Beagley - Mini-Beagle - Male/neutered - 4 years old best guess - 20 pounds - tri-color short coat
Beagley’s story is one of great courage and heart, both on his part and on the part of his foster mom. Beagley’s transformation from a frightened, no-count, runty little Beagle into the beautiful, brave and loving dog he is today took faith, imagination, and dedication.
Taken into a rural animal control facility in early spring, Beagley had been living on his own as a stray for over 6 weeks. Reports of his existence had been coming in regularly, and everyone was concerned about helping this small dog. Frightened and in great need, Beagley did not know how to ask for help directly, and finally had to be captured in a humane trap.
Once in shelter care, although safe, warm, and well-fed, Beagley faced a new dilemma - how he would ever go out the shelter’s exit door and into a home? Sadly, Beagley spent his days huddled in the corner - remote, frightened, shaking, and seemingly inaccessible. He had no skills with which to present himself to a potential adopter - and his hopes of ever being chosen were virtually non-existent.
Unknown to Beagley, however, there were forces at work, and determined to help him make it out. The animal control officer who brought him in had seen something in little Beagley - some flicker of potential. She petitioned us on his behalf. And when our volunteer went in to meet him, and she too saw that spark of promise. She stepped up to foster him.
Her commitment and dedication could not have gone unfelt by Beagley. Beagles are highly intuitive dogs.
Beagley joined a household in which there were two very happy male dogs - one, a senior beagle who had himself once lived on the margins as a penned, used-up hunting dog. The other foster companion was a young beagle mix - also a rescue dog. These two resident dogs pitched in to serve as guides for Beagley and show him the ropes.
Suddenly a world of possibility opened up for Beagley, and he responded each day with increasing faith.
Beagley is now ready to begin his life in an adoptive home. His adopter(s) will need to be committed to his special needs for continuing encouragement and positive reinforcement. But here is how Beagley will reward his adopter(s)’ patient commitment:
He is one of the all-time gentlest, kindest dogs. Described by his care provider as “super sweet”, Beagley is capable of bonding profoundly. In fact, he is now the most tactile of fellows - a true snuggle-bug - one who loves to be petted and held - and the kind of dog who will emit a soft sigh of happiness when he is just beginning to fall asleep next to his human. We are happy to see what we term “beagle shamelessness” in his overtures and expectations.
He is wonderful with other dogs, and, in fact, should be in a household with another gentle dog to whom he will provide steady, stalwart companionship. A great surprise to all of us was Beagley’s great joy to visit the dog park. While that first visit carried with it the worry over whether once off-lead, Beagley would return to his care provider, the day turned into a real triumph of how far Beagley had come.
He knows his name, and responds well to it. Moreover, he understands now that people are a source of care and protection, love and treats, consistency and reliability.
A beautiful, very small little beagle, Beagley has open, soft and expectant eye contact. He is extremely accepting of other animals, including cats and even an unlikely new friend he has made - a pet rabbit. This was another surprise to us, considering his breed and his time spent living on his own.
Beagley’s capacity to learn is now well proven. He already knows the cues for sit, down, shake and leave it. He is happily at work on a new cue: “on your bed."He is crate trained. He has wonderful house manners and is not remotely protective of bones, toys, or food - if anything, he is happy to share all he has.
He is house trained, and has learned to voice a yodel of communication to his foster mom when he needs something, or feels there is something she needs to know.
Beagley has also made exceptional progress in a an additional variety of skills that were once new to him - he has completely warmed up to car rides, and will load up on his own. In his leash walking he has made incredible strides; he has graduated from walking on lead to his next challenge, which is loose leash walking. The immense learning curve he is on seems to have given him a growing conviction that he can greet new challenges and situations with confidence, and he now attends a wonderful program offered through Your Dog’s Friend - a class that they offer called “the foster dog program.” Beagley loves going to “school”, and his continuing learning will be a joy for his adopters.
By placing Beagley in his adoptive home, we are transferring a great bond of trust to his committed adopter(s), but we are also offering our own partnership. Beagley's foster mom, an accomplished trainer in her own right, will be happy to support and counsel his adopter(s), and share her own tips and skills. For his part, Beagley will bring his special courage, his faith, and his great heart.
We do not recommend Beagley for a home with small children due to our desire to place him in an environment that is less apt to provide startling stressors for him. Please note that we are recommending that Beagley go to a home with an already existing, dog-friendly dog.
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