More of my beagles

Have to add a little about my little girl Beagle before we all head for bed. Shasta (Tess's Sparkling Shasta) is my little Beagle girl who turned 17 months old yesterday, 3-8-08. She is on her way to becoming my 2nd therapy dog - Beagles really do make some of the best visiting therapy dogs. Last year, Shasta successfully graduated from basic obedience but due to my finances, we were not able to continue until now - she is quite smart and we are now working on intermediate obedience classes. I hope to be able to complete our evaluation for therapy dog this fall - after she earns her Canine Good Citizen standing.

Back to Shiloh a bit - since he really is the one who started my love affair with the Beagle. Besides being a visiting therapy dog (we are a Pet Partner team through Delta Society), a little over a year ago, I participated in a day-long seminar so that we could qualify as a Reading Education Assistance Dog team or R.E.A.D. Shiloh and I (there are also other Pet Partner's/R.E.A.D.) go in to our city library where young children can take turns reading to the dogs. This method has been proven to aid in a child's reading development. More on this later - time for bed now.

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.