Updates on ABR. Why does everyone like beagles? Listen to find out why if you don't already know.
Updates on ABR. Why does everyone like beagles? Listen to find out why if you don't already know.
Alaska Beagle Ranch
Episode 23
Hello everyone and welcome to the Alaska Beagle Ranch. I’m Dave Dorsey and I manage the ranch located near Wasilla, Alaska. There are presently 13 beagles and 1 basset at the ranch right now. Alaska Beagle Ranch is the only rescue in Alaska dedicated to beagles only.
Thank you to all our listeners. This week we have new listeners from Canada and Mexico. Our largest listening cities in the US besides the ones in Alaska are Seattle, Washington and Findlay, Ohio. I hope you like what we have for you here. We do appreciate your support. The Alaska Beagle Ranch has over 750 downloads since we started doing our podcast last November. We are now available on all apps where you listen to podcasts.
While we’re talking about it, will you take a moment and write us a review. Tell us what you think, how we are doing and maybe what you would like to hear more about. Help us get the word out about the Alaska Beagle Ranch.
You also can help support our podcast by donating on PayPal @Beagle Ranch 907.
We hope every beagle and their humans had a wonderful National Beagle Day on Saturday. What is National Beagle Day? Every April 22nd, those of us with beagles or just admire beagles celebrate the beagle. Here at the ranch, we celebrated by starting off with blueberry pancakes. We generally have them on Sunday’s, but with yesterday being a national holiday, we had to celebrate with our favorite breakfast. Afterwards the beagles took their after-breakfast nap. The weather was clear and a little warm for us in Alaska. It was 45°f. So, we spent a lot of the day outside squirrel hunting, Chuck It ball chasing and barking at anything. What did you guys do for this special day?
ABR Update:
Charlie Two is in the process of being adopted. It’s been a hard decision. For one he is a sweet pup. He minds well and is a cuddler. We got some good applications from some really nice people. It was hard to decide where Charlie would get to have his fur ever home.
On Wednesday, Macy had an appointment at the vet. She has epilepsy and has been on phenobarbital for about ten years and it’s helped a lot. I took Snoopy along for moral support. While in the lobby, a young lady was interacting with Snoopy. She was saying how at one time she had a beagle and she said she should think about getting another one. I told her I had fourteen beagles. She asked “are you the Alaska Beagle Ranch? I follow you on Facebook.” That made me feel good. The word is getting out.
We got the results back from the vet on Macy’s bloodwork. We adjusted her phenobarbital intake just a little. However, her bloodwork did show signs of Cushing’s disease. Her ADL level was way high along with other symptoms. There’s no special treatment we’re going to do currently. She’s happy and comfortable. Macy is 13 years young.
Our friend at Dog Works Radio had a good podcast on the 9 Etiquette Rules Every Dog Owner Needs to Memorize. Michelle has some very awesome tips. Check it out over at Apple podcast or wherever you listen to your podcast.
I’ve never met someone who said they hated beagles. Why? Well here’s five reasons the American Kennel Club says why we love beagles.
1. Their cute noses.
Take the nose, for instance. Look at it! In the ideal Beagle face, it rests at the end of a medium length, square muzzle, that draws your attention to those large, brown eyes, with a soft pleading expression that makes them look like Beanie Babies, just ones that bark, breathe, and eat. That nose, though, has a very serious purpose. Beagles pack enormous scenting power into a compact body—a nose on paws. Originally used for hunting, the Beagle nose today is put to work detecting everything from bedbugs to contraband.
2. Their cute ears.
Consider, for a moment, those ears. Cute right? So cute, you just want to grab them, right? Well, resist that impulse. U.S. President Lyndon Johnson had a pair of Beagles, Him and Her. One day he was meeting with a task force on foreign investment when the Beagles came running in. For no reason in particular, Johnson, who was known for his quirky sense of humor, lifted them up by the ears until they yelped. “You see what a dog will do when he gets in a crowd of bankers?” It took months for the flap over the “great earlift” to subside, but not before a float appeared in the Pasadena Rose Parade, a 20-foot-long Beagle with floppy ears, wearing a 10-gallon hat. It was called “Ouch.”
