Clifford Fetches the Ball

We had been terribly busy the last couple of weeks, and did not have the time to take videos of Clifford. Nevertheless, his trainings still went on and he has now learnt to jump over the hoop, and paw on my arm. His favorite game would "Fetch" and he would always enthusiastically get the ball back to me - in exchange for a treat (this is mandatory, else Clifford wouldn't do it!)

Anyhow, I've managed to capture a video of Clifford fetching. It's not that clear, but it does show how interesting he finds the "Fetch" game!



In my next post, I'll put up pictures of Clifford's brothers and sisters. Let's see what they have been up too!

Clifford's early puppy days

Clifford posing for a picture (He responded to the command "Stay") :)

The largest in the litter when he was born, Clifford was immediately distinguished from the rest of the puppies. I guess his prominence was accentuated by his sleek black fur, much darker than the rest of the puppies. He obviously had an ideal location in his mummy's womb, even before he was born.

Hence, the name Clifford. His demeanor was silent, steady and watchful. He looked us eye to eye when we carried him, unlike the rest who usually wiggled. For all we knew, he was observing all the hustle and bustle around the home, the other puppies, and of course Murfee and Tobie. All the information he collected and processed through, leading to his obvious superiority in behavior.

He didn't play as hard as the other puppies, he learnt to poo at the right place after meals when he was only 3 weeks old, and he came over when we called him when he was 5 weeks old. Clifford followed me at my heels, as I walked in and out of the porch. He didn't run haphazardly around like his brothers and sisters. He would sit down and look up at me when he knew it was meal time.

Again, responding to a command. This time it's "Down" and "Stay"

Standing out from the crowd, Clifford was never overly playful or bashful. He did play, was not too lazy, but he has his limits. This was probably why he didn't mingle that well with the rest of the puppies - they were always wrestling or biting one another. Sometimes, Clifford got caught in the crossfire and he fought back. Nevertheless, his cool demeanor was always kept. At 6 weeks old, he already learnt to sit and come. We thought he was brilliant and have decided to keep him as our third dog.

At 8 weeks, he started to get a little vocal. In fact, he started to display signs of being able to make the Beagling howl - a half bark and half howl sound that only Beagles can make. Tobie had never made such sounds, and has never been overly noisy. Clifford would now bark whenever it was time to eat. Sometimes, he would bark after dinner when we placed him back in his cage. Our discipline came in the form of a rolled up newspaper which made a loud noise but was not hurtful to the puppy. He usually stopped his complaints after one session of discipline. That's good for a beagle.

We have decided to train him regularly and now he knows: Sit, Down, Come, Stay, Roll over, Shake and Beg, although not perfectly. This book we bought - 101 Dog Tricks - has shown us great methods to train dogs that we would never have thought of. It's amazing how the right approach in dog training can speed things up. Our target is to teach Clifford at least 20 tricks. I think he will be able to do it. I will upload videos on this once Clifford gets them right!

Goodbye Claire! We will visit...

Before I had the opportunity to upload nicer pictures of Claire, her new owner had already agreed to purchase her. He came to view Claire on Thursday and instantly liked the bubbly puppy. I'm certain Claire's beautiful good looks had melted his heart. He's getting her in conjunction with his daughter's birthday and I believe Claire will be a wonderful puppy for a little girl. Claire has that sweet look on her face, and our hearts were heavy when her new owner came to pick her up this Saturday morning.

The only consolation is that since her new owner is an acquaintance of ours, (although we had no idea about this when he called) we will be able to visit her. Now, the only puppy's left is Clifford, whom we plan to keep and train. I'll have more posts on Clifford's progress later on.

We hope she'll be a good puppy, and will behave well in her new home. She's always been receptive towards food, and has already been trained to sit and come. Hopefully, her training will resume and she will be a well-trained and obedient Beagle! Here are some nice pictures of Claire which I took this morning, and some of her as she was leaving:

Beautiful Claire Doo


I will miss you bro...


Claire boarded for the journey to her new home



We'll miss you Claire...

Emily's found a home!

Emily's owners saw her photograph on this blog, and decided that she was the puppy for them. Her new name is Jessie, and she now has a large compound to run in. While we had thought she would whine on her first night, she surprised her new owners and didn't complain. We were surprised too!

Anyway, here are some pictures of Emily in the car waiting for her masters to take her home. We'll miss her, and hope there will be an opportunity to see her again. Her master has just told me that she loves belly rubs and has an affinity for carrots!

Emily: Where am I? How do I get out?

Emily's owner mentioned that Claire is also a beautiful puppy. The reason why he selected Emily was because our pictures of Claire weren't that good. In fact, they took a while to decide between Emily and Claire while they were at our home. So, to make amends I'm taking new pictures of Claire and will upload them up in my next post.

Teddy and Penny sent to new homes - 3 pups left!

Penny's new master came to pick her up today. As usual, she was fidgeting in the morning as we fed her, cleaned her paws and let her run around with the other puppies. She still has a sore on her right back leg, but I think with good care it will recover soon. Penny is one of the cutest of the litter, and we will all miss her. Let's hope she will be a good dog - (her new name is Leng Leng)

Pineapple's dad came to pick Teddy up last Monday. From Pineapple's blog, he seems to be enjoying himself! See the latest pictures of him here - http://manzlife.blogspot.com/. He also has a new name - Fritz or John Fritzgerrard Kennedy. :)

Right now, Emily and Claire are still up for sale. Here are the latest pictures we have of them!

Claire




Emily

I just bathed!

5 puppies left

Milo's owner picked him up today. We hope he'll be fine and dandy, and that he will be a good boy in his new home. Also, we will miss him but I think he will get lots of attention from his new owner. As he was placed in a box and driven a way, I felt a little sad and amused at the same time when he placed his paws at the edge of the box and looked out the window. I still remember the night before when he laid on my lap while I applied cream at the side of his tummy. (He had two small sores and we had to take care of that.)

Picture of (from left) Clifford, Milo, Claire and Teddy.

Tobie, his mom, gave him a short nose rub as she saw him taken away. Having seen him leave, she seems to be fine with it, and did not start seeking for missing puppies. Perhaps she's glad that she can regain her masters' attention!

The next to leave will be Teddy, as his owners will pick him up Monday. I'm sure Pineapple will have a great time with Teddy. He's not as vocal as Milo, but is very adorable and active just like his siblings. Here's a video of the four of them Clifford, Claire, Milo and Teddy taken just last week. Enjoy!

A little background on Beagle behaviour

After talking to numerous people, I've finally come to realize that many people are not too familiar about how life with a Beagle is like. With their dopey eyes, droopy ears and friendly nature, beagles are perceived to be adorable, lovely and sweet. While that's all true, and they do melt my heart, Beagles are also very active dogs, mischievous at times, intelligent and cheeky. They have a mind of their own, and may or may not listen to their masters consistently.

To me, that's what makes life with a Beagle most interesting. They make you laugh and smile at times when you are down. And they sense they are needed when you need a friend. However, part of the package also includes times when they bite your shoe and end up looking very guilty about it. During these times, you may feel your blood boil and that Snoopy needs to be taught a lesson. And you should - by firmly reprimanding your dog. A firm "No" with a grasp at the back of the neck should be enough.

The fact is, we can't entirely blame our dogs for their behaviour. While we need to correct them for this, there is no guarantee that your dog won't repeat the same mistake. At this point, it is up to you to take preventive measures - Can you stop placing your shoe at a place where your puppy can find it? Can you lock up your Beagle puppy in a cage when you are not at home? Can you buy a dog chew toy instead? (Picture of Claire Doo on the right)

Beagles are utterly intelligent canines. All the beagle puppies in our litter (only 6 weeks old) have already learnt that they need to poo on the grass area whenever they are outside. I was amazed at how fast they picked that up! Clifford has somewhat learnt NOT to put his paws in the bowl while eating. Emily and Penny has managed to open the door of the crate FROM THE INSIDE when we were not at home. While they had explored the house, it was a good thing they didn't bite any of the wires. Tobie, their mom, has also figured out how to open the cage from within. We have since then stopped locking her in the cage, else she will let all the puppies out!

Another trait of Beagles is that they love attention. They need you to talk to them and pat them, although they are not overly clingy like some other breeds I've seen. Beagles are loyal friends, and would readily sit next to you for brownie points. The most amusing thing about my Beagle is her ability to "pose" when she hopes to get treats from us. All this cuteness has managed to earn her some significant extra food over the years. Interestingly, they seem to have the innate ability to get on your good side especially when it's to their advantage.

I would not say that Beagles are good guard dogs. All my Beagle has ever barked at were cats and dogs passing by our home. They may be vocal at times, but that would be to get YOUR attention. Unlike Miniature Pinchers, they DON'T bark non-stop. They may make that half-howl, half bark Beagling noise, but Tobie has rarely done that.

Ideally, Beagles should be raised in a house, not an apartment. Although they are small dogs, they are very active, and need to run about in the compound. Sometimes, my dogs have been caught sunbathing in the midst of a blazing afternoon at 3 pm! Beagles can be kept inside the home, and they can be toilet-trained, but they should be let out into the yard whenever possible.

Cages are necessary for a Beagle, for their safety as well as yours. Due to their docile and friendly nature, there have been cases of Beagle thefts right from the home. Caging them also prevents them from biting on stuff around your house, and also from escaping. Unlike other dogs, Beagles are easily distracted by their noses (Beagles have an excellent sense of smell) and aren't inclined to return home once they escape. They are just too distracted by the smells outside of their home!

Finally, Beagles are great for young couples, or families with children. They love kids and look forward to playing with them too. Of course, I've never seen a child who does not adore a Beagle. Nevertheless, young children should not be wholly responsible for the daily care of a Beagle. Ultimately, the dog becomes part of the family, and the adults need to care for the dog just like any other family member. Dogs are a commitment for at least 10 years and we must be ready to be responsible for them for the long term. (Picture of Emily Doo on the right)