A dog and his boy...

Getting the big sniff at the dog park

Click on thumbnail to view larger image

6/1/08 Update: 

Dear Beagle Maryland,

I cannot believe it has been almost four months since my forever family took me home.  I am one very happy dog.  And I have had a number of adventures.

One day, for example, the younger of the two boys who lives with me took me to a friend's house to play when he had a day off from school.  My boy, the three children who live in the house I was visiting and their mom went for a walk to the store and left me in the backyard -- and they forgot to close the gate tightly.  So I saw my chance, and as they say, I took it.

I walked around the front yard for about thirty seconds when I spotted a lady two houses down who was unloading her groceries.  And her front door was wide open.  So I put on my best beagle face, wiped my feet, sauntered into her house and plopped down in the middle of the living room.  I thought I was being polite and that she should at least offer me a meal--or a cup of coffee -- but she just read my tags, called my vet who got in touch with the big fellow who lives in my house.  And then she brought me home.  My boy was very happy to see me, and to tell the truth, I was happy to see him.

My vet is very nice, but I don't like it when she puts that thing behind me that takes my temperature.  And they have this really neat, shiny table in the examining room that goes up and down so I don't have to be picked up.  I've been there twice -- once for a general exam (and I am in perfect health, thank you very much, and the vet complimented me on my trim figure) and once because I was having trouble, well, you know... But they gave me some medicine and I am okay now -- but I am very tired because it seems like my tail is ALWAYS wagging.

My people are very, very good to me.  My boys sometimes argue over where I am going to sleep at night.  They each want me to sleep with them -- but I usually end up sleeping next to the big fellow, who still doesn't seem to understand that I like to stretch out and I need a lot of room.  I think he needs a bigger bed.

We go for a lot of long walks and we go to the dog park on the weekends.  I am very popular there -- lots of other dogs come up and sniff me.  And we like to play together -- they run around real fast and I trot along after them.

I've had some interesting cuisine, too, but they leave it for me in strange places -- like in the garbage can and on top of the nightstand.  I have tried to impress upon them the Law of the Beagle -- if I can smell it and I can reach it, I can eat it, but they seem to think the only thing I should be eating is the food that is in my bowl.  But I showed them!  I already disposed of one steel trash can in the kitchen and I have my eye on the new one.  I haven't figured out how to work the pedal yet, but I work on it when I am home alone.

They tried to take me swimming in the hot tub a couple of times  - it was okay, but not my favorite thing.  I'll stick to baths.  And I've found some squirrels in the backyard to chase, so I am getting plenty of exercise.  My family recently had a picture made for their church directory and TAH-DAH, I am the best looking one in the picture!  The photographer tried to make me wear a little red cowboy hat with a piece of elastic to keep it on my head.  I am not normally inclined to bit people, but boy, she was asking for it!  I tried to explain that I just do not wear funny hats, but she wouldn't listen.  Fortunately I was able to keep knocking it off my head.

I am sure there is a lot I have left out of this letter.  I know I've had more adventures than this, but it's hard to type with my paws.  I lack opposable thumbs, you know.  And if I try to use my nose I keep hitting the space bar.  But I wanted to let you all know I am very happy and very healthy with my forever family.  They keep telling me I am a "good boy" and "the best dog in the world," so they obviously are refined people with excellent taste and discernment.

Thanks, Beagle Maryland, for rescuing me and matching me up with my family.  It is an amazingly perfect fit for me, and for them.

All my love,

Shaggie

3/25/08 Update:

Dear Beagle Maryland,

I cannot tell you how much I like my new home.  My people are funny.  And I keep them laughing.  And my tail has hardly stopped wagging, except when they pet me.

I have decided that I will let the big one - the one the little ones call him "Dad"-- share my bed.  It's very big, upstairs in a room where he keeps his clothes.  Somehow though, he doesn't seem to understand that I get first pick of spot to sleep.  He keeps trying to move me over.  And, much to my surprise, there's another dog in the room.  It's on top of a dresser.  I just noticed it last night.  It's white with black ears and it's shiny, almost like it was made of some kind of stone or porcelain, and all it does is sit there, very, very still.  I can't catch his scent, but I know he's watching me.  So I jump up on the bed and pace back and forth, keeping a very careful eye on him.  I'm on the alert.  If he moves, I'll see it.  And I want him to know it.

