Visiting Claire

Our next visit was to Claire's home. Upon special request, we brought Clifford along. He seems to be less enthusiastic about car rides - maybe he tends to get car sick. But he's a darling while in the car and does not fidget as much as his mother did. Here's a picture of our friend Clifford, being really sweet and clingy in the car. Notice how he leans on my arm ;)


Claire, of course, was happy to see Clifford. They played for a while, and Claire chased Clifford around. He was as usual, in his cool demeanor, and let everyone pat him. We showed Claire's family what we had taught Clifford, and he performed everything well, just like when he's at home. Of course, the trick was that we had to have puppy food giblets as reward. (Clifford wants to be paid before he does what you say ;) )

Look how Claire has grown. She is now 8 kg, and is still as active as ever. She loves her new home, loves to bite socks and lately has been biting a whole lot of stuff (including her new owner's car). She goes for a walk each day, and runs alongside her master's bicycle. We are glad that she has gone to such a good home, and that she has a family that loves her lots and lots.

However, she has lately become a little picky about her food. I think that's because there's no competition, and she's trying to get her masters to feed her treats instead of dog food. Hmmm, smart puppy.

Anyways, one of the things we learnt at dog obedience training class was to keep the food if the dog does not eat it. It's alright to let the dog go hungry for one meal. We tried this on Murfee and Tobie a few years back. They were shocked and surprised that we could ACTUALLY keep what we had given, and thereafter ate their food enthusiastically till this day!

Back to Claire. Here's a lovely picture of her, taking a short rest after running after Clifford:

Here's another picture of Claire. You can see her tail wagging!

Visiting Emily

The MKA Pedigree certificates are finally here. This is our opportunity to visit the homes of the puppies we have sold, at the same time pass the certificates to the new owners.

The first puppy we visited was Emily. She's as active as ever, extremely friendly, and very hyperactive. Oh, and we brought Clifford Doo along too. Emily seems to be petite, and weighed only a mere 6 kg (At the same time, Clifford was already 10 kg).

Anyways, she was a little vary at first - and wanted to sniff out Clifford from within her cage. However, once she was let out, she was really excited that another dog was visiting. (I don't really know if she remembers her brother). Anyway, she was ecstatic and ran round and round Clifford, trying hard to capture his attention.

Of course, Clifford is as steady and as cool as ever. After all, this was NOT his house, and he wouldn't want to seem like he was intruding. Nevertheless, Emily took Clifford for a tour around her compound. She took him to the back of the house, where there was some water he could drink.

Then she showed him the garden she usually plays in. Clifford had a good time sniffing around her house too.

Her owners love her a great deal, and we are really glad that she has gone to a new home. They say that Emily is still a picky eater (her food was left untouched in her cage). Maybe that's why she's smaller in size. I think she's really too active, and have spent all her energy playing and running around.

Oh, and her new name is now Jessie - here's a good picture of her we took:

Our camera does not have the steady shot feature, and it was quite difficult to take good shots with Emily running around. Here is another picture of Emily:


For comparison, this is how Emily looked like when she first went to her new home. Look how she has grown!

Clifford's Cherry Eye

It's been a while since my last post. I've been busy at work and stuff, and did not have time to blog. The other thing was.... Clifford had a cherry eye since a few weeks ago, and we thought we'd wait till it healed before we took any more pictures.

Although we applied ointment from the vet, there was hardly any improvement. The vet had not been overly concerned though. She said that it wouldn't hurt him, although it would seem like part of his vision is blocked. You see, cherry eye is a condition where the tear duct protrudes from beneath the eyelid. Usually, this is common for basset hounds, due to their droopy skin. But we asked the vet - "But he's NOT a basset hound!". They were dumbfounded.

Yesterday, we decided to send him for surgery to get his cherry eye fixed. The RM 250 surgery took a few hours, but Clifford stayed overnight at the vet. He even got bathed to rid him of that soury smell. Being the active puppy he was, he had been running around in the yard and had gotten really dirty.

Upon his return today, he was again his usual bubbly self. I don't think he felt much pain. There is still a little bit of the cherry eye left beneath the eyelid (if one were to look carefully). It should subside within a few days, according to the vet.

Here's a picture of Clifford. He's really sleepy and tired after his ordeal (and of course, after letting him roam around for 2 hours!). Watch out for my next post as I write about the latest in Clifford's training classes!

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)

Just pictures and captions!

Milo Doo napping

A box of beagle puppies!

Let's sleep now....

Let's Explore!

Clifford Doo posing

Claire Doo napping

Mommy feeding us

The 3 Beagle Boys

Clifford Doo

I was the largest of the litter, and also the one with the darkest black fur. You can see that I'm serious about stuff, and am able to sit still for a picture. Right now, tan color markings are starting to appear on my face, although I'm still predominantly black. I have a good appetite too, probably the reason why I've been able to stay large in physique still.

Milo Doo

I'm cute and am one of the most active male beagle puppies of the pack. I love to eat too, but I love to play even more. I can sneak up on my brothers and sisters, and wrestle with them after dinner. I try to get the attention of my masters in the morning. Hopefully, they will let me out so that I can play outside again!

