Saturday, February 16, 2008

To begin ..............

I'm sorry if I burst anyone's bubble but ANY DOG will bite if there is reason - and that is not your reason or mine but the DOG's reasoning. Have you ever been bitten by a Cocker Spaniel? I have. Have you ever been bitten by a West Highland White Terrier? Again, I have. Have you ever been bitten by a small mixed-breed dog(Yorki-Poo)? And one more time, I have. I have seen with my own eyes a Pekinese attack a woman's husband simply because he wanted to sit beside his own wife on the sofa. I have seen Labrador Retrievers chase their owner simply because the owner wanted to take them for a walk.As anyone who owns a Beagle will tell you - a Beagle is NOT for everyone. I happen to own 2 Beagles and it is HIGHLY unlikely I will ever own any other breed, ever! And, just because someone only READS they aren't trainable - that does NOT make it true. Until you actually own at least one of these magnificent animals - DON'T pass judgement on them. One of my Beagles (which, by the way, are purebreds and registered with the American Kennel Club) visits in nursing homes and at a hospice and goes to the library where children take turns reading to him - you try being a small dog and have to tolerate a small child poking fingers in your ears and climbing on you. This dog has also earned his Canine Good Citizen award from the AKC - a series of tasks that a dog must perform to test behavior/temperament. My other Beagle has successfully completed her basic level of obedience training - will soon enter her intermediate level and continue training for her therapy dog standing. I talk with many who own Beagles and would not own any other breed. Beagles are listed as #5 as the most popular breed in the AKC.I do hope you include this reply in your blog - isolated incidence of what you experienced does not make a viscious dog. And besides, usually if a dog becomes aggressive - it has, in some way, either been provoked by a human or the dog has not been properly trained and/or handled.