I'm afraid I've gained a little weight, too.  It's nice to be eating regularly, but the little ones who are supposed to feed me don't always coordinate - so sometimes they both feed me in the morning or in the afternoon.  Yum!  Hey, it's their mistake - I'm not going to let on and spoil it.  And the other night they gave me a teaspoon of this gooey stuff that tasted like peanuts--they spread it all over a new rubber bone they brought me.  Again, yum!  It made mah tongue shtick to do root ov mah mouff.  But I am getting plenty of exercise.  I feel like I have walked more in the past two weeks than I have walked in my entire life.  The leash goes on, we go out, we come home, the leash comes off and then, before I know it, it's on again.  Walk walk walk walk walk.  I do have other interests, you know.

But they are a really nice family.  They are very good to me and I am teaching them some tricks, like how to rub my belly in just the right spot.  They almost have the hang of it.  And there's another one I like to call "Watch Me."  We go out in the backyard, they throw this round thing, start getting really excited, point at it...and I just stand there.  Then they run after the round thing, pick it up, throw it, and the whole thing starts again.  We do it three, four, even five times before they get tired of it.  I haven't had any grand adventures yet -- the biggest thing we've done is go to the farmers' market on Saturday in Old Town, Alexandria.  I made a lot of new friends - on two legs and four.  Everyone seemed excited to hear that I had been rescued by Beagle Maryland.

Well, I have to run.  I'm sending you a couple of new pictures of me - they were taken with a cell phone camera.  But the reason they're not very good is that I won't stop moving long enough for someone to take a good picture.  I really, really like it here.  Thanks, Beagle Maryland.

Lots of love,

Shaggie

Dear Mara,

First of all, tell Sue I really appreciated all she did for me as my foster Mom.  I wasn't very nice to her when it came time to leave.  I sort of forgot she was there - but I was just so excited to go home with my new family, I sort of forgot about everything else.  You know how we beagles are - once we get a scent, the whole rest of the world disappears!

My new family took me home on Saturday (3/8/08).  I rode in the back seat of the car with the smaller of the two boys - he's 12 - and he just kept petting me and telling me how excited he was to have me in his family.

After awhile I just settled down in the seat, flopped down, put my head next to his lap and decided to soak it all up.  It took us about an hour to get to my new house - I couldn't wait to get inside...  I was pulling and tugging, but they insisted on taking me for a walk first.  We went to the park, we met a lot of other dogs and I had a chance to leave plenty of marking in case I get out of the house and get lost.

The house is very nice.  I spent about half an hour just sniffing around the first floor -- it's a big space and I just kept going around and around and around in circles.  My family lets me jump on the sofa -- it took me a little while to get used to that.  I sort of have to jump up with my front paws and then pull myself up.  They took me upstairs, showed me the bedrooms and then took me downstairs and showed me the basement where my crate is.  I think they expect me to sleep in the crate and stay there during the day -- I have them confused.  When we're in the basement, they say "crate" and I, like the good boy I am, walk right in...and then I turn around and walk right out.  My new family doesn't get mad, though; they just laugh.  And they didn't get mad when I left something for them on the basement rug when they went to Church on Sunday morning.

I have been getting a lot of attention.  My tail keeps wagging and wagging and wagging.  The boys don't exactly fight over me, but they do compete for my attention.  They pet me, I've slept on the bed of the biggest one for two nights now and they keep telling me what a good boy I am and I hope they are happy to have me in their family.  I think I like them, too, but they won't give me people food and their kitchen garbage can has a lid on it.  Oh well.  Nobody's perfect.

Thanks, Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland for giving me a home and taking care of me until this family could find me.  I'm a pretty lucky guy.

Lots of love,

Shaggie

Shaggie went to his Forever Home on 3/8/08.