3. Their cute size.
Serious scent hounds they may be, but their size (they come in two varieties, 13 and 15 inches) makes them look like a child’s plaything or a porcelain nick-nack. The breed standard says that they are supposed to give the overall appearance of a Foxhound, but in miniature, in other words, much cuter. Queen Elizabeth, I shrunk them down even more, to about nine inches. “Pocket Beagles,” was what she called these tiny hounds who could balance on an outstretched palm.
4. Their cute personality.
No dog is more eager to try, happy to greet you, and ready to party than a Beagle. The tail is in a perpetual wag, the adorable face is almost always upturned, as if to say, “What game should we play now?” Miss P’s grand uncle, the unforgettable 2008 Westminster winner, Uno, was one big walking wag, a “look-at-me” kind of dog. “Never met a stranger in his life,” one of his breeders said.
5. Their cute faces.
What did everyone say about Miss P as she took her victory glide around the ring at Westminster? “Look how cute! Even the sternest souls have been known to succumb to the Beagle’s sweet expression. In 2008, the esteemed Westminster Best in Show judge, Dr. J. Donald Jones, was no match for Uno. “Look at his face, “Jones bubbled like a schoolgirl to reporters. “You just melt right down.”
They’re just cute—OK?
America loves the Beagle. There is nothing fancy or exotic or designer about him, but their loving temperament and handy size make them a perennial favorite, always among the top five most popular dogs in the American Kennel Club’s yearly ranking of its 194 breeds and varieties. Here are eight fun facts from dogster.com about this familiar little hound.
1. Sniffing out Beagle history
Dogs that resemble today’s Beagle in size and purpose can be traced back to the 5th century B.C. in ancient Greece. Xenophon, who was born circa 430 B.C., refers in his treatise On Hunting to a hound that hunted hares by scent and was followed on foot. Canute’s Forest Laws confirm that Beagle-type dogs were present in England before 1016. Miniature breeds of Beagle type were known from the times of Edward II and Henry VII, who both had packs of Glove Beagles, so named because they were small enough to fit on a glove, and Queen Elizabeth I kept Pocket Beagles that measured a mere 8 to 9 inches at the shoulder.
2. Two Beagle sizes
The official AKC breed standard recognizes two size varieties: The 13 Inch, for hounds not exceeding 13 inches in height at the shoulder, and the 15 Inch, for hounds over 13 inches but not exceeding 15 inches in height at the shoulder. Any Beagle measuring more than 15 inches at the shoulder is disqualified in the American show ring.
3. All about the Beagle tricolor
The Beagle standard is very concise, allowing “any true hound color.” But what does that mean, exactly? While most Beagles are tricolor, meaning tan and white with a big black saddle marking covering the back, Beagles are also seen in other hound color patterns. On some Beagles the saddle is not black but liver (reddish brown) or blue (a smoky gray). There are also red-and-white and lemon-and-white Beagles, without black markings. Finally, there are Beagles with colored flecks, speckles or ticking, similar to the color pattern of the Bluetick Coonhound.
4. The Beagle’s hunting roots
Rabbit hunting is so much a part of the Beagle’s history that the AKC breed standard, approved in 1957, actually includes a section on Beagle packs, with headings like Individual Merit of the Hounds, Manners (“The hounds must all work gaily and cheerfully”), Appointments (“Master and whips should be dressed alike, the master or huntsman to carry [a] horn, the whips and master to carry light thong whips”) and Recommendations for Show Livery, or apparel of the hunters (“Black velvet cap, white stock, green coat, white breeches or knickerbockers, green or black stockings, white spats, black or dark brown shoes. Vest and gloves optional. Ladies should turn out the same except for a white skirt instead of white breeches.”).
5. With Beagles, the nose knows
Along with the Bloodhound and Basset Hound, the Beagle’s sense of smell is one of the most acute in dogdom. While Beagles are incredibly affectionate, they are stubborn scent hounds, never more so than when they get a whiff of an intoxicating smell. At times like this, forget about the Beagle coming back when called. Obedience is not the breed’s forte. Be sure your fenced yard is escape proof, and always walk your Beagle on a leash, unless you are in a safe, enclosed area.
