pretty well. Maybe that is why I love them so much! 

Lucy at Christmas

My second beagle came into my life when I was dating Todd, who is now my husband of almost 38 years. Lucy was a rescue, who we discovered at our local Humane Society shelter. She was already six months old when we found her, and it was instant love for us. She was the first of our dogs, and was loved as fiercely by our extended family as she was by Todd and I. When we got married, Todd left home a month early and he and Lucy were exclusive roommates until our wedding. 

The original couple, Todd and Lucy 1986

When I moved in, although she was mine as well, we had not lived in the same house until this point. So when she chewed the heels off of every pair of 80’s pumps that I had, I kind of understood the motivation. She was just laying down some ground rules!

Lucy really became MY girl when I had our first child, Duncan. I was now at home during the day with the new baby, and she was my helper, the official baby watcher. Not only did she watch him carefully, she kept a really close eye on any visitors we had to the home. Even though many people had commented on how the dog was going to be a problem when we brought a child into the mix, that was never the case. Our seven year old dog adapted very well to the baby, and the other baby that followed. She moved from sleeping in our room, to sleeping in her bed in the corner of Duncan’s room, ever the faithful nanny. 

Duncan and Lucy

We lost our Lucy when she was 13 years old, and the day that she left us, our hearts were broken. How would our family manage without her? The house was so quiet, and it just did not seem right. 

We went on to have many other dogs in our family, first Ben, then Toby, who was joined by Tucker, then Tanner and finally Noah. With the exception of little Toby (who was in a category all his own),all were big dogs, the last three majestic golden retrievers straight from the front of a hallmark card. 

But then one day, my husband came home from his new job on site at a Botanical Garden. He and the caretaker of the property had been chatting about their families, and their pets. He had mentioned our dogs, and our love of our first puppy, a beagle. Well, it just so happened that this lady had a beagle as well. Her beagle was at her house (on the property) that was due to have puppies in about a week! 

Miss Molly in her red ribbon

It did not take us very long to decide what we were going to do. And when those puppies were born, Todd went and chose sweet Molly, the little girl with the red ribbon around her neck. 

Molly came home to a busy house, a house that already had a big dog (Noah), and a little dog (Toby). Both were getting on in years, and our little Molly became the little lady of the pack.

Molly and George

Over the years, she continued to wear a red collar and captured the hearts of one and all. She was with us as our kids grew up and left home, and as our kids came back home. She was with us through house moves, and as we said goodbye to Noah, and to Toby. And when George came onto the scene, she showed him the ropes. At first he was tiny compared to her, although he quickly grew to be over a hundred pounds! Molly was there when my first two grandchildren were born. And like my other beagle, she was just as gentle and motherly. It was so magical to see her with these little ones, the same way that Lucy had been with their parents. 

Miss Molly Moments

In December of 2020, during Covid Lockdown, we said goodbye to Sweet Molly Beagle. After thirteen years, it was hard to not have her beside me. She was sweetness until the very last moment. I grieved, and I grieved hard. I said to my family, no more dogs for a while! Life was very difficult and challenging at that time. I didn’t want any more complications. But every time I would go for a walk, I would see people walking their dogs, and I would come home and cry. And after about six weeks (how it took that long, I still don’t know) we came home with our lab/great pyrenees, Scout.

All about Scout

Scout is a joy, and truly a magical dog. She was dog NUMBER 9 for us, and I can honestly say that she is absolutely different from any other dog we have ever had. I actually consulted a friend in the veterinary field once because I was worried about her, because she is so different the others. But my friend reassured me that Scout is just weird. Absolutely amazing, but weird. 

Scout LOVES other dogs. She loves when other dogs come to the house to visit. And so I have always wanted to find her a buddy. In my experience, dogs do better when there is more than one in the house.  They are never lonely!  And for Scout, she just wants someone to run around and play with.

Well, we left it up to the universe. But of course, whenever I would see someone walking a beagle in the neighborhood, my heart would ache. I just love them so much! I put the word out to everyone that if they ever heard of someone needing to rehome their beagle, to let me know. But I really did not think it would realistically ever happen. 

At the end of last November, a friend sent me a notice for an 8 month old beagle in search of a new home. “In case you know anyone looking to adopt-” my friend’s message said.   And within a couple hours, we had our 10th dog, and our third beagle, our Wilbur.

Packmates

Wilbur has been a gift, more than we ever thought we needed in our household. He and Scout play all day long, and his adventurous (and somewhat mischievous) puppy spirit makes us laugh every day. In the few short months that we have had him, we have loved watching him live his best puppyhood, and he has become best friends with my grandchildren. My youngest granddaughter calls him “Wilbert”. I love that!

Helping with laundry

I even participated in doggy obedience training with him, six Saturday afternoons at our local humane society. So fun to see a hound who sees the world through his nose in a room full of other breeds, some who I must say, follow directions a little differently than beagles do! 

The proud graduate

Beagles can be a challenge, that is for certain. But their spirit, and their contribution to the family are worth any chewed carpets or dog hair on my winter coat. I look forward to watching Wilbur grow to his full beagle potential, as part of our family. My beagle-loving heart is full!