Teddy Doo

I think I must be the cutest male beagle, but I'm not trying too hard to compare. I'm curious about my new surroundings, but I'm careful with my steps. If you look carefully at me, you may think that I look like a bear. That large dog at home tried to play with me that day, but I can't chase after her like she wants. Anyways, it's good to have made her acquaintance and I look forward to playing with her again! (Psst, I heard that my new mistresses have already booked me, so I really look forward to my new home.)

Who are we? (Self-portraits of 3 female beagle puppies)

Emily Doo

I'm probably the youngest of the litter. I can't really tell and my mom doesn't know either (she was unconscious when we were born). What I do know is that my mom loves us all, and tries to feed us all at one go. Sometimes, it's difficult to do that, so we take turns to eat.


Playing is my favorite past time. I love to explore, and have probably been farther than my siblings. I don't think they are as adventurous as me, although I've tried to get them to come along. Lately, I've been able to walk faster and I even skip around sometimes. I've even learnt the play position, and gotten one of the large dogs around the house (I think her name is Murfee) to play. She adores us too, although she's not our mom.

Penny Doo



I look like Emily, have almost the same markings, and love to play just like her. Nevertheless, I don't venture as far away as Emily, but stay close to my other siblings during play time. I love to wrestle with Emily, and we are probably the most active of the pack. Pick me up and I'll wriggle round and round. In terms of size, I'm slightly larger and longer than Emily, as I probably eat more than her.




Claire Doo

I love to EAT! I'm the first to the bowl and the last to leave! Feel my stomach after dinner and you'll see that I'm so full. I never seem to get enough, and try my best to get all I can. As compared to my sisters, I have a white stripe on my leg (something they don't have). I look much like them in terms of facial features, except that I'm bigger and fatter.

One-week old beagle puppies nursing!

One of the most amazing things about Tobie was her instinct to care and protect her puppies after they were born. We never knew that she had this in her.

As she laid down at her side, tired after her night-long ordeal with going in and out of labour, we observed as the entire litter whined for milk from their mother. Frantic and concerned, we prepared our own milk replacers for the puppies, and tried to feed them via a small puppy feader bottle. Surprizingly, these pups weren't too interested in what we had to offer. Obviously, they preferred mom's milk.

Tobie kept busy during the first week of being a mom, feeding and cleaning her puppies regularly. As her owners, the loving Beagle we had just a few days ago was no longer her. There were no more Beagle poses, no more relational pats, and no more playing games with Murfee, our other dog. She looked to us only to let her out, or as her source of food. Her personality changed overnight, and her priority now was obviously her 6 adorable puppies.

Of course, the upside to this was that we hardly had to do much cleaning, except to change the newspapers and the sheets we had for them. Tobie took care of all her puppies' needs. Diligently, she woke them up with gentle nudges when it was time for a meal, and licked them clean thereafter. Newborn puppies needed to be stimulated to poo and pee.

Diet-wise, Tobie seemed to have lost weight although we fed her 3 times as much, and provided supplements of milk replacer, calcium and Nutripet. Obviously, all her puppies are well-nourished and active. They are growing up fast and twitch when they sleep. It has been a different scene each week, and their features and personalities are starting to surface.

Physically, they had been all born black and white, (brown tones in beagles start to emerge as they grow up). Gradually, parts of the black on their shoulders and face are turning tan, just like their mom. We have even named them! More pup personality tales in my next post!

6 Adorable Beagle Puppies!

17th May 2007 - These 6 beagle puppies were born through Ceasarian section. Tobie Doo, our 5 year old Beagle weighing only 9 kg before being pregnant was considered a small Beagle to be carrying 6 pups. Thus, this was really a surprise to us! Moreover, this was already her 65th day of pregnancy, and she was already late. (The expected gestation period for dogs is 63 days).

Throughout the night of the 16th, we waited the entire night for Tobie to go into labour. After just a mere whine and squeak at about 10 pm at night, probably signaling the start of the contractions, nothing happened till the next morning. Her water bag broke about 11 am the next day, and after several hours of waiting without any progress, we finally took her in to the vet.

After an hour of surgery, we were delighted when the 6 puppies were presented to us in a box, collectively making high-pitched whines. Amidst fears that Tobie would not recognize her own pups, she surprised us once again when she lovingly let them suckle milk, even though she was still in pain from surgery. She placed her paws as much as she could on them, and pulled them close to her to protect them from the cold. Truly, we never expected Tobie, our mischievous Beagle to be motherly. In our eyes, she has always been our puppy friend.

Throughout the next two weeks, Tobie has been relatively protective over her puppies, although she has never been fierce with us. We were allowed to pick her puppies out, but she always kept a watchful eye. If we held on too long (like over 2 minutes) , she would come over and grab them back with from us. She could hardly carry them in her mouth, but she tried nevertheless.

I still remember the first week when she was hardly out of the puppy pen, a box we made for her, feeding them every few hours. As the newborn beagle puppies hardly whined, we knew that Tobie had done a good job being their mother.

Read my new posts, as I relate the different personalities of this litter of beagle puppies!