Where the Beagle’s superior nose is highly valued is as a sniffer dog: The Beagle Brigade of the United States Department of Agriculture employs the breed to detect food items in luggage being brought into the country. After testing several other breeds, Beagles were chosen because their small size does not intimidate those who are afraid of dogs. They are also easy to care for and work well for rewards. (Detection of explosives involves climbing over luggage and on conveyor belts for which larger breeds are better suited.)
6. The Beagle is a social pack hound
Because Beagles have traditionally been raised in large packs, they do not do well as a single pet, left alone all day. Their frustration will quickly lead to excessive barking and destructive behavior. A second dog for companionship is strongly recommended.
7. Iconic Beagles
Charles Schulz’s beloved comic strip, Peanuts, features the world’s most famous Beagle, Snoopy. While he’s been known to enjoy an occasional joke at Charlie Brown’s expense, Snoopy is, for the most part, a devoted pet, and many a Beagle owner over the decades first succumbed to the charms of the breed thanks to Snoopy. In the glamorous world of dog shows, two real-life Beagles have attained ultimate stardom by winning Best in Show at the nationally televised Westminster Kennel Club event in New York City: “Uno” in 2008 and “Miss P” in 2015.
8. Beagles in pop culture
Former U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson owned several Beagles and created an uproar when he picked one up by the ears. The ship on which Charles Darwin made the voyage that provided much of the inspiration for On the Origin of Species was named the HMS Beagle, after the breed. Celebrity Beagle owners include singer Barry Manilow (who named one Bagel), Bravo TV talk-show host and producer Andy Cohen, actor Frankie Muniz, singer/dancer KayCee Stroh and Helio Castroneves, Brazilian racing-car driver.
Beagle Spotlight: Todays spotlight is on all the beagles out there. Saturday was National Beagle Day and social media was just full of pictures and beagle stories from all around. It’s obvious that people love beagles and I’m so happy that they have a special day to shine.
Shoutout: Shoutout to Alaska Beagle Ranch supporter Janet Freniere. A good friend living in Colorado Springs. We were in the Air Force at Elmendorf AFB and spent many good times together. Thank you for your support, Janet.
Alaska Beagle Ranch is a nonprofit and we depend on donations to help us with our mission. What is our mission? Our mission and our goal are for every beagle, especially in Alaska, to have a happy home. For our beagles to be happy, they need to be healthy. We only adopt healthy beagles, so we need your help in paying their medical bills to get or keep them healthy so they can find their forever home. Beagles that can’t be adopted become resident beagles at ABR. Their medical, food and upkeep can be costly. We know that the economy isn’t as good as we would like it to be. Just a few dollars add up and goes a long, long way. You can find us on PayPal @Beagle Ranch907 or go to our Facebook page of Alaska Beagle Ranch and you can find links to PayPal and our Amazon wish list.
Looking for a sponsor.If you have a business or product that is dog related and you’re looking to sponsor or advertise on a dog related podcast and you like ours, give me a call Dave 907-202-4226. It can be dog food, treats, daycare, training or whatever. It doesn’t have to be strictly for beagles. Let’s talk about it.
We are also looking for some wonderful fosters. There can be a lot involved in being a foster, so think it over. Some of our beagles might have special needs like having to go to the vet, or they might need to take meds and maybe it might need some additional training. Of course, they always need some good loving. Sorry, but you must live in the Matanuska Susitna Valley area, specifically near Wasilla or Palmer. Email me at akbeagleranch@gmail.comor call us at 907-202-4226 for more information. Remember, our goal is for every beagle, especially in Alaska, has a happy home.
Thank you for listening to the Alaska Beagle Ranch. If you know of a beagle needing a good and happy home, put the owners in contact with us. If you know someone who is looking to get a beagle, please share our podcast with them. All the episodes will tell you what you need to know about beagles. If you have any questions about beagles and if they are right for you, email me at akbeagleranch@gmail.com or call us at 907-202-4226. You can follow us on Facebook at Alaska Beagle Ranch or on Twitter at @beagle_ranch.
Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, review, and maybe send some feedback or ideas.See you at Alaska Beagle Ranch next week.