Rescue Tails / Q.: When is a Beagle not a Beagle?   A.: When it’s a different Beagle!

BY Cathy Baier

You’re probably asking yourself “What on earth does THAT mean?”

This question and answer came out of a recent conversation with Amy and J.L., her husband, who just celebrated their one-year anniversary with Hula, a beagle they adopted from the Key West campus. Amy and J.L. are hound-loving people. Hula is Beagle number four! Our conversation went back through history as we talked about the dogs and how each one was different, even though all were the same breed. Each dog presented a different personality with new challenges, new lessons to be learned, and new gifts to be enjoyed and appreciated. Preconceived ideas and expectations had to fall by the wayside.

Amy admitted they fell in love with the cuteness when they adopted their first baby hound, Marli​, many years ago. She also admitted that like so many of us with our first dog, they were flying blind when it came to raising and training a puppy. Housetraining was tough, and Marli​seemed to go in all the wrong places, including the bed on one occasion!  But they were patient and persevered! Her sweet and sensitive nature allowed her to become best friends with the family house rabbits. But even bunny friends and loving humans could not prevent her from developing separation anxiety, a panic-disorder not uncommon in Beagles. She was very dependent and wanted to be with her humans at any cost. Back then training support and resources were not so available but Amy and J.L. did the best they could. Marli lived with them for 5 years until they lost her to a genetic health problem.

Blanche followed. This little girl had a much different personality. She was sweet and friendly but her confident and independent mind made her a challenge of a different sort. Hounds often have their own agenda that doesn’t take the wants and needs of humans into account. This is how we humans bred them.  Get on the trail of a scent and never look back; it’s hard-wired, preset at the factory, so to speak. Blanche was behaving like a Beagle, just different from Marli.  By now, training options were more available and Amy stepped up to the plate to learn more. With Amy’s help, Blanche became a well-behaved, easy-going, very human- and dog-friendly companion. She got to enjoy a very long and full life with Amy and J.L. until she eventually passed.

Little Clover came along next and is still with Amy and J.L. today. She was a ten-week-old puppy found in northern Florida. Cute as a button, Clover came with yet another personality. Clover is a very determined gal and even with Amy’s training experience, she finds it tough to get Clover to do anything she isn’t interested in doing. Her primary interests are eating, sleeping, and sniffing every inch of ground she covers. Surprise, surprise!  That is, until she hears an unexpected sound. Clover suffers from noise phobia and a sound that would fly beneath the radar of most dogs can send Clover into flight mode. Amy has been working to help reduce Clover’s fear but she is still a work in progress. In spite of this, Clover is a happy dog, very content to be with her family and a small circle of friends.

And last (for now) but not least is Hula! When we found ourselves with a seven-year-old Beagle at the shelter, we immediately knew who to contact. Of course, Amy and J.L. fell in love but were concerned how Clover would feel about having another gal in the house. Once Hula agreed that Clover could run the house, the two dogs made peace and got along fine, even though they are different. Unlike Clover, there is nothing reserved about Hula. Amy says Hula suffers from FOMO (fear of missing out) and wants to be a part of everything. She’s a reminder to live each moment to the fullest.  She is full of energy and has never met a person or dog she doesn’t’ like. Clover loves to sleep while Hula would run all day if she could. Clover is more serious while Hula keeps everyone laughing all the time. Two Beagles, two different dogs, but both well-loved and happy.

Amy’s story is a good lesson in the value of seeing the dog in front of us as opposed to having expectations as to who we want them to be. Every dog, like every person, is an individual. Yes, breed is a factor, but genetics vary from dog to dog. Early development, early learning, environment, and what we give them in terms of training and enrichment all play a role in creating the dog sitting before us at any point in time. Not every Border Collie is a sheep herder. Not every Lab is a swimmer, and not every Poodle is a lap warmer. It’s wonderful to have a breed of preference, but when we are willing to toss out our expectations and accept what we get, we have the best chance for a true friendship to develop.

Amy told us “We fell in love with our first dog which sealed our love for Beagles. We’ve learned that while each sweet Beagle can and will share many of the breed traits, they’ve come with their own individual personalities and genetic traits.  We hope that we can always have a Beagle/hound in our lives and we understand that our next one will bring a whole new experience.  Patience, love, consistency, education is needed in every relationship — it’s the same with our dogs